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#1 (permalink)   02-23-2008 wahm3blessings Contributing Member   Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 123 Determining how much to charge as a virtual assistant I have no idea how much to charge per hour. I'm new to this so don't have any experience as a VA, but I did graduate from law school and want to "specialize" in working with attorneys. Can someone please help me determine some sort of starting price? I saw somewhere that actual rates shouldn't be posted here, so if this is info that shouldn't be on the forum, could you please PM me if you have any advice? Thanks!

#2 (permalink)   02-23-2008 Write Associate Active Member Company name: The Write Associate Client-Attracting Web Copy Tips: Get Clients Online?By Becoming a Mind-Reader? My latest Twitter: [Article] "Shameless Self-Promotion: An Oxy-M...   Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Midwest Posts: 885 Re: Determining how much to charge Hi, Check out this thread for a great calculator to help determine rates. There are also fee calculator tools in The 2-Second Commute and The Virtual Assistant's Start-Up Manual, both of which also contain other invaluable info to help set up your business. You can read more about these books and find links to purchase them in the Book Review section here on the forums. I did those book reviews and would recommend either book, but quite frankly, The 2-Second Commute is less expensive and contains more in-depth information for someone just starting out in the VA world. Hope this helps! __________________ Tammi Metzler ~ The Write Associate Free call: "How to Write Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention!"

#3 (permalink)   02-23-2008 kathiemt Banned Company name: A Clayton's Secretary Virtual Assistant-THE Blog: Got a listing with Hotfrog? My latest Twitter: Do you have a fun icebreaker to use at workshops f...   Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 1,041 Blog Entries: 1 Re: Determining how much to charge If you go to http://www.ninafeldman.com/resources.htm you'll find something there that will assist. I have also written two books that have a calculator in them which can be seen at my website - linked in my sigblock. I hope that one day they'll be reviewed here too.

#4 (permalink)   02-23-2008 Kerans VA Active Member Company name: Kerans Virtual Assistance My latest Twitter: Where Did The Fail Whale Come From? http://t.co/0X...   Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: DeWinton, Alberta Posts: 707 Re: Determining how much to charge When I first started out, I spent a lot of time looking at other VA websites. It will give you a good idea of what the going rate VA's are charging comparable to their relative experience and I found that to be a big help. Good luck! __________________ Kate V. Kerans Kerans Virtual Assistance

#5 (permalink)   02-24-2008 Erin Banister New Member The Marketing VA: Can You Play the Drums?   Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Pueblo, CO Posts: 49 Re: Determining how much to charge There is a great rate calculator on Freelance Switch - http://freelanceswitch.com/rates/ ~E

#6 (permalink)   02-25-2008 Rebecka Melson Resident Member Company name: Virtual Business Services   Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Oklahoma, USA Posts: 1,118 Re: Determining how much to charge My method was very simple. I just decided I wanted to make $x per hour and that is what I charged. I knew my rates were competitive in my market and I left room to raise my rates in the future if needed. __________________ Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

#7 (permalink)   02-25-2008 Office Goddess Senior Member Company name: The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC   Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 2,964 Re: Determining how much to charge I combined the freelance calculator estimate w/the going rates for a bookkeeper in my area and then took into consideration the approx 30% taxes I would have to pay. My rates are at about the mid-point for a bookkeeper so I don't look "cheap" and inexperienced but I also have room to raise my rates in the future without appearing too steep. __________________ Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

#8 (permalink)   03-02-2008 Tess Founder, Virtual Assistant Forums Company name: Codehead, LLP Latest blog post: Interview at The Naked VA Blog   Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 9,277 Blog Entries: 6 Re: Determining how much to charge Check out this article on VA industry averages, it might help give you an overall idea of what the going rate is - I'd also suggest checking out other VA business sites, particularly those who offer the same services/specialty as you to get an idea. __________________ Create a welcome packet for new clients with this guide and free templates!