Are you itching to turn your service-based business into a full-time, profit-generating machine?

Maybe you desire to finally quit your 9-5 and live the VA dream, but you don’t know how to even start scaling.

Or maybe you’re booked out with clients already but have NO TIME left to actually grow your business.

Regardless of your situation, there’s one thing I want you to get in your head–it’s possible for you!

In my blog post today, I’m going to walk you through how to scale your virtual assistant business in 5 simple steps (even if you THINK you have NO time at all).

Why You Should Think About Scaling Your Business

Maybe you think that you don’t have time to scale your business.

You might be so inundated with client work or your 9-5 job that you’re thinking…how can I possibly grow my business?

If this is you, scaling your business is EXACTLY what you need.

It’s the key to unlocking more TIME so that you can do more of what you enjoy and run your business without being stuck in the weeds of it every day.

And here’s why…

SCORE, one of my favorite business resources, defines scaling as setting the stage to enable and support growth in your company so you can grow without being hampered.

See, scaling is enabling you to GROW your company while being able to work LESS because you have support.

If you’re short on time, feeling stuck, and really want to expand your business into a successful, full-time revenue stream–scaling your business will really help.

How To Know If You’re Ready To Scale

Scaling your virtual business should be a natural next step if you’re already making a consistent income each month, and find yourself asking “what’s next?”.

It is a commitment, however, and you need to decide if you’re in a place right now to take that step.

Here are a few signs that it’s time to scale your VA business:

• You’re juggling a 9-5 but want to work full-time on your VA business
• You feel burned out with client work, and wish you had people to delegate to
• You’re so deep in client work, you have no time left to actually grow your business
• You want to make $5k, $10K months, or beyond but you don’t have time to take on more clients

Before You Scale: What You Need To Know

Maybe you’ve read this far and you’re thinking–Yes, this is exactly what I need!

Before you jump into things though, you will want to get your ducks in a row. That means you’ll need to do some prepping before you begin.

Creating Your SOPs

The first thing you should do is create SOPs (standard operating procedures) for all of the day-to-duties in your business (especially if it’s something you foresee yourself delegating).

The reason this is so important is that you have to have an organized system for a task before you can outsource it.

It makes outsourcing WAY easier, saves tons of time in the long run, and ensures that anyone you bring on your team knows EXACTLY how to do their job.

Start by making a list of all the different categories of tasks you have in your business. For example client-related work, marketing, admin, etc.

Then write out all of the tasks you do within your business that fall under each category.

Let’s say for marketing you have social media management, blog writing, and outreach. Go through each task and write out a step-by-step process for how to do it.

You can use a tool like Trello, ClickUp, or Process.st to organize and record everything.

If it’s something that will require a visual explanation, you might want to consider using a program like Loom so that you can actually show yourself walking through the process.

Loom will allow you to record your computer screen as you talk, and you still have the capability to show yourself on the camera.

Increasing Your Prices

The second thing you’re going to want to do before you begin scaling is to get really clear on your prices.

Scaling means bringing on other contractors, so in order to pay your team and still make a profit–you need to make sure that you’re charging enough.

While I can’t tell you what to charge your clients, you will want to make sure you price your services in a way that if you hire a sub-contractor, you can offer them around 30% of your rate and it will still give them a fair wage.

If you’re currently offering hourly packages, you also might want to consider transitioning to flat-rate packages and increasing the value of your deliverable.

How To Start Scaling Your Virtual Assistant Business

Now we’re about to get into the nitty-gritty of things!

I’m going to walk you through a simple, 5-step process on how to scale your virtual assistant business with limited time.

Systematize your services

The very first step (after creating your SOPs and evaluating your offer), is to systematize your services.

If the majority of services you offer require you to fulfill them, then that’s a problem.

What could you do to make your services more scalable? What if you had a service that could run mostly without you?

The only way this can happen is if the majority of what you do is a systematized process.

Let’s say you are a general admin, that means you’re having to take requests from clients and do anything that they want. In this case, most of the work you do is customized to them.

On the other hand, if you’re a Pinterest manager, you can dictate your deliverables. For example, you may offer a certain number of pins or use templates.

Then you have a systematized process, you have templates, and you can hire other people to come in and help you in your business.

Now you have a scalable business!

Get visible

The second step to scaling is visibility–but here’s where most people make a BIG mistake.

