Is this business model profitable?

09-19-2008, 04:57 PM

Hello everyone,

I have become a member here at the warrior forum to start a VA business. I have been a va for several years always working with local clients.

I would like to offer my services on the internet for a flat rate package of $97 week for 10 hours.

I was wondering if anyone thinks this is a good idea and how I should begin?

Is there a market for such a service?

Building a website is kind of a big project and I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how I could get this business going?

I already have the domain name IMFreelance.com

Thanks so much,
DT

Monetize · 09-20-2008, 01:39 AM

I certainly don't want to discourage you but you probably
know that you will be competing against overseas VAs that
charge $1.00 per day to produce high quality results. Web
development is a critical skill to have these days, it would
be difficult to market yourself without a site or without the
skill set to develop even a simple site, so I'd recommend
you brush up on those abilities.

I personally would not pay an hourly rate, I would pay by
the job, as some ppl tend to drag their feet in completing
assignments.

The best way to get started is to post your services to
the barter networks. That's what I would do.

nosmarketing · 09-20-2008, 02:51 AM

Personally I think its all depend on your past feedbacks.

I'm a internet marketer and I would not hire a VA unless I know they have a track record of good service for past clients.

I think one of the hot market right now for VA is telephone assistants. Especially if you are US base which a lot of people are looking for fluent english speakers.

Just know that your target market would be people who are already making good amount of money online who NEEDS a VA. If you want to build a stable client base that is.

Hope this helps

aceriker · 09-20-2008, 03:09 AM

Quote:

I certainly don't want to discourage you but you probably
know that you will be competing against overseas VAs that
charge $1.00 per day to produce high quality results

Where on Earth can you hire a VA for $1 a day?! I'd say $5 - $10 an hour is pretty reasonable.

BIG Mike · 09-20-2008, 03:17 AM

Any service oriented business that over delivers at reasonable prices can be wildly successful, if you do it properly.

Firstly, you don't eed to build a huge web site, at least initially. Get a decent landing page up with a compelling offer for your services. Use testimonials from your offline customers for social proof.

You may want to consider a variety of pricing packages, i.e.; once off, recurring weekly, recurring monthly, etc. Do your research to see what others are charging and then in your offer, demonstrate why your prices are worth it - i.e.; far better responsiveness, follow up, etc.

Don't fixate just on price, especially if that's what you charge offline. Do your homework and then test it.

Monetize · 09-20-2008, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aceriker

Where on Earth can you hire a VA for $1 a day?! I'd say $5 - $10 an hour is pretty reasonable.

I saw this story on CNN - VAs for $30.00 per month

Too busy for errands? Outsource!

aceriker · 09-20-2008, 04:17 AM

I think it would be difficult to find a decent person to be your VA for $1 a day. I live in India (I moved here from the UK) and the freshers earn about $130 a month. The average wage in our company is about $400 a month. You need a VA to be very good at English, be able to understand your requirements and have enough common sense and initiative to carry out the tasks accurately. To find someone like that in India you would need to pay at least $10 an hour.

Just giving some perspective on actual prices in India Vs what the Media and Tim Ferris are telling everyone

Peter

Deepak Raj · 09-20-2008, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monetize

I certainly don't want to discourage you but you probably
know that you will be competing against overseas VAs that
charge $1.00 per day to produce high quality results. Web
development is a critical skill to have these days, it would
be difficult to market yourself without a site or without the
skill set to develop even a simple site, so I'd recommend
you brush up on those abilities.

I personally would not pay an hourly rate, I would pay by
the job, as some ppl tend to drag their feet in completing
assignments.

The best way to get started is to post your services to
the barter networks. That's what I would do.

I really need $1/day VAs, can you point me in the right direction? If you have the real deal, PM me!

Dave777 · 09-20-2008, 08:31 PM

If you're interested in growing your VA business online the right way. Here's a great VA network to get involved with to learn and study the best marketing methods & ideas to achieve those results...
Virtual Assistants - Virtual Assistant Networking Association Forum | Virtual Assistant Organization Business Network Forum
Virtual Assistant Directory - Need a Virtual Assistant? Find a Virtual Assistant

Dave

Amy Bass · 09-20-2008, 09:22 PM

I always wondered how I could find a VA. The trick is finding one that is both competent and trustworthy.

rocker123 · 09-20-2008, 10:38 PM

in our country Philippines you can try to find some i guess.

