Virtual Expert™
News and Views
March 2019
Welcome,
Virtual Expert ™ News and Views is a monthly newsletter for Virtual Assistants, and written exclusively by Virtual Assistants. Keep current with tips, tools and industry information. Also stay up-to-date on what is happening at Virtual Expert™ Training; one of the world's most elite and respected virtual assistant training programs.
Kathy Goughenour
Business Coach & Trainer
Founder Expert VA® Training / Virtual Expert ™
What it Costs to Start Your Virtual Assistant Business in the First Year
Like all new businesses, you’ll incur start-up costs for your new Virtual Assistant (VA) business. Unlike most new businesses, a VA business has very low start-up costs. Your start-up costs will probably be even lower because you likely have many of the essential elements already in front of you.
Necessities to start your Virtual Assistant Business:
All prices are estimates.
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Computer
You will need an up-to-date computer with Microsoft Office. Hopefully, this is something you already have, and you won’t have to spend money on this.
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Internet
High-speed internet is essential to running your virtual assistant business. Depending on your location, high-speed internet ranges from $40 to $60 a month.
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Phone
To effectively conduct calls with clients, you must have a phone. Your clients and potential clients will be based all over the country and perhaps even in multiple countries; therefore, it is preferable that your phone service has unlimited long-distance. Most new virtual assistants use their personal cell phones or home phone lines. On average, a phone line with unlimited long distances costs around $30 a month and is already an expense you’re incurring before starting your Virtual Assistant business.
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Business License and DBA/Trade Name
Most cities and counties require you to have a business license to conduct business. Additionally, if you’re operating your business under a name that is not your legal name, you must file documentation of the name that you’re doing your business under. This is typically known as Doing Business As (DBA) or a Trade Name. Filing these documents ranges from state to state and county to county, but, on average, they cost between $20 to $50 total.
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Website
Your website acts as the store front of your Virtual Assistant business. A website states that you’re open, ready for business and a professional VA. I have negotiated with web designers I trust to offer a low-cost web site build for you for only $700. However, if you’re technologically savvy or can pick up new skills by watching a few YouTube tutorials, you can save that $700 by building your website yourself.
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Website Hosting
It will cost you between $5 to $15 a month for website hosting.
Additional costs depending on your level of knowledge and area of expertise for your Virtual Assistant Business:
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Skills Training
While it is highly encouraged that you start out by offering skills you already know, you may eventually want to pay for training if you’re not an expert in your niche. There are many free options to learn the skills necessary to start your virtual assistant business. However, there are also skills trainings that range from $100 to $700. Again, this may not be something you need to invest in within the first year of starting your business. Advanced Tip: Do NOT purchase skills training before learning how to get and keep clients. It’s a waste of money because you may not need that particular training…or any skills training at all.
Tax Deductions for Your Virtual Assistant Business*
You’ll want to have a conversation with your accountant about what costs you can claim on your taxes from running your in-home virtual assistant business. Click here to learn more about tax deductions for your Virtual Assistant business.
Are you a small business owner in search of an Expert VA®?
Search the
Expert VA® Directory here:
According to an article from the Small Business Association, “In 2009, the Kauffmann Foundation estimated that the average start-up cost was approximately $30,000.” Even using the high-end estimates, the start-up cost for a Virtual Assistant business is well below that.
The average VA in the United States earns $35 to $50 per hour. Your rate will depend on the services you offer, your level of expertise, and your target market. However, if your rate is $35 an hour, you can breakeven on your start-up investment by working approximately 57 billable hours.
Unsure exactly how and where to get your Business License, DBA, website and website hosting? My Expert VA™ Training goes into extensive, step-by-step detail of what you should buy, where to find it, and how much it should cost. Discover if becoming an Expert VA™ is right for you by applying here for a free MORE Clients MORE Profits Breakthrough Session with me now.
