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The Road to Going Virtual
1
THE ROAD TO
GOING VIRTUAL
2ND EDITION
Everything you need from START to FINISH to build a
PROFITABLE Virtual Assistant business.
AUTHOR: TRENA V. STUBBS Edited by: Gminski Stubbs and Rachel Tyson
www.theroadtogoingvirtual.com
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THE ROAD TO GOING VIRTUAL
Everything you need from START to FINISH to build a PROFITABLE Virtual
Assistant business.
Copyright © 2018 Apex Virtual Academy & Trena V. Stubbs
Edited by Gminski Stubbs and Rachel Tyson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this guide may be translated, reproduced or transmitted in any form
whatsoever; electronic, or mechanical including photocopying or by any informational
storage or retrieval system without expressed written, dated and signed permission from
the authors.
Cover designed by Apex Virtual Solutions (www.apexassisting.com)
Printed in the USA
DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES
The information presented herein represents the views of the author as of the date of
publication. Because of the rate with which conditions change, the author reserves the
rights to alter and update their opinions based on the new conditions.
This report is for informational purposes only and the author does not accept any
responsibilities for any liabilities resulting from the use of this information. While every
attempt has been made to verify the information provided here, the author and her
resellers and affiliates cannot assume any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, or
omissions. Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional.
The author, organizations or individuals involved make no claim to your personal
success.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to everyone on the AVS Global Group team that helped me. Special thanks to Rachel
Tyson and my husband, Gminski Stubbs for providing amazing editing and proofing support.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION PAGE
PHASE ONE: A VIRTUAL FOUNDATION ...................................................................................................................................... 4
THE HISTORY OF THE VIRTUAL ASSISTANT .............................................................................................................................. 9
BENEFITS OF THE VIRTUAL ASSISTANT .....................................................................................................................................13
NECESSARY SKILLS FOR A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT ...................................................................................................................19
PHASE TWO: SETTING UP A VIRTUAL BUSINESS ..................................................................................................................29
EXPLORING 12 VIRTUAL NICHE SERVICES ...............................................................................................................................33
BASIC BUSINESS SKILLS ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET ...........................................................................................................47
SETTING UP YOUR HOME OFFICE ...............................................................................................................................................57
START UP COSTS WORKSHEET .....................................................................................................................................................59
A BUSINESS PLAN FOR YOUR VIRTUAL ASSISTANT COMPANY .....................................................................................78
PHASE THREE: DOWN TO BUSINESS ....................................................................................................................................... 106
PRICING, BILLING, AND COLLECTIONS .................................................................................................................................. 116
MARKETING YOUR VIRTUAL ASSISTANT BUSINESS ......................................................................................................... 134
SMALL BUSINESS BOOKKEEPING ............................................................................................................................................. 177
PHASE FOUR: BRINGING IN THE BUSINESS ......................................................................................................................... 182
CONDUCTING A SALES CONSULTATION .............................................................................................................................. 182
FACE TO FACE MEETINGS ............................................................................................................................................................ 186
WRITING A BUSINESS WINNING PROPOSAL ...................................................................................................................... 190
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT TOOLBOX ................................................................................................................................................. 247
ANSWER KEY ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 273
ABOUT THE AUTHOR ................................................................................................................................................................... 276
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PHASE ONE: A VIRTUAL FOUNDATION
Lesson 1: A Virtual What? (Virtual Assistance in Plain English)
Back in 2007 when I started my Virtual Assistant business, the term Virtual Assistant still
raised eyebrows and caused weird stares. People had either never heard of it or they
weren’t sure how a Virtual Assistant could support small business owners remotely. The
concept to most made no sense and they were having no parts of it.
Entrepreneurs often find it hard to trust someone they’ve never seen with information
they hold valuable to their business. Think about it from their perspective, there’s this
company or individual that will help them complete tasks for their business and you
never meet them face to face, but you give them access to your pride and joy. Sounds
crazy when you read it out loud right, lol? If you are going to enter this industry, it’s
important that you learn how to confidently explain what you offer to prospective
buyers and this guide will help you gain the knowledge you need to propel forward.
