Starting your own business after having a typical office job can be pretty overwhelming! There are a ton of decisions to make, and it’s easy to make some common mistakes. Here are the 3 most common mistakes new creative VA’s make and how to avoid them.
Underpricing Your Services
You can’t hit your financial goals if you don’t charge what you are worth! I know that you want to get clients, and I know that over time you will feel more comfortable and raise your rates. But you also need to know your worth when you first start. Charging $10 an hour for your services, or the bare minimum for packages doesn’t just hurt you, but also attracts the type of clients who micromanage. Trust me: the clients who pay you the least will micromanage you the most!
That is why we have multiple videos on pricing and creating packages inside The Creative VA School! We teach to not just start out at $30/hour, but how to create profitable packages.
Being scared to sell and put yourself out there
Starting a business means being seen. And I know that is hard, especially for creatives. We are so used to being behind the scenes creating, and it can be hard to have our face shown and talk about our new business. But it is a must-do! YOU and YOU alone have to take the time to promote your business. That means telling your family and friends and posting on social media about your new business.
Clients do not grow on trees (and money doesn’t either!) You need to be proactive. If you are constantly waiting for new clients to appear from the sky, you will never grow.
Learn more about my Top 4 Ways to Market Your Creative VA business!
Not Having A Process Setup
This is hands down where most Creative VA’s struggle. You need to have a clear onboarding process, with all the items in place BEFORE you hire your first client.
Let me paint you a picture of what I see all the time: A new Creative VA promotes their business without ever getting their ducks in a row. They book a client but don’t have anything set up. They don’t have a CRM or a way to take payment or a contract. And they don’t have a seamless onboarding process. So they quickly try to Google what to do, which takes time. So their client gets frustrated (and the VA gets nervous!). The whole situation becomes frustrating, so the new Creative VA start to doubt themselves. They get into their own head thinking that they can’t do this, and start to think about quitting and going back to their old job.
NEWS FLASH: This doesn’t have to be you! This is such an easy mistake to avoid, and one you will be so glad you don’t have to go through. By having these items set up before you market your business, you are going to look so much more professional. Trust me – an inquiry who sees that your business isn’t set up yet will notice!
Check out our blog post, 5 Steps To Set Up Your Creative VA Business to see what all you need before you take clients!
3 Mistakes new Creative VA’s Make
Hopefully, this helps you feel more confident knowing what mistakes to avoid when you are first starting your Creative VA Business! If you want more guidance as you embark on this new business journey, I invite you to join us inside The Creative VA School!
