I started my VA business after losing my job and recalling a discussion on the radio about people whose job it was to call and wake other people up in the morning, or book their doctors appointments for them. I honestly thought it was a bit odd and couldn't believe people actually paid for these services. All of their work was done remotely and they called themselves virtual assistants.

I’ve done a fair amount of research and been working as a VA, successfully I might add, since 2009.
Here are some tips I've picked up along the way:

- Determine in what capacity you want to work. If you are great at transcription, offer transcription services, if you have a background in travel, maybe specialize in making travel arrangements for people. Having a background to support your service is the key to getting the job and being confident you can complete it 110%.
- Determine a niche. Doing this will help you in your marketing efforts and you will be able to focus on whom target your services to. You often don’t want to turn down work, but if you decide who your ideal client would be, you can work towards getting them.
- Decide how much you want to work. If you only want to work part time, that is great, but will this get you the income you desire? Once you figure our your hours and your must have salary, you will be able to adjust your pricing accordingly.
- You don’t need to register your business right away. In Canada you must register and start collecting and remitting GST/HST once you hit $30,000 in sales.
- Join a VA association and be active within it. This is a great way to network with other VAs, learn about potential jobs and ask questions. Memberships are often fairly low cost and you can use the membership as a business deduction!
- Don’t price yourself too low just to get business. Your time is valuable and it's often hard to increase your prices (with existing clients). Search around for others offering the same services you are and see how you compare. You may be surprised at the rates being charged.
- Update your LinkedIn profile. People will Google you and your LinkedIn profile will come up; make sure it looks professional and is up-to-date.

For me, I know I made the right decision. I love helping my clients succeed in their business and knowing that I contributed to that success.

What are some tips you've picked up along the way?