The term virtual supports the fact that you’re working remotely by using various forms
of technology such as computer, phone, fax, email and the Internet to communicate and
exchange information with clients.
The term Virtual Assistant may have a different meaning depending on the person you
ask. In fact, most people think that it only applies to the role of a work from home
secretary or administrative person.
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According to Wikipedia, a Virtual Assistant is someone that is generally self-employed
providing professional administrative, technical and/or creative (social) assistance to
clients remotely from a home office. Because Virtual Assistants are independent
contractors rather than employees, their clients are not responsible for any employee-
related taxes, insurance or benefits. Clients also avoid the logistical problem of providing
extra office space, equipment or supplies.
One of the great perks of being a virtual service provider is that your clients can be
located anywhere in the world. By using various types of technology, a Virtual Assistant
can literally go global.
A Virtual Assistant can run his or her business in a variety of ways. Here are some of the
most common:
They can work independently and provide services directly to several clients.
They can work as a freelancer and have only one large client.
They can work as a contractor or subcontractor to other Virtual Assistant
companies.
Does a Virtual Assistant Have to Work from Home?
A Virtual Assistant does not have to work from a home office location. Virtual only
means to work remotely. More and more Virtual Assistants are opening actual office
locations so that they have a quiet place to work and can get away from being home
every day.
So, the question now is; are they still Virtual Assistants? I say yes, they can still be
considered a Virtual Assistant because they are still working at their chosen location
which is not that of the client’s.
How Large is the Industry? As of 2017, records indicated that there are approximately 25,000 to 35,000 Virtual
Assistants worldwide. This number is constantly growing as people are trying to find
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creative ways of earning revenue. The days of traditional employment seem less
appealing as technology becomes more advanced and people more open minded.
The Truth About Being a Virtual Assistant
It is required that you have a developed set of skills to be a Virtual Assistant.
This is necessary to be able to provide a professional service to your potential
clients.
You will be a Sales Person or Marketer first and a Virtual Assistant second if
you want to build a successful business.
You will be required to leave your home at some point, especially if you are
going to work locally. Local prospects generally want to meet initially before
moving forward.
It does take a certain level of commitment and drive. Business doesn’t just
flow in when you start your business.
Myths About Virtual Assistants
The higher the rate, the better the Virtual Assistant.
A Virtual Assistant must have a home office. Not really, you can have an office
outside of your home, it’s all about personal preference.
All Virtual Assistants are business owners.
A Virtual Assistant shouldn’t have to be trained by their client. There may be
times that your client wants you to learn a new tool or system that you’re not
familiar with.
U.S. Virtual Assistants are better than Offshore VAs. It’s all about preference
and what the client needs and expects.
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Pros and Cons of the Virtual Assistant Industry
PROS CONS
Financial Independence You’re in Control
Job Security - No one can ever fire you Longer work hours
You set the rules More Freedom
Lower startup costs Increased responsibility
Little to no commute time Increased Liabilities
Flexible work hours No guarantees
You’re in Control
You create your own work environment
Qualities of a Good VA
The following are traits that a good Virtual Assistant usually possesses:
Honesty
Consistency
Open-Mindedness
Assertive
Great Time Management Skills
Quick Ability to Learn
Organized
Resourceful
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NOTES:
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Lesson 2: THE HISTORY OF THE VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
The Origin
Because the Virtual Assistant Industry is still a fairly new concept, there is very limited
information and statistics around its history. Although there are discrepancies as to who
founded the VA industry, the one thing that can be agreed on is that there are several
pioneers in the industry that played a key role in developing and marketing the concept
of Virtual Assistance.
