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Virtual Assistant Start-Up Checklist
First off, I would like to say there are many valuable
resources on how to start up a Virtual Assistant Business.
It is the goal of this project not to mimic or copy the
information, but to create a comprehensive checklist from
VA’s and what they did to start their business. If you
have a resource that would be beneficial to any of the
points, I would like to include them. The other objective
is to include what needs to be done differently in
differently countries (mainly focusing on the US, UK,
Australia and Canada). If you would like to help with this
project, please add any comments. I could use any comments if I am missing information and
information on each of the country specific details:
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Virtual
Assistant Start Up Checklist |
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- Know what a VA is
and isn’t.
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-Telediscussion
with AssistU
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-The
VA Profession - IVAA
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-What
is a Virtual Assistant from the IAVOA
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What
skills do you have and what services will you offer |
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- Decide if you want
formal training
-AssistU
- -Virtual
Assistance U
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Self
Assessment Your Own Goals & Abilities &
Competencies |
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List what
you are good at what you are not good at |
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Do
homework! Research
VA
Reading - Articles
in the News
AUSTRALIA -
(Victoria) Small
Business Counselling Service Inc. (NSW) Small
Business Advisory Centre
(NT)
Northern
Territory Government
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Company
name
AUSTRALIA (NSW) Department
of Fair Trading
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Registering Your Business
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Business License
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US - Business
Licenses
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AUSTRALIA - Business
License Information,
(NSW) Department
of Fair Trading
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CANADA
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UK
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- Choose what form
of legal structure your organization you will
make (proprietorship, partnership, corporation,
etc)
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US
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AUSTRALIA –
(NSW) Department
of Fair Trading
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CANADA
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UK
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Set up
your record keeping system |
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- Business Insurance
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- Legal Issues
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Set up Banking
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Determine
the start-up costs (equipment, supplies) |
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Financing |
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- Set your
rates
- -
Pricing
Yourself to Get, and Stay, In Business
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Business
Plan |
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- Marketing Plan
- -The Virtual Assistant's 'Building
Your Client Base & Marketing 101'
Manual and Workbook...
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- Logo
- -Software to build
your own logo - The Logo Creator
- -Professionally
produced Logos Get a great logo in 72 hours!
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Business
Cards, stationery, business form (your order forms,
invoices, etc) |
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Set up
home office (location/equipment) |
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Set up
"business" hours (when you can be
contacted, when you will set up your time for
working) |
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Upgrade any necessary
equipment for a smooth running office |
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Brochure
on your services |
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Create an
Emergency Contingency Plan |
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Build a
website |
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Submit to
search engines |
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- Get listed on VA
sites:
- -list
of places where you may list your virtual
assistant business
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- Join
Organizations
- -IVAA
- -IAVOA
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- Join Message
Boards and Support Groups
- -Message boards
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- Networking Plan (places to
go, people to talk to, family, friends )
- -
Networking: Creating A Whirlwind That Pulls You
Forward
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- Elevator
Speech
- -Verbal
Logo
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Decide if you want certification
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-VA
Certifications
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Info/Promotional
Packets (business card, flyer, brochure, article or
two, etc) |
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Set up
invoicing/billing |
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More Information:
"How
do I Become a Virtual Assistant" from the IAVOA (free
ebook. It is on the nav bar on the right)
and
more at the IAVOA
"The
Virtual Assistant's 'Building Your.."
"The Virtual Assistant's Pre-Launch...
"
"A
Career In Virtual Assisting"
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