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Virtual Assistant Startup Program

Study Method
In-class, Online, Virtual
Institution
VA Institute
Start Date
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Course overview

Do you have a background as an EA, PA, general admin, creative support or tech professional?

Have you heard about Virtual Assistant (VA) work, and are interested in finding out whether you have what it takes to become one?

Or are already certain that you want to become a Virtual Assistant but are confused about how to get started?

Have you been researching and are finding there’s so much conflicting information that your head is actually spinning and you don’t know where to begin?

Since 2017, the VA Institute’s VA Startup Program has been helping people just like you set up and run their own very successful VA business.

All our participants come away with a fully launched and set up VA Business… and have ALL the tools, knowledge and ongoing support that is required to build and grow a super successful career as a professional Virtual Assistant in Australia.

Written by practising Australian VAs, this is a tried and tested program that really works. In fact, it’s the only program we know of where participants are fully set up on completion!

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Who's It For?

The VA Startup Program is designed for individuals who wish to use their existing skill set gained through their experience in traditional admin-based roles, and transition them into their own business in Australia as a Virtual Assistant.

If you have experience in any one (or more) of the following areas, you already have what it takes to build a successful career as a Virtual Assistant:

  • Executive Assistant/Personal Assistant
  • Digital Marketing/Social Media
  • Bookkeeping
  • Human Resources
  • Legal Secretarial
  • Administration
  • Website/Graphics Design
  • IT / Tech Services
  • Data Entry
  • Event Management
  • Hospitality
  • Customer Service

Job outcomes

  • Virtual Assistant
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Study method

  • In-class
    In class delivery - predominately face to face course content conducted at a specific location
  • Online
    Online delivery - online course content with the exception of assessments and work placement
  • Virtual
    Virtual Delivery - Live and interactive classroom-style learning conducted completely online
  • Blended
    Blended delivery - both online course content and partial face to face requirements

Delivery

We understand everyone learns differently… and for this reason, the VA Startup Program has 3 very different delivery options designed to suit all learning styles and budgets:

Fully Online / Self-Paced

Ideal if you’re currently employed and just want to learn at your own pace and at a time that suits YOU! The program takes you through the basics of setting up a business, right through to marketing essentials. The program includes live Zoom support sessions where you can get all your questions answered, all the templates you need to run a successful VA business, PLUS we build and launch your website, set up your professional email account, and design your logo / branding so that at the end of your program you have a fully set up and operating business!

Zoom Workshops

If you learn better in a one-on-one setting, then this is a great option. The training is delivered over 3 x 2 hour Zoom sessions where we spend time focusing in on your business vision and goals, and work through the course material together. You receive an abundance of resources, all designed specifically for VA businesses, PLUS we design your logo, set up your professional email account, and build and launch your beautiful business website. You have access to support during and after your program via our live Zoom support sessions, as well as 3 months complimentary access to our Virtual Momentum membership which provides job leads and weekly live webinars.

In Person

Some people just learn better when they are in the same room as their trainer, and so we have developed this amazing In Person Intensive which includes 2 full days with your trainer. You walk in without a business, and walk out fully set up… it’s like ‘business in a box’ on steroids! At the end of the program, you are handed your fully launched business website, your logo, ALL your business documents, and are ready to roll immediately. And you’re in complete control, as we’ll arrange the sessions at a time and location that suits you. The program comes with access to 12 months exclusive access to our Virtual Momentum membership program which provides you with premium client leads and weekly live webinars – plus you receive personalised monthly Zoom support sessions with your trainer!

Course features

This is where the VA Institute is very different from other programs out there… we actually implement and put into place what you need so you can hit the ground running. We take the pain out of setting up your business by doing the hard stuff for you!

