I’m spilling all my secrets by sharing my very own Virtual Assistant Business Plan — and it’s FREE! 

Starting your own virtual assistant business can be life-changing! Whether you’re looking for financial freedom, flexibility, or a way to work from home, becoming a virtual assistant is an incredible opportunity. 

If you’re ready to take the leap, you’re in the right place!

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the 9 essential steps to launching your virtual assistant business. These are the exact steps I followed when I started in 2015 — and now, I run a multi-seven-figure business! 

Let’s dive in.

 

 

Virtual Assistant Business Plan — 9 Essential Steps

 

Step 1: Choose Your Services

The first step in your virtual assistant business plan is figuring out what services you’re going to offer. 

This can feel overwhelming at first, but don’t worry—you don’t need a fancy degree or years of experience to get started! 

The key is to lean into what you already know and enjoy doing.

Some beginner-friendly services include:

• Inbox management – Help business owners escape email overload.
• Calendar management – Schedule appointments and keep them organized.
• Customer service – Answer emails and handle inquiries.
• Data entry & research – Perfect for detail-oriented people.
• Social media assistance – Canva graphics, scheduling posts, and engagement.

If you’re feeling stuck, take my free VA Personality Quiz to find out which services match your skills and interests.

 

 

Remember, you don’t have to know everything to start. Pick one or two services and refine them as you go!

Now that you have your services in mind, let’s talk about how to price them.

 

Step 2: Set Rates & Packages

Now that you know what services you’ll offer, let’s talk about how much to charge. 

As a new virtual assistant, I recommend starting with an hourly rate—somewhere between $20 to $35 per hour. This makes it simple to track your time and get paid fairly for the work you put in.

Over time, you may want to switch to package-based pricing. Here’s why: let’s say you design a simple website and charge a flat $1,000. If it takes you 10 hours, that’s $100 per hour. 

But as you get faster, you may be able to complete that same website in just 5 hours, meaning you’re now making $200 per hour! 

That’s the beauty of packaged services—your efficiency increases your earnings.

To keep track of your time in the beginning, I highly recommend using Toggl. I personally use it to track where my time is going, and it even creates custom reports that you can share with your clients. 

Tracking over time is a huge help so you can see exactly how long tasks take, making it easier to transition into package pricing down the road.

If you’re charging hourly, you can also create simple VA packages based on set hours. For example:

• 10-hour package at $30/hour = $300/month
• 20-hour package at $30/hour = $600/month
• 40-hour package at $30/hour = $1,200/month

Each package should clearly outline what’s included, like inbox management, calendar scheduling, or invoicing. Having structured packages makes it easier for clients to understand what they’re getting—and helps you plan your workload effectively.

If you need more guidance on choosing your VA rates, packages, and pricing — check out this post.

Now that you have your services and pricing set, let’s look at how much time you can dedicate to your business.

 

Step 3: Determine Your Working Hours

One of the biggest advantages of running a virtual assistant business is flexibility, but that also means you need to be intentional with your time. 

Before diving in, ask yourself: How many hours per week can I realistically dedicate to my business?

You might be a stay-at-home parent, working a full-time job, or juggling other responsibilities. The great news? There’s no “right” schedule—what matters is finding a routine that works for you. 

I highly recommend setting aside at least five hours per week to get traction. Anything less can make it tough to build momentum.

Here’s how you can structure your time:

• If you have 5-10 hours per week, focus on 1-2 small clients while marketing yourself.
• If you have 20+ hours per week, you can take on more work and scale faster.
• If you’re full-time, plan your day like a business owner—with time blocked for client work, admin tasks, and marketing.

My not-so-secret hack…Time-blocking!

Time Blocking is one of the most effective ways to stay organized and maximize productivity. Instead of reacting to tasks as they come, you assign specific blocks of time for different activities—just like setting appointments with yourself.

Here’s how to make time-blocking work for you:

• Batch similar tasks together – Group meetings, client work, and admin tasks separately to maintain focus.
• Prioritize deep work – Set aside distraction-free time for important projects.
• Schedule marketing time – Growth doesn’t happen by accident! Dedicate time to finding new clients.
• Include personal time – Whether it’s family, exercise, or fun, work-life balance matters.

The key is to plan your week in advance — whether using a digital tool like Google Calendar or a physical planner. 

When you tell your time where to go, you’ll get more done with less stress!

Once you’ve scheduled your work time, it’s time to name your business!

 

Step 4: Choose Your Business Name

Choosing a name for your virtual assistant business can feel like a big decision, but don’t let it slow you down! 

Many new VAs get stuck here, waiting for the “perfect” name. The truth is, your business name is far less important than actually getting started.

You can keep it super simple—using your own name is totally fine! 

When I started, my business was called “Ashley Assistance”. 

Nothing fancy, but guess what? I built a multi-six-figure business with that name! 

Your skills and ability to serve clients matter far more than what you call yourself. If you want to be more creative, go for it! But don’t spend weeks overthinking it.

In fact, check out this post to help you choose your VA business name without getting stuck in the process.

Here’s my best advice: set a deadline. If today is Monday, decide by Friday at 5 PM. Tell someone about your decision to keep yourself accountable. 

Once you pick a name, move forward with confidence!

Now that you have a name, let’s set up your client onboarding process.

 

Step 5: Set Up Your Onboarding System

Step five of your virtual assistant business plan is all about setting up your onboarding process. 