They think they just need to get more visible, when really if they were given 10 more clients, they wouldn’t even be able to handle the workload.

And that’s EXACTLY why step number one is so important.

Once you have a systematized, scalable service, you can start marketing on a mass scale.

Build your rockstar team

Can I be honest? I started out as a solopreneur, but I LOVE having a team (it’s probably my favorite part of my business).

I love my team because we’ve built a team culture and hire people with that team culture in mind.

You should hire people who share your vision for your company (which means you have to have a vision first).

With that said, it’s really important that you come up with a vision, hire people according to that vision, train them in the systems that you’ve pre-determined in step one, and use this repeatable method as a way to keep growing.

Know your numbers

If you want to learn how to scale your virtual assistant business successfully,  it’s vital to have your finances organized.

You’ll be making a greater profit, which means:

• You need to put aside money specifically for re-investing in your business.
• You have to pay additional taxes.
• You need to set goals for how you’re going to pay yourself as the CEO.

You need a separate business account for your VA business, and make sure to keep records of your revenue and expenses.

As you start tracking metrics, you’ll be able to forecast how many discovery calls you need in order to reach a certain amount of clients by the end of the month.

There’s a lot that you can do to dig in and understand the numbers in your business so you can grow effectively.

Join a mastermind

Here’s what most successful entrepreneurs don’t always tell you–it’s not just their sweat and hard work that led them to become wildly successful.

(Shocking, I know.)

Having the right mentorship and like-minded community around you is KEY if you want to be in that smaller percentage of VAs who make it to $10K months and beyond.

If you’re thinking about scaling your business (especially your virtual assistant or freelance-based business), I HIGHLY recommend joining a mastermind or some sort of high-level group coaching program.

Time and time again, I’ve seen that business owners who invest in themselves are able to see growth much more quickly because they have someone to give them a done-for-you roadmap that has already been tested and proven.

(By the way, if you want to join in on my FREE advanced training for virtual assistants who want to scale to $10K months and beyond, you can APPLY HERE.)

Tips For Hiring Subcontractors That Won’t Disappoint

Ask Questions

I see a lot of virtual assistants get disappointed when looking for sub-contractors, but it’s YOUR job as the CEO to ensure you’re asking the right questions to find the BEST fit possible for your business.

Hiring out contractors IS a process, but if you do it right the first time, you’ll be so thankful down the line that you took the time to build out your team.

Before you start getting on discovery calls with potential candidates, make sure you write down a list of questions that will really help you get to know the candidate.

Make sure to ask questions related to things YOU really care about and that are relevant to the role.

Know Your Values

You have to get really clear on your values before you can hire a team that is aligned with that vision.

Here at The Virtual Savvy we really emphasize our team values, and we’re able to see our team living those out each day.

It’s on YOU as the CEO to have those foundational values that you want to see your team living out, and making sure you are hiring people who align with those values.

Set Expectations Up Front

As you’re crafting your job posting, make sure you are extremely specific on what you need, your budget, and your expectations.

If there are certain qualifications you want someone to have when applying, make sure you state that upfront to make the process easier for both you and the applicants.

Tools & Resources For Scaling

If you’re looking to scale your business, I have a few resources that I can HIGHLY recommend below.

Banking Services

Remember how I said it’s essential to have a separate account for your business?

The truth is, opening a business bank account at a commercial bank can come with some hefty fees.

If you’re looking for an affordable banking option for your business, I want to recommend NOVO or BlueVine.

6-Steps To Scale (Free Advanced Training)

 

This free training is designed for VAs making $1K-$3K months, who want to crack the code on how to make $10K months and beyond.

You can APPLY HERE to see if you qualify!

HelloSavvy (Freelance Marketplace)

I am SO PUMPED about the launch of this amazing new venture—HelloSavvy.

It’s a freelance marketplace created with a “people first” mentality. It’s a fantastic tool for anyone looking to build out a team based on company culture.

Click HERE to join our waitlist.

The VA Toolbox

Before you step out into building your team, make sure you have all the contracts you need to legally cover your business.

The VA Toolbox has all the done-for-you contracts you’ll need for clients and subcontractors.

Click HERE to learn more about The VA Toolbox!

SavvyVault

Our SavvyVault tech library is a collection of over 60 advanced trainings specifically designed for virtual assistants. If you’re interested in creating a premium signature service so that you can raise your rates, these trainings will help you do just that.

CLICK HERE to check out the SavvyVault.