*The average VA in the United States earns $35 to $50 per hour. Your rate will depend on the services you offer, your level of expertise, and your target market. However, if your rate is $35 an hour, you can breakeven on your start-up investment by working approximately 57 billable hours.
*Disclaimer: This article provides education and information resources that are intended to help users succeed in their VA business. You nevertheless recognize that your ultimate success or failure will be the result of your own efforts, your particular situation, and innumerable other circumstances beyond the control and/or knowledge of Goughenour Group LLC.
This Month's Inspirational Quote
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Get To Know the Expert VA® Training Coaches
This month you get to meet 2 more of coaches. :)
Cindy Winslow
Location/time zone: Pittsburgh, PA | Eastern Time
Niche: Real estate๐ก
Fun Facts
Quote: "Make sure everyone who works with you or for you, feels the need to tell others about the incredible experience." Chris Murray
Hobbies/Pets: Sewing, crocheting, playing with grandchildren. Pets - 2 dogs Ella & Callie๐ถ๐
Hidden Talent: Can twirl a baton
Directory link: https://expertvatraining.com/staff/cindy-winslow/
Cindy Winslow specializes in real estate support services for the busy real estate agent. She is an experienced real estate agent, trainer and real estate virtual assistant. Cindy has been working over 20 years in the real estate industry. She started her virtual assistant business in January of 2013.
Believing that education is the key to success, Cindy has taken many real estate courses and continuing education classes. Maintaining an active real estate license, Cindy takes advantage of the educational opportunities offered through her local real estate office, national real estate company and Board of Realtors. Keeping up to date on regulations and trends in the real estate industry is important to properly assist her clients. Education in the Virtual Assistant Industry is also very important to her.
Cindy is Certified Virtual Expert™. She has also attended courses through International Virtual Assistant Association, and several other virtual assistant related platforms.
Cindy is a wife, mother and grandmother. She has two daughters, 4 step-children and 10 grandchildren. Her two dogs, Ella and Callie, keep her busy now that her kids are grown and on their own.
Jennifer Tamborski
Location/time zone: Missouri | CST
Niche: Primarily coach services
Fun Facts
Quote: "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History" ~ Eleanor Roosevelt &"Do not go where the path may lead; instead go where there is no path and leave a trail!" ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hobbies/Pets: I love reading, baking & crocheting. Basically, I'm a 1950's housewife :) We have 2 dogs, a turtle & a bearded dragon๐ถ๐๐ข๐
Hidden Talent: I'm not sure how hidden it is. But often I have more information in my head about random items than Wikipedia ๐ค
Directory link: https://expertvatraining.com/staff/jennifer-tamborski/
Her friends & clients call her the queen of technology๐. Jennifer thrives on learning, and using & teaching new technologies. She loves taking an idea from concept stage through to execution. When a client is describing their plan or goal, Jennifer is thinking through the logistics of how to get it done.
About Kathy and Expert VA® Training/Virtual Expert™
Kathy Goughenour is an experienced and savvy business coach and trainer.
Kathy Goughenour’s 25+ years of marketing experience encompasses everything from print advertising and brochures to outdoor signage to the internet. She has an undergraduate degree in Marketing and an MBA.
She has worked in corporate settings, built multiple profitable small businesses herself, and created a 6-figure multi VA team. Her passion however, lies with helping others to achieve their own entrepreneurial goals through her extensive knowledge of the virtual marketing and virtual assistant field.
As a business coach and trainer, Kathy has quickly become a vital resource for helping women achieve their career and income goals as work-from-home Virtual Assistants.
Why Kathy Created Expert VA® Training
As her success grew, more and more colleagues sent their friends and family to Kathy for advice on how to start their own virtual assistant home-based businesses. Kathy enjoyed sharing her secrets to building a highly profitable Virtual Assistant business, and in 2008 started her own Virtual Assistant training program. She has now trained hundreds women (and a few men) to create success on their own terms as Expert VA®s and term she coined … Virtual Experts™.