This means you receive:

  • Full Website built for you – and launched!
  • Professional email set up
  • Logo design
  • Comprehensive Course Workbook
  • Ongoing (non-ending) access to mentoring support via our private Facebook group beyond the completion of your program at no extra cost
  • Quality VA Certification upon completion
  • Complimentary access to our exclusive Virtual Momentum membership program upon successful program completion, which includes premium client leads delivered to inbox and weekly live webinars to help you build and grow your VA business

Subjects

Part 1 - Pre-Work
Setting the Scene
  • DISC Profile
  • Greatest Fears
  • Your “Why”
  • Business Name Research
  • Aesthetics
  • Key Service Areas
  • Identifying Key Connections
  • Identifying Local and Online Networks
Part 2 - Defining Your Business
The VA Industry
  • Understanding the Virtual Advantage
  • Basic Attributes required to be a successful VA
  • Collaboration & Outsourcing
  • Networks and Associations
Business Planning
  • Your Service Offering
  • Your Rate/How to Charge
  • Your Ideal Client
  • Your Strengths, Challenges, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)
  • Vision, Mission and Values
  • Your Sales & Marketing Strategy
  • Your Business Management Strategy
  • Your Transition Strategy
  • Your Competitors
  • Your Business Goals
  • Insurances
Setting up your “Virtual” Shopfront
  • Domain Name and Hosting
  • Email Address
  • Logo
  • Website
  • Business Cards
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook and other Social Media Platforms
Startup Business Documents
  • Professional Profile
  • Service Agreement
  • Sub-Contractor Agreement
  • Guarantee
  • Privacy Policy
IT Basics
  • Internet/WiFi
  • Virus Protection
  • Data Backup
  • Time Management Software
  • File Sharing
  • Communication Tools
  • Project Management Software
  • Accounting Software
  • Password Storage
Setting up your Office
  • Hardware
  • Furniture
  • OH&S Considerations
  • Contingency Planning – Mitigating Risk
Getting Work
  • Job Lead Sources – How to Get Clients
  • How to Pitch
  • Onboarding Clients
Networking Explained
  • Defining Networking – what it is and what it isn’t
  • Networking Do’s and Don’ts
  • Online vs Offline Networking
  • Your Networking Strategy
Part 3 - Getting The Edge
Attitude/Aptitude
  • It’s All about Attitude
  • Developing a Positive Mental Attitude
  • Key Competencies for Business
  • Business Mindset for VAs
  • Training Providers for VAs
  • Ongoing Mentoring
  • Resources
    • Positive Mental Attitude Building Exercise
    • Key Competencies Quiz
Excellence in Virtual Communication
  • Setting and Meeting Expectations
  • Etiquette in Communication
  • Active Listening in Business
  • Dealing with Difficult Clients
  • Resource: Communication Checklist
  • VARK – Learning, Processing and Communicating Styles
  • Resources
    • Questionnaire: Learning and Communication Styles
    • Communication Skills Quiz
Time Management for Virtual Operators
  • Time Management Tips and Tricks
  • Resources
    • Time Management Style Questionnaire
    • Identifying Time Guzzlers
Want more information about the subjects for this course?
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About VA Institute

Established in 2017 by Ingrid Bayer, The VA Institute is your go-to resource for education and training, providing hands-on, practical support for you in this exciting stage of your career/business life.

After a career of over 30 years in ‘traditional’ secretarial roles, Ingrid started operating as a Virtual Assistant from her home office in regional New South Wales, Australia in 2008. Within two years, she had grown her business to include managing and overseeing a team of VAs.

Ingrid now devotes her time to working strategically with the Australian VA Industry and its stakeholders, and specialising in working with EAs, Pas and Admin workers from around Australia, and around the world, in making the transition to becoming a successful VA.

Ingrid’s passion and life purpose is to make a tangible difference in the lives of VAs and their clients by uncovering and exposing the ‘elephant in the room’; that is, identifying the missing ingredients in the VA toolbox in a way that empowers, transforms and inspires the VA Industry and its stakeholders to be the best, expect the best, and deliver the best beyond mere technical skills.