A virtual assistant (VA) provides remote services to busy professionals who need someone to support their business, cause, or special event. The duties of a VA can include anything from answering emails to performing web development for a new website. VAs usually establish a specialty to help distinguish themselves in a somewhat flooded market.
You may also be interested in additional side hustle ideas.
Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.
Northwest ($29 + State Fees)
DIY: How to Start an LLC
Start a virtual assistant business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Virtual Assistant Business
- Form your Virtual Assistant Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Virtual Assistant Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Virtual Assistant Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Virtual Assistant Business
- Get Virtual Assistant Business Insurance
- Define your Virtual Assistant Business Brand
- Create your Virtual Assistant Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your virtual assistant business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Virtual Assistant Business Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a virtual assistant business?
Costs to get started are typically low, and may only include only a Wi-Fi connection and computer. A laptop in particular can be a huge advantage because virtual assistants may need to work from different places based on their to-do list. If you’re planning to do any type of graphic design, you may want to invest in better equipment to meet client expectations.
What are the ongoing expenses for a virtual assistant business?
Expenses for VAs tend to be low, and may include standard utility bills and equipment maintenance/replacement. Depending on your clients, you may be able to ask them to pay for specific materials based on their needs (e.g., special software, etc.)
Who is the target market?
There are plenty of professionals who want an assistant without having to pay a full-time employee (with benefits). The target market for VAs generally includes people in the blogging, real estate, and ecommerce industries. However, special event coordinators, entertainment professionals, or nonprofit leaders may also use a VA on a temporary basis. VAs may also assist general marketers in a variety of businesses with social media needs.
How does a virtual assistant business make money?
VAs may charge clients money for their time. They may do so either per hour or per task, depending on the scope of work.
How much can you charge customers?
It’s not unusual for established VAs with high-profile clients to charge $100 an hour. However, new professionals will typically earn money per task, with the average being about $3 for a 10-minute task. Average general rates may range anywhere from $20 – $40 an hour.
How much profit can a virtual assistant business make?
Because expenses are so low, most of a VA’s take-home pay is profit. At the upper end of the spectrum (assuming you charge $100+), this can easily be $200,000 or more. However, realistically, profits may be closer to $30,000 – $50,000 a year.
How can you make your business more profitable?
VAs may want to offer additional services, such as advertising or blogging services. Because most VAs will be familiar with standard office equipment and web-based promotion, they may be able to parlay those skills into additional profits for their business.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your virtual assistant business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your virtual assistant business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a virtual assistant business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Services Contract
Virtual assistant businesses should consider requiring clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and so on.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a virtual assistant business
Owners will need to create a website for their services from the very beginning, but this may not be enough to promote yourself. Instead, VAs may want to start with community websites to attract new clients. There are plenty of choices for virtual assistants, such as Taskrabbit, Upwork, and Fancy Hands. These sites tend to be competitive and they also will take a certain percentage of the fees you charge. However, they’re also a good way to build up your reputation within a very big community.
You may also want to consider visiting local businesses looking for a part-time assistant. Developing relationships with local business owners can make it easier to convince a decision maker to use your services. Once you have a rapport with them, let them know they’re better off hiring a virtual assistant at a higher rate who is flexible enough to work with their needs.
How to keep customers coming back
Clients will be looking for someone irreplaceable, so it’s crucial for virtual assistants to take their duties extremely seriously. Lower paying clients may not always stay that way as they start to rely on your skills more and more. VAs can not only make organizations more organized, they can increase compliance, accuracy, and even profits. Even if a client doesn’t recognize this though, virtual assistants can build upon their experience to segue into better paying jobs.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
People who are organized, attentive, and responsible will do well in this position. VAs need to do more than just take directions, they’ll also need to be proactive without stepping on their client’s toes.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a virtual assistant business?
The day for a VA will be highly dependent on their clients and niche. However, a typical day can include any or all of the following:
- Managing emails
- Scheduling appointments
- Researching information
- Posting/campaigning on social media
- Writing/editing/transcribing
- Tracking/shipping packages
- Coordinating travel plans
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful virtual assistant business?
People who have some type of personal assistant experience will likely be able to slip into this role fairly easily. Executive or personal assistants will usually have the shortest learning curve. However, owners don’t necessarily need to have formal experience, as there are plenty of ways to learn organizational skills at home or in social situations. Owners need to be honest, discrete, personable, and punctual at the bare minimum. Additional skills that could help you stand out are graphic design, writing/editing experience, a marketing or business degree, or past positions in your chosen niche.
What is the growth potential for a virtual assistant business?
This is a growing niche as businesses look for ways to cut their staff to just the bare essentials. In fact, some put total industry estimates at close to $8 billion by the early 2020s. However, because the job can be done remotely, clients are often looking for VAs in other countries who may be willing to do the same tasks for mere pennies. For VAs looking to make this their full-time profession, they’ll need to look for every potential opportunity to prove their worth. For a VA to stand out, they need to provide services that can’t easily be found elsewhere.
Not sure if a virtual assistant business is right for you? Try our free Business Idea Generator and find your perfect idea.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a virtual assistant business?
Successful VAs will tell new professionals to choose a niche as quickly as possible. Doing so streamlines your brand and gets the word out about your services. For example, if you start off assisting one real estate agent, they can easily recommend you to other real estate agents. New owners should place heavy attention on their references and reviews at the very beginning.
VAs may need to start at extremely low rates to offset their lack of experience. Most companies prefer to hire a VA with an established reputation, so it can be difficult to get started. Because virtual assistants vary in terms of talent and expertise, owners may want to grant themselves a generous amount of lead time before they can count on their business to support their lifestyle.
How and when to build a team
Virtual assistants typically work on their own, though they may at some point need to hire someone for excess work. For owners who would eventually like to build a team of VAs that can be deployed for any number of jobs, look for people with different types of skills (e.g., artist, planner, travel coordinator, etc.) to get the best cross-section of employees.