Your First Year In Business As A Virtual Assistant

Do you remember your first year in business as a virtual assistant? The Association of Virtual Assistants is celebrating its 1st birthday and what a year it’s been! As you can imagine the first year of any business is about growth and development. Some at amazing speeds! We are thrilled to have this month’s blog series dedicated to the first year in business as a VA. Whether you are thinking about starting a VA business, currently in your first year, or will have to look back and reminisce it’s time to celebrate!

How the AVA has grown

In the first year of human life, a child can triple their weight by their first birthday. The AVA is proud to have gained a lot of “weight”! With 19 countries represented in membership it lets us know just how healthy we are. 

Having members from 19 countries doesn’t simply represent geography. It represents inclusiveness. It represents a culture of like-mindedness and inclusiveness that surpasses what many companies spend millions of dollars trying to accomplish. When the AVA says you are welcome here, we mean it! 

FREE training to grow your business

Learning is consistent during the first year of life and you’d be hard-pressed to find more avid lifelong learners than assistants. That’s why we have two training sessions a month FREE of charge. The AVA believes that you should never pay for training. Our training has varied and covered topics from cold calling, onboarding, social media, networking, imposter syndrome, LinkedIn, and branding. In total, we’ve had over 25 training sessions (all housed in our member portal). Not to mention our free resources, guides, and templates!

If learning is important to you, the Association of Virtual Assistants has you covered! 

Two certifications launched

Developmental milestones are also a precious part of the first year of life. The AVA is proud to have developed and collaborated with experts in the field to bring you industry-leading and industry-setting certifications and resources. The AVA’s very first State of the VA Industry Survey will be released this month and VA industry leaders from all over the world are partnering with us to spread the world. We’ve brought virtual assistants a pricing guide (applicable to the U.S. & Canada) to not only have a baseline but to educate their clients on the minimum that a client should expect to pay for their services. No more proving your worth or value!

Additionally, we’ve released two certifications (and LOTS more are coming!) giving you the skills not only to excel as a virtual assistant but the skills that attract clients to you!  TEDx for Virtual Assistants and MeetEdgar for Virtual Assistants. 

Providing FREEBIES & Discounts

Sitting, standing, and possibly walking are accomplished by the first birthday. The AVA has not only taken its first steps, we’ve been off to the races in getting you discounts and FREEBIES on what VAs actually need and want! 

The Association of Virtual Assistants has an exclusive member benefits partnership with Adminja and discount with WP101 too!

Start your 90-day trial and you’ll fall in love! Then for only $29.95/month*, AVA Members get access to all of Adminja’s client management features, with unlimited workspaces and small team support, plus personalized 1:1 coaching sessions with Adminja’s founder and prioritized help desk support!

*Compare to their $39.95/month Adminja Pro plan: A 25% savings!

AVA Members receive exclusive benefits and discounts from WP101. When you join the AVA you are entitled to a 25% discount on the month-to-month access, annual access, or lifetime membership. WP101 has over 230 videos and 10 courses to help you on your way to becoming a WordPress pro! 

Because we know you want a headstart in business, the AVA routinely secures special benefits and discounts for its members! 

Creating a like-minded community

Interaction with others is crucial at this stage, and let’s be real, at every stage in life. You wouldn’t think of isolating a child or adult and believe they would be better off. That’s why AVA members enjoy communicating, assisting, supporting, and cheering on their fellow VAs in our private Slack community. 

Don’t isolate yourself or your business! The interaction with others is what will help you and your business grow!

Oh, and let’s not forget client leads! The AVA has client members who can find you with the member directory or in their private Slack community. Plus, we are set to release our new job board soon!

It’s been a busy year in the life of the Association of Virtual Assistants. More than we could have ever imagined. 

Thank you to all of our current members, and especially our founding members. 

No matter how long you’ve been in business, if you are in your first year, or thinking about getting started, the AVA is here to celebrate all your milestones and birthdays! 

We see you. We hear you. We value you. 

Join the AVA and become part of a like-minded community.