I was hoping that someone would be willing to share a story on how they obtained their very first client. How they found you, what the job was, how it went and all the feelings involved.

Jamie
http://www.crackerjacksupport.com

Hi Jamie
I love questions like this...

My first client was through an ad she'd placed on Craigslist, but it was a few years ago before that site was saturated with scams and before the VA Industry really took off. I was actually living in India at the time, she was in NYC. I started working with her shortly after I sent an email reply and she's still with me today - easily my favorite client. 90% of new clients and projects since I contracted with her are a direct result of her talking up my services to her friends and colleagues, so you can easily understand her value to my business.

I think the first thing I did for her was type out the info from a couple hundred business cards she'd gathered at various networking events and had scanned in and emailed me. I don't think anyone could pay me enough to do that same task NOW but at the time I loved it and had a great time.

She was and always has been great - very supportive and always enthusiastic about the end product I send her for whatever the project may be.

I have since developed numerous websites for her with my husband who writes code for our clients as well as handled all of her press releases, her newsletters, and a million other things

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My first client was the former CPA of my last employer. I told him I was quitting my job and he offered me some sub-contract work.

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Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

My very first client was a real estate friend of mine so that was easy. My first retainer client found my website through a networking site, sent me an email and hired me the next day. It's been great!

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Kimberly
Facebook Marketing Magic!

My first 'official" client was a referral through a Venture Capitalist I dealt with in my father-in-law's start-up business. I've been with this client for over 18 months now. My next client found me through a Facebook group and the rest of my clients have either been referred through other VAs, networking groups or my website.

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Shari Sultana
Online Business Manager (marketing for retail ecommerce)

I love reading about everyone's successes! Keep sharing.

I have yet to find my first client, but I hope soon I will be able to add to this page.

Reading everyone's posts is really inspiring. I just keep trying to remind myself that if I keep working at this it will happen for me too.

:daisy:

My very first client was referred to me by my husband before I even set up a business. He had a business associate who already had an assistant. But the assistant had to go and she was looking for a new one. Neither of us had even heard of a virtual assistant at the time. But that's what I became.

She was a real estate agent and needed helping connecting with prospects, making follow up calls, sending out e-blasts. I worked for her for nearly a year before I became ill and had to take about a year off.

When I started working again, my client had changed careers and was now in the auto loan industry. A month or so later she called me and we started periodically working together again.

Last month she went back into real estate, in the loan modification industry. Last week she contacted me to do some work again. So I'm working for her again making follow up calls and sending out e-blasts. Then the owner of the company she works for asked if I could do work for him too!

So my first client is my favorite and we're buzzing over here.

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Sue L Canfield
AwesomeAssistant.info
My Blog

My very first client was found through Elance.com. The project was for a web design company assistant. I submitted my bid, we spoke over the phone. He accepted my bid and the rest is history. I have been working with this client for over six months now and he is my favorite client to date.

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Darlene Victoria Gonzalez
The Voice & Vision Behind Your Business

My very first client was found through this site, actually! I edited a fellow member's e-book and loved every minute of it! I've landed quite a bit more work as a result of this site, too. Goes to show you that networking does pay off!

As far as retainer clients go, I found my first through Elance.com. I was helping him write and edit his blogs, e-books, etc., for a new business venture he was working on. Unfortunately, our work is currently on hold as he's trying to decide whether to move forward with the business or take it in another direction. Hopefully things will pick up again, because I truly enjoyed working with him!

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Tammi Metzler ~ The Write Associate
Free call: "How to Write Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention!"

My very first client was a former employer. I had been laid off years before mainly due to a conflict with the then senior bookkeeper (officially I was laid off, unofficially she found out I knew she was doing some illegal stuff and got rid of me before I was able to talk with the owner). I maintained a distant but good relationship with the owner and held no hard feelings towards him. He ended up firing her for embezzling a LOT of money and promoted someone else in the office. The lady he promoted couldn't handle the work so he asked if I'd come in a straighten things out (HUGE MESS) so he could hire someone new. I said yes. He ended up keeping me and I trained one of his in-house people to handle some of the bookkeeping work and I oversee everything. That was six years ago. He's still one of my favorite clients.

In the beginning I worked in-house. He's actually the one who convinced me to go completely virtual and keep the clients I had when I moved from California to Idaho.

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Lanel Taylor, CVA ~ Virtual Bookkeeper
Taylored Office Solutions
Custom fit solutions for all your office needs.