This document discusses the advantages and disadvantages of starting your own business as a virtual assistant after being laid off from a job. It outlines that being a business owner allows you to set your own schedule, be the boss, and make as much money as you're willing to work for, but you also don't have a steady salary and have to do all the marketing, client services, and back office work yourself. The document provides tips on learning business skills like legal obligations, taxes, bookkeeping, and marketing, and stresses the need for self-motivation, persistence, and a positive attitude to succeed as an entrepreneur. Finally, it lists common services virtual assistants provide and emphasizes that you can work remotely from anywhere with an internet connection

1. Laid off – Again
Is it time to start
your own business?

2. Making the transition from…
Executive Assistant
to Virtual Assistant

3. Being a Business Owner
Advantages:
• You never have to look for another job
• You set your own schedule
• You are the boss
• You can make as much money as you
are willing to work for
• As a virtual business you can work from
home (or anywhere in the world!)
Disadvantages:
• You don’t have a job
• You set your own schedule
• You find and service your clients, you
do the marketing and backoffice stuff
• No salary – and every week will have
a different bottom line
• You work from home

4. • Learn how to run your own show:
– your legal obligations
– paying your taxes & licensing
– bookkeeping
– branding, marketing, choosing a
company name
– and a thousand other details
• Finding the right course:
– night school
– chamber of commerce
– small business associations
– government sponsored programs
Being a Business Owner

5. What do you need to succeed?
 Be a self-starter
 Persistence / perseverance
 A strong drive to succeed
 Able to provide your own motivation
and rewards
 A positive mental attitude
 Self-confidence
 High energy levels
 Physical resilience

6. Ability: Knowledge + Skills + Attitude

7. Knowledge
KNOW WHAT
Skills
KNOW HOW
Attitude
KNOW WHY
Ability
• Up to date skills
• New software, tools and
apps
• Network with other VA’s
in your niche market
• Go where your clients
are
Find out what you need to know …
… and go get it

8. • Independent critical thinking and problem solving ability
• Ability to see the big picture
• Prioritization and trade-offs
• Adaptability
• Initiative
• Mind reader and magician
Other should haves:

9. `
Corporate Office
Home Office
to

10. MUST HAVE:
• The very best ergonomic
office chair you can afford
• Work surface (desk)
• Document software (word
processing, spreadsheet,
presentation)
• Website
• Business Cards
• Email account
• Firewall protection and
antivirus software
• Separate business phone line
& long distance package
Expenditures
SHOULD HAVE:
• Separate area for your
office
• Industry standard
software (Microsoft /
Mac / Google)
• Printer
• Webcam
• File back up system
• File Sharing account
• Skype Account
• PayPal Account
NICE TO HAVE:
• A door
• File cabinet
• Headset
• Speakers
• External USB drives
• Mobile hardware
(tablet, laptop, etc)
• Specialty software
(graphics, video,
bookkeeping, CRM)

11. Busy entrepreneurs need an assistant …

12. What clients want from you
Reliability
On-time delivery

13. • Bookkeeping – invoicing, expenses
• Blogs, newsletters and autoresponders
• Calendar & email management
• Datamining
• Event and workshop management
• Project management
• Social media
• Videos and photos – upload and embed
• Webinar management
• Websites – maintain, edit and build
Most Requested Skills

14. You can work from anywhere there
is an internet connection…
… and so can your
clients
Business
without
borders

15. Are you ready to get off the
merry-go-round?
It takes hard work and
determination, and a
willingness to get up each
time you stumble.
But it sure is nice
to be the boss …
www.hywoodservices.com