Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about getting your VA business started while you are still working full-time.
Today’s Quote: “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” – Napoleon Hill
Click the play button above to tune in, or choose your favourite podcast player below:
Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Today we’re talking about something that I know so many of you are dealing with right now: how to start your virtual assistant business while you’re still working a full-time job.
This is a very common question I get from aspiring VAs.
Maybe you’re working 40 hours a week, maybe more. You’ve got responsibilities, a family, and let’s face it, life is busy. How can you fit more in?
But you also feel this pull toward building something of your own, something that gives you freedom and flexibility. And that’s where your VA business comes in.
So today we’re going to walk through how you can get started, even if your schedule already feels packed.
We’ll look at the mindset shifts, the practical steps, and the strategies that will help you balance both worlds until you’re ready to take the leap into working for yourself full-time.
Shifting Your Mindset
Let’s start with the mindset piece. Because here’s the truth: if you’re working a full-time job and trying to start your VA business, your biggest obstacle is not your time, it’s your mindset. Believe it or not!
When you’re already working 9 to 5, it’s easy to believe you don’t have the hours to dedicate to a business. But what really matters at this stage is not the number of hours you have, it’s how you use them.
Think of it this way. Starting a VA business doesn’t require you to put in another 40 hours a week. What it requires is focused, intentional action, consistently. That might be 30 minutes a day or a few hours on the weekend.
I didn’t start my VA business while working full-time, but I have helped lots of VAs who did.
The key is to have a plan and action steps that you implement to get started, good routines to find those first few clients, and choosing services that you can do around your job, and outside of regular business hours. It’s so doable.
The key is to stop telling yourself you can’t because of your job. Your full-time job isn’t a roadblock, it’s actually your safety net while you build your VA business.
I call it a business loan. It covers your bills, it reduces the pressure, and it gives you breathing room to start slow and steady. And yes it takes up a good portion of your time, but that’s okay.
Getting Clear on Your Why
Before we even talk about the “how,” let’s talk about your “why.”
Why do you want to start a VA business? Is it because you’re tired of commuting? Because you want to be home with your kids? Because you want more control over your time and income?
Knowing your “why” is what will keep you going when you’ve had a long day at work and the last thing you want to do is open your laptop for an hour at night.
A lot of VAs tell me they want to make extra money. That’s a good reason but you attach a why to it, it becomes stronger. And you are going to need strong if you are starting a business, trust me!
I started my business after I had my son, and I knew I didnt want to go back to working in an office. Not. At. All.
When you really have strong motivation you can do everything smarter.
Setting Realistic Expectations
Okay, now let’s get practical. One of the first things you need to do when starting a VA business while working full time is to set realistic expectations.
You are not going to launch a business overnight. You’re not going to have five clients by next week. And that’s okay.
The goal right now is progress, not perfection. You’re building the foundation of a business, brick by brick.
Here’s what you can realistically expect at the beginning:
- You’ll spend more time setting up than earning money.
- It might take a few months to land your first client.
- The first projects will be small, and that’s exactly what you need.
Think of this season as planting seeds. You may not harvest right away, but every small step is moving you closer to where you want to be.
I had one client to start, and that helped me get my processes in place and learn how to figure out what I liked, what I didn’t like, what networking and marketing were, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I would never have learned at my job.
One client at a time!
Creating Time in Your Schedule
So the big question is: how do you find the time to start your VA business when you already have a full-time job?
Here are some strategies:
- Audit your time. Track your week. Where are you spending time that could be shifted? TV, scrolling social media, or errands that could be batched? Even reclaiming 5 hours a week can make a huge difference.
- Designate VA hours. Maybe it’s one hour in the evening three days a week. Maybe it’s Saturday mornings. The key is consistency. Treat these blocks like appointments you can’t cancel.
- Use micro-moments. Waiting in the carpool line? Standing in line at the store? Those are perfect times for small tasks like drafting social posts, brainstorming ideas, or sending follow-up messages.
- Protect your energy. Don’t underestimate the importance of rest. If you’re exhausted, your business work will suffer. Build in downtime so you can sustain this pace.
My schedule has been full a lot over the years. I have had to find time a lot!
The best piece of advice I can give you is to plan and focus. Work completely without distraction for short periods of time. I promise you will get more done than if you give yourself hours and hours.
Focus on the Right First Steps
Now, let’s talk about what to actually do with those precious hours.
When you’re building a VA business on the side, you don’t have time to waste. You want to focus on the things that will actually move you forward.
- Decide on your services. What are you good at? What do you enjoy? What do business owners need help with? Start simple. You don’t need 15 services. Two or three is plenty.
- Choose your ideal client. Who do you want to work with? Coaches? Real estate agents? Nonprofits? Defining this early helps you focus your marketing.
- Set your rates. Don’t undervalue yourself just because you’re new. Do the math and start at a rate that covers your expenses but that feels comfortable for you. Ypu can always raise your rates later.
