When It’s Just Too Much

When starting a new business as a Virtual Assistant, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the mountain of decisions you think you must make before you can begin working with clients.

What kind of business bank account do I need? Should I start as a Sole Proprietor or an LLC? How will I take payments? Do I need a business card? And, of course, what should I name my business?

Dealt with individually, each of these questions is easy and could be handled in a reasonable amount of time. But it feels impossible to move forward when you ponder them all at once.

And to make matters worse, you are likely putting even more pressure on yourself by thinking that you’re not good enough, you’ll never figure this out, and you must have been insane to even imagine this would be an option for you.

If this sounds familiar, I want you to know it’s normal. Everyone goes through emotional ups and downs when starting a business. So relax, take a deep breath, and know you don’t need everything to be perfect before you can begin working with clients.

Here are some real-world examples to calm the chicken chatter in your head:

1. My Debit Card System (payment processing) isn’t set up.
   
   The most important piece of the payment puzzle is to get paid upfront. You can send your client a PayPal payment link, ask them to write you a check, or use Zelle. How you get paid is not that important when you’re just getting started. When you catch your breath, set up your Debit Card System (read all about it here) and inform your client. They’ll love it.
    
2. I don’t know how much to charge per hour.
   
   Just pick a number and add at least $10.00 an hour on top of that. Remember, this is not your forever price, you’re going to raise it as soon as you get a few clients under your belt. Do not give a new client discount, work for a testimonial or barter. You deserve to be paid for your time. And remember that just because the work is easy for you doesn’t mean it’s not valuable to your client.
    
3. What about all the legal stuff?
   
   Yes, you’ll need an EIN and a business bank account. And you’ll need to do some research about how to register your business in your community. But don’t let that stop you from working with clients. These are small details you can take care of in an afternoon.

 
My first client hired me before I had a business card, a business name, or a website. It took me years to create all the systems I needed to run my VA business.

Give yourself a break and embrace that everything doesn’t have to be perfect before you can start making money. You’ll have much more fun.

If you’re not already a member of our Facebook Group, The Virtual Assistant Connection, and would like to join, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com