I'm a new member and am reading all that I can before making the leap to being a VA. I have the experience and the resources but not the confidence yet.

Hoping to learn enough to jump in with both feet.

Hello everyone,

I'm also a new member and learning. I have the experience and a few clients but I have to say right now my biggest roadblock is creating a business plan. I'm open to any and all suggestions and comments from all who have been there done that.

Hello and welcome
I read recently that confidence is one of the largest determining factors in an entrepreneur's success so get to work patting yourself on the back and extolling your own virtues, talents, and skills. Because if you don't believe in yourself you won't be able to sell your services to potential clients.

If the experience and resources are there then you've already won half the battle

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At least you have a few clients already. That is a good start.

As far as a business plan goes the link below has a business plan template. Maybe it will help.

http://www.vamanual.com/Templates.html

Just to let you know the search feature is my best friend here at VA Forums...and everyone here is so willing to help you with whatever question you may have.

From one newbie to you newbies....
Sierra

I understand the anxiety. I am slowly learning that networking is the key to getting started. I was recently talking with an attorney who working with my husband and I with his construction company. Her husband owns a small retail store. They have been dissatisfied with their CPA's fees for the minimal work needed for their store. SO, I pitched the idea of helping them from my home (I have a bookkeeping background). She was interested. You just have to be willing to introduce your experiences and allow the "client" or even friend to make the decision. GOOD LUCK. I am also just getting started and don't even have a name for my "businsess" yet.
Toni S
Louisiana

Welcome to the forums!

I was anxious when I first started too. But the more you become familiar with the industry and you begin to feel like you are a part of it, the anxiety will start to go away. This forum has amazing members who are helpful beyond belief.

Take this time to learn as much as you can so that you're prepared for when the clients start to come. I started off slow at first and only took one or 2 clients. Then all of a sudden there were more and now more. I'm glad I began slowly because I was able to quickly adjust to having more clients.

Best wishes for a successful VA business.

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Shari Sultana
Online Business Manager (marketing for retail ecommerce)

Awesome link, gravics. Thank you.

I'm new, too, but the more I research the more I see the viability of the business if you are really serious about it. I'm not from the States, but even locally more and more the business of admin support to SMEs is wanted and asked for. So you definitely have a market to serve! And that's the good thing, isn't it?

I used to have a small business dealing with colour and style consulting for women when it was still quite new in my country and it was really hard to get the message through what it's all about. But the actual work a VA/PA does is not like that, it's obvious, it's needed and in demand. You just need to find your niche and market your services properly to take the pickings.

I know that's the hardest thing because no everybody is good at marketing themselves. I have my struggles with this as well, but see the need to learn it. My husband is a good example as he owns his own business and he's doing well and receives a lot of business by word of mouth. He's my role model with his business sense (not one of those big talkers, he's just a great nice person people like)

My other difficulty is that I feel I need to excel quickly as I don't want to let my hubby down and let him earn all the money while I'm at home researching my business. That really gets to me and I can imagine that many of you know what I mean because we all need money coming in. We can't really afford to take too much time to get started and earning.

Lots of pressure.

Originally Posted by KiwiVA

Awesome link, gravics. Thank you. I'm new, too, but the more I research the more I see the viability of the business if you are really serious about it. I'm not from the States, but even locally more and more the business of admin support to SMEs is wanted and asked for. So you definitely have a market to serve! And that's the good thing, isn't it? I used to have a small business dealing with colour and style consulting for women when it was still quite new in my country and it was really hard to get the message through what it's all about. But the actual work a VA/PA does is not like that, it's obvious, it's needed and in demand. You just need to find your niche and market your services properly to take the pickings. I know that's the hardest thing because no everybody is good at marketing themselves. I have my struggles with this as well, but see the need to learn it. My husband is a good example as he owns his own business and he's doing well and receives a lot of business by word of mouth. He's my role model with his business sense (not one of those big talkers, he's just a great nice person people like) My other difficulty is that I feel I need to excel quickly as I don't want to let my hubby down and let him earn all the money while I'm at home researching my business. That really gets to me and I can imagine that many of you know what I mean because we all need money coming in. We can't really afford to take too much time to get started and earning. Lots of pressure.

I totally understand the pressure you are under. Not only to not let your husband down, but to bring in the income. I lost my job 3 months ago-have not been able to find anything else. I may have to take a stop gap job - anything I can find to get the start up finances for a VA business. My husband has his doubts about it. It's made worse that his job is very unstable right now too. So I know where you're coming from as far as pressure.