- Get your basics in place. You don’t need a fancy website or logo at the beginning. A simple email, a LinkedIn profile, and a professional way to invoice clients are enough to start.
I started offering bookkeeping assistance and financial support because that’s what I did at my last job. But it wasn’t what I loved. I didn’t realize I could pick!
Once I realized I had so many transferable skills from years of admin work, I chose client care as my best services and that was where I stayed for many years.
Finding Your First Clients While Working Full-Time
This is the part everyone wants to know. How do you actually find clients when you’re busy at work all day?
- Start with your network. Tell friends, family, and colleagues what you’re doing. You’d be surprised how many referrals can come from people you already know.
- Leverage LinkedIn. It’s one of the best platforms for finding clients, especially if you only have a little time each day to engage. Connect, post, and start conversations.
- Join entrepreneur groups. Online communities are a great place to connect with potential clients. The business owners in these groups are networking and looking dor support.
- Be proactive. Don’t just wait for opportunities. Reach out to people. A simple message that introduces who you are and what you do can open doors. Don’t sell yourself everywhere but look for opportunities to help people and the conversations will come.
My first client was my old boss. Hard for you to do if you are working full time LOL. But my next client after that was a publishing consultant from NYC. I connected with her from an RFP, and we worked together for 8 years. She introduced me to her friends who were business coaches, and that became my target market for years afterward.
I also subcontracted for a woman who did TV show transcription (that was fun) and another VA who built one page websites for high level coaches (I worked with her for 4 years and got a number of other VAs on her team too).
Balancing Job, Business, and Life
Balancing a full-time job, a new business, and your personal life can feel overwhelming. But remember, this is temporary.
The goal is not to stay in this hustle forever. The goal is to build your VA business to a point where you can make a choice about your job.
Here are a few tips to stay balanced:
- Communicate with your family. Let them know why you’re working extra hours and what the vision is.
- Celebrate small wins. Every new client, every milestone deserves recognition.
- Keep your job performance strong. Don’t let your side business interfere with your current role. You want to leave on good terms when the time comes.
And of course, remember your WHY!
Knowing When to Transition
At some point, your VA business will start to gain traction. You’ll have clients, you’ll have income, and you’ll start to wonder, when is it time to leave my job?
There’s no magic formula, but if you are consistently earning enough from your VA work to cover your basic expenses, or you have a pipeline of clients and work coming in, or if you feel ready, both financially and emotionally, to take the leap, then that’s when it’s time for you.
For me it was my due date! But not all of us have a date set for us. You should put one on the calendar. Then work back what you need to do to get there.
And keep your eye on that date. Of course you can move it if you need to but start with one. It really helps you plan everything else properly.
Starting your VA business while working full-time is not only possible, it’s actually one of the smartest ways to do it.
You get to build your foundation without financial stress. You get to test things out, make mistakes, and learn at your own pace.
Yes, it takes commitment. Yes, it takes sacrifice. But if you stay focused, consistent, and intentional, you will get there.
Remember, your full-time job is your safety net, not your obstacle.
Let’s recap quickly: You need to shift your mindset around opening a business. You don’t want to take years to do it. You want to take clear and focused action and get it started now – even if you just work with one client like I did, and then start to grow from there.
You need to know your WHY – why do you want to start a VA business? It’s really important to put emphasis on this and remind yourself why you are adding time to your schedule right now, and why that is so valuable to you.
You need to set realistic expectations and keep moving towards the deadlines that you set for yourself so you ACTUALLY start your VA business. Do not be in planning mode for months or years, it’s not necessary.
You need to create time in your scheduled that you prioritize and make others prioritize, so you can get started. And you need to take the right first steps. No logo, but actual client getting steps. Getting clients is the number one thing that you are after.
After you have clients you can figure out when to leave that job and do your VA business full time. But the rest you can do right now, starting today.
Do You Need Help?
And if you’re listening right now and thinking, “Okay Tracey, I’m ready to do this, but I need a clear path to follow,” that’s exactly why I created my Getting Started as a Virtual Assistant Self-Study Program.
This is a step-by-step program that walks you through setting up your VA business the right way, without the overwhelm, and without wasting months trying to figure it out on your own.
You’ll learn how to choose your services, set your rates, get the right systems in place, and start finding clients. And the best part? You can work through it at your own pace, in the time you have available, even with your full-time job.
It’s only $97, and it will save you so much time, energy, and second-guessing.
So if you’re serious about getting your VA business off the ground, head to YourVAMentor.com/links and register today. That one small step could be the start of something completely life-changing.
Remember, starting small is still starting. Every step you take brings you closer to the business and the life you want.
Let’s circle back to today’s quote: Don’t wait The time will never be just right. Napoleon Hill is correct. Waiting just delays what you really want.
Planning is something you can start right now. Today.
You can do it, and I’m here to help! It’s the only reason I’m here at all, to help you become a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
I’m Tracey DAviero, the Confidence Coach for VAs. I’ll see you next time!