As stated earlier, the VA industry is very new, but work-at-home secretaries have existed
since the 1980s. At that time, technology wasn’t advanced enough for the industry to be
completely virtual. The whole virtual phenomenon broke out with the introduction of
the World Wide Web.
The History of the Administrative Assistant:
The VA’s Fraternal Twin
From the Renaissance period until the late 19th century, men involved in daily
correspondence assumed the title of secretary or clerk. With time, like many titles, the
term applied to a variety of functions. This led to compound titles to specify the various
types of secretarial work including:
Secretary of State
General Secretary
Financial Secretary
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In 1870 Sir Isaac Pitman founded a school that allowed students to become writers to
"professional and commercial men." Originally, this school was only for male students.
In the 1880s, with the invention of the typewriter, more women began to enter the
secretarial field. Since World War I, the role of secretary had been primarily associated
with men. By the 1930s, fewer men were entering the field of secretaries.
To promote professionalism amongst United States secretaries, the National Secretaries
Association was created in 1942. Today, this organization is known as the International
Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). The organization developed the
first standardized form of testing for office workers called the Certified Professional
Secretaries Examination (CPS). It was first administered in 1951.
In 1952, Mary Barrett, President of the National Secretaries Association, C. King
Woodbridge, President of Dictaphone Corporation, and American businessman Harry F.
Klemfuss created a special Secretary's Day holiday to recognize the hard work of the
staff in the office. The holiday caught on and the fourth week of April is now celebrated
in offices all over the world. It has been renamed "Administrative Professional's Week"
to highlight the increased responsibility of today's secretary and other administrative
workers and to avoid embarrassment to those who believe that "secretary" refers only to
women or to unskilled workers.
Many annual award competitions seek to recognize the importance of secretaries within
organizations, including The Best Secretary on Tyneside Award organized by Pitman
Training in the North East of England.
Other Popular Terms for a Secretary
Assistant
Administrator
Office Manager
Clerical Assistant
Executive Secretary
Personal Assistant
Clerk
Receptionist
Company Secretary
Executive Assistant
Management Assistant
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Departmental Secretary
General Secretary
Administrative Assistant
Traditional Tasks of a Secretary
Note taking
Answering incoming phone calls
Creating letters
Filing
Data entry
Online research
Email management
Calendar management
A Modern Day Virtual Assistant
Virtual Assistants are modern day Administrative Assistants and then some. Most often a
great Virtual Assistant has the skill sets of a traditional administrative assistant with the
added benefit of being very internet and tech savvy; often possessing skills in website
design, graphic design and online marketing to name a few.
Being a Virtual Assistant offers so many opportunities regarding the type and level of
services provided. Virtual Assistants utilize today’s technology to deliver services and to
effectively communicate with their clients remotely.
Virtual Assistants come from a variety of backgrounds, but most have several years of
real (onsite, non-virtual) office experience in the areas of: administrative, executive, legal,
real estate or management.
NOTES:
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History of the Virtual Assistant Timeline
YEAR EVENT
1870 Sir Isaac Pitman founded a school where students could learn short hand
writing. This school was originally for men.
1880 With the invention of the typewriter, more women began to enter the field.
Since World War I, the role of the secretary had been primarily dominated by
men. By 1930, fewer men were entering the secretarial industry.
1942 To promote professionalism throughout the United States, the National
Secretaries Association was created. Today’s organization is known as the
International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). This
organization developed the first standardized test for office workers called
the Certified Professional Secretaries Examination (CPS). It was first
administered in 1951.
1952 Mary Barrett, President of the National Secretaries Association, C. King,
President of Dictaphone Corporation, and American businessman Harry F.
Klemfuss created a special Secretary’s Day holiday to recognize the hard work
of the staff in the office. The holiday caught on and during the fourth week of
April it’s celebrated in offices all over the world. It has been renamed
“Administrative Professional’s Week” to highlight the increased responsibility
of today’s secretary and other administrative workers.