09-19-2008, 04:57 PM	#1
imfreelance Guest Posts: n/a	Is this business model profitable? Hello everyone, I have become a member here at the warrior forum to start a VA business. I have been a va for several years always working with local clients. I would like to offer my services on the internet for a flat rate package of $97 week for 10 hours. I was wondering if anyone thinks this is a good idea and how I should begin? Is there a market for such a service? Building a website is kind of a big project and I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how I could get this business going? I already have the domain name IMFreelance.com Thanks so much, DT
imfreelance Guest Posts: n/a

09-20-2008, 01:39 AM	#2
Monetize Monetization Warrior War Room Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 480 Blog Entries: 42 Thanks: 23 Thanked 11 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Is this business model profitable? I certainly don't want to discourage you but you probably know that you will be competing against overseas VAs that charge $1.00 per day to produce high quality results. Web development is a critical skill to have these days, it would be difficult to market yourself without a site or without the skill set to develop even a simple site, so I'd recommend you brush up on those abilities. I personally would not pay an hourly rate, I would pay by the job, as some ppl tend to drag their feet in completing assignments. The best way to get started is to post your services to the barter networks. That's what I would do.
	Are your websites earning revenues??? Stop wasting time and space by using proven methods to monetize your websites and blogs @ Monetize Academy

09-20-2008, 02:51 AM	#3
nosmarketing Jim Chao Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Sacramento, California Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Contact Info	Re: Is this business model profitable? Personally I think its all depend on your past feedbacks. I'm a internet marketer and I would not hire a VA unless I know they have a track record of good service for past clients. I think one of the hot market right now for VA is telephone assistants. Especially if you are US base which a lot of people are looking for fluent english speakers. Just know that your target market would be people who are already making good amount of money online who NEEDS a VA. If you want to build a stable client base that is. Hope this helps
	Jim Chao Marketing Mastermind http://BrandYourMLM.com

09-20-2008, 03:17 AM	#5
BIG Mike Drunken Greek War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 9,630 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,847 Thanked 3,671 Times in 1,070 Posts	Re: Is this business model profitable? Any service oriented business that over delivers at reasonable prices can be wildly successful, if you do it properly. Firstly, you don't eed to build a huge web site, at least initially. Get a decent landing page up with a compelling offer for your services. Use testimonials from your offline customers for social proof. You may want to consider a variety of pricing packages, i.e.; once off, recurring weekly, recurring monthly, etc. Do your research to see what others are charging and then in your offer, demonstrate why your prices are worth it - i.e.; far better responsiveness, follow up, etc. Don't fixate just on price, especially if that's what you charge offline. Do your homework and then test it.

09-20-2008, 04:17 AM	#7
aceriker HyperActive Warrior Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai, India. Posts: 200 Thanks: 9 Thanked 19 Times in 10 Posts Contact Info	Re: Is this business model profitable? I think it would be difficult to find a decent person to be your VA for $1 a day. I live in India (I moved here from the UK) and the freshers earn about $130 a month. The average wage in our company is about $400 a month. You need a VA to be very good at English, be able to understand your requirements and have enough common sense and initiative to carry out the tasks accurately. To find someone like that in India you would need to pay at least $10 an hour. Just giving some perspective on actual prices in India Vs what the Media and Tim Ferris are telling everyone Peter
	Just a British guy living and working in India

09-20-2008, 08:31 PM	#9
Dave777 Advanced Warrior Join Date: May 2008 Location: Western Canada Posts: 824 Thanks: 29 Thanked 149 Times in 127 Posts	Re: Is this business model profitable? If you're interested in growing your VA business online the right way. Here's a great VA network to get involved with to learn and study the best marketing methods & ideas to achieve those results... Virtual Assistants - Virtual Assistant Networking Association Forum \| Virtual Assistant Organization Business Network Forum Virtual Assistant Directory - Need a Virtual Assistant? Find a Virtual Assistant Dave

09-20-2008, 09:22 PM	#10
Amy Bass The Niche Blogger War Room Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California, USA. Posts: 1,280 Thanks: 9 Thanked 113 Times in 32 Posts Social Networking	Re: Is this business model profitable? I always wondered how I could find a VA. The trick is finding one that is both competent and trustworthy.
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09-20-2008, 10:38 PM	#11
rocker123 Active Warrior Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 74 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Is this business model profitable? in our country Philippines you can try to find some i guess.
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