When a client says, “Yes! I want to work with you!” you need to have a clear plan in place for what comes next.

Start by scheduling a discovery call to go over your services, pricing, and packages. Make sure you’re ready to share your pricing and portfolio if they ask for more details.

Once they’re ready to move forward, have a contract ready for them to sign. This ensures everyone knows what to expect. And I can’t stress this enough, having a legit contract is a life-saver! 

You’ll also need a system for gathering their passwords (securely!) and communicating things like your working hours. These are all key parts of your onboarding system.

To make things easier, you can use tools like Dubsado or HoneyBook, which many of our students love for organizing and automating the onboarding process. 

Even better — we offer a Complete Client Onboarding Kit, a plug-and-play system to help you get all the information to and from your new client that you’ll need to start working with them.

The goal is to make the transition from “Yes!” to working together as seamless as possible.

With your onboarding process set up, let’s make sure you’re legal!

 

Step 6: Set Up Legalities

Now that your onboarding process is set up, it’s time for Step 6 in the virtual assistant business plan which is setting up your legalities. 

While we touched on having a contract earlier, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have a solid contract in place for your business. 

Never work with a client without one — it’s your legal protection!

A well-crafted contract outlines your terms, scope of work, payment details, and other key agreements, helping you avoid misunderstandings and disputes down the road.

If you don’t have a contract yet, we’ve got you covered! 

We offer a contract specifically designed for virtual assistants in our VA Toolbox.

 

 

It’s worth investing in a contract that’s tailored to your business rather than using a generic one you find online. This ensures you’re fully protected as you grow your VA business.

Setting yourself up legally from the start will give you peace of mind and make sure your business runs smoothly.

With your legalities in place, let’s move on and start dreaming big!

 

Step 7: Set Your Goals

It’s important to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. 

What are your income goals? 

When do you want to land your first client? 

Where do you see your business a year from now?

For example, let’s say you want to make $10,000 a month in your business a year from now. To reach that goal, you’ll want to break it down into smaller, manageable steps. 

Start by mapping out a 12-month plan: by month 12, you want to be making $10,000 a month. So, by month 11, aim for $9,000, and month 10 for $8,000. You get the idea—you can use this backward math to help you track your progress.

But the big question is: How will you actually get there? 

What steps will you take to secure clients and generate the income you want? 

How many packages do you need to sell to meet your income goals?

As you create your plan, keep in mind that achieving high-income months might require more than just your time. If you see that reaching your goal would mean working 80-hour weeks, part of your plan may involve hiring a subcontractor by the six-month mark to lighten the load. 

By setting your end goal and working backward, you’ll have a roadmap to guide your progress toward success.

My goal-setting advice: set SMART goals!

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

This framework helps ensure that your goals are not only clear but also realistic and actionable.

Now that you’ve got your goals set, it’s time to take action!

 

Step 8: Start Marketing Your Business

This is where the rubber meets the road, and you can finally start telling people, “Hey, I’m open for business, and I’m ready to take on clients!“

The first thing you should do is share your new venture with your personal network. Post on your Facebook page, tell your friends and family, let them know what you’re offering. Word-of-mouth referrals are powerful, and you never know who might know someone looking for a VA.

Next, start looking for job opportunities on LinkedIn and in Facebook groups related to virtual assistance. Don’t be afraid to apply for jobs that align with your skills. This is your chance to market your services and put yourself out there.

In addition to reaching out directly to potential clients, you can also create content that highlights your expertise. This might include blog posts, social media updates, or videos that explain the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant. 

The more you put yourself out there, the more likely you are to attract clients.

Want to fast-track your marketing? 

Click below to access one of my favorite trainings that dives deep into my favorite marketing strategies. 

 

 

It’s packed with actionable tips that can help you get noticed and start booking clients faster.

The most important thing is to just start.

It can feel intimidating at first, but remember, every step forward counts. 

Take a deep breath, and begin sharing your business with the world. The clients will follow!

And with that, let’s move on the the final step in your virtual assistant business plan.

 

Step 9: Don’t Give Up!

It’s all about perseverance: don’t give up. 

Yes, it can be tough at times, but trust me, the reward is more than worth it. 

When I first heard the idea of becoming a virtual assistant from a friend, I could never have imagined that I’d be sitting here today, writing about how this career has completely transformed my life.

Thanks to becoming a VA, I’ve been able to retire my husband from his nine-to-five job. We’ve enjoyed flexible hours and the freedom to be there for our kids. We’ve taken incredible family vacations, it’s been life-changing! 

I’m not sharing this to brag, but because I truly believe that virtual assisting can change lives. It has done wonders for mine, and I know it can do the same for the right person — maybe even you.

So, if you hit a rough patch (and you will—it happens to all of us), remember your “why.” 

Why did you start this journey in the first place? 

Keep that in mind during the tough times, because the rewards of sticking with it will come. You just have to keep pushing through and staying committed.

This business plan is your step-by-step roadmap. The key is following through — when you work the system, the system works. 

But remember, consistency is key. You’ve got to put in the work, dedicate the time, and decide that you’re going to keep going—even when it’s difficult. 

YOU’VE GOT THIS!

For a more in-depth look at this Virtual Assistant Business Plan, check out the full-length YouTube video below! 

 

 

 

I hope this free virtual assistant business plan helps you on your VA journey!

Keep pushing forward—you’re closer to your goals than you think!