1981 Association of Business Support Services International (ABSSI: formerly known
as the National Association of Secretarial Services) is founded.
1992 Administrative Professionals begin telecommuting and a few begin
contracting their services out to small business owners.
1996 The term Virtual Assistant was coined, and this new profession began to take
shape.
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Lesson 3: Benefits of the Virtual Assistant
A lot of small business owners can’t seem to understand how a Virtual Assistant can
benefit their business. All they can see is the cost of hiring or partnering with a Virtual
Assistant; and in most cases the rates alone will scare them off.
It’s the Virtual Assistant’s job to show the prospective client how they could be an asset.
You must convince them that working with you, if done properly, could be cost efficient,
time efficient and put them in a better position for increasing their revenue. It’s
sometimes hard for business owners to see that trying to wear every hat in their
business can be counterproductive. But you must find a strategic and non-combative
way to let them know that while they are at their desk doing data entry or proofing
content, their competitors are networking, creating new offers and closing new business.
Below are some ways that a client could benefit from using a Virtual Assistant.
The benefits of using a Virtual Assistant are:
1) There is no need for a small business owner to provide office space, equipment
or supplies because Virtual Assistants use their own resources. This is a great
selling tool for prospects that don’t have a brick and mortar location. A Virtual
Assistant makes it possible for them to have a support team without changing
the dynamics of their business.
2) A business owner can allow Virtual Assistants to perform their administrative,
tech, social media or day to day tasks so that they have the time needed to take
care of other revenue generating activities like:
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a. Following up with prospects
b. Face to face marketing or networking
c. Creating new products or services
d. Servicing their current clients or customers
e. Strategic planning
f. Prospect consultations
3) A Virtual Assistant is only paid for the time they spend working on an actual task
or project. With a VA, the business owner isn’t paying for coffee breaks or lunch,
so you get a lot of value for your buck.
4) Virtual Assistants are independent which eliminates payroll taxes, vacation pay,
healthcare benefits, worker’s compensation, sick days and other employee related
expenses.
5) Using a Virtual Assistant allows business owners to keep their projects on
schedule.
6) A small business owner that can effectively delegate to their Virtual Assistant can
drastically decrease their work load. This is a great benefit for small business
owners that are looking to free up more time for family and friends.
7) The business avoids the need to hire multiple employees to complete various
tasks. Most Virtual Assistants have a variety of different skill sets.
8) A Virtual Assistant is an entrepreneur that possesses various strengths and areas
of expertise. Virtual Assistants are service providers much like most of their
clients. Who better to help those clients than another business owner with similar
goals? You’d be surprised at the ideas around marketing and problem solving
that a VA could offer. Ideas that the client may not have thought of. Two heads
in most cases are better than one.
9) Virtual Assistants are great for seasonal companies that often hire temps. Why is
this so? Well when using a Temp Agency, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able
to always get the same person. So, every year the business owner must re-train a
new person. Using a Virtual Assistant will prevent this redundancy and time
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wasted. The Virtual Assistant keeps the business owner’s information on file so
when they’re ready to resume work, they can pick up where they left off.
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Workbook Preview (Workbook Sold Separately)
Building a Virtual Assistant Practice: Lessons 1-3 Quiz
1. What is a Virtual Assistant?
a. An employee that telecommutes
b. A seasonal worker
c. An independent contractor or business owner
2. What are the traditional tasks of a secretary?
a. Data entry
b. Note taking
c. Answering incoming calls
d. All of the above
3. The Virtual Assistant Industry is believed to have begun in 1932.
a. True
b. False
4. What is the estimated number of Virtual Assistants worldwide?
_______________________________________________________
5. Which is a positive and negative point regarding becoming a Virtual
Assistant?
a. You’re in control
b. Longer work hours
c. Lower start up costs
6. Virtual Assistants will never have to leave their home for business purposes.
a. True
b. False
7. Which is not a quality of a good Virtual Assistant?
a. Honesty