One of the questions I often get asked about is how to get started as an online entrepreneur. I will be completely honest here and share that I started part-time in 2009 helping my friend Mike with various online tasks. He’s a computer server engineer and had too much heavy work to do to take care of the more menial tasks.

He began to pay me for my services which was amazing to me, because I was able to step away from my job at 24 Hour Fitness and work on his computer at his house. It felt incredibly fun to be paid to organize and set things up for him, and so began my long journey into virtual assistance and graphic design. I’m going to break down how you can get started so that you can move a little faster than I did. At the time, I didn’t realize the potential of online work and thought that my gig with Mike would be temporary. Fast forward 12 years and I make a very comfortable living working from home based on skills that I have identified as my stronger and more enjoyable online offerings, and developed them with a lot of joy and interest.

First things first.

Okay. So. First things first. Do an audit of what your strengths are online.

Are you:

• An excellent writer?
• Great at design work?
• Understand brand strategy?
• Good at general online admin tasks?
• Skilled with web design?
• Skilled with analytics?
• Interested in marketing funnels?
• In LOVE with social media?
• Great at research?
• Interested in developing online course?

Understanding what you’re already skilled in can help you develop your current offerings, and set yourself goals for future offerings once you’ve developed the skills desired.

What’s Your Goal as an Online Entrepreneur?

I started out in general virtual assistant tasks, and I still do them here and there, but I have evolved Pink Elephant into a one-stop-shop for online businesses. You don’t have to do that though! Some people offer copywriting, and that’s it. Some people are graphic designers but not VA’s etc. I know a woman who’s a Pinterest expert and that’s all she does. She blogs about it, offers a lot of different packages for it, and she has courses showing other people how to do what she does.

The benefit of offering ONE type of service is that you can develop your craft in a laser focused manner. Because like many entrepreneurs, I want to do everything myself, I find myself constantly developing multiple skills. This can be overwhelming if I over-plan my self-education. I wouldn’t have it any other way though because I love variety in my work.

On Hiring/Delgating

I also have another team member who can take on the stuff that I don’t particularly enjoy – the analytics side of marketing and site security. In fact, it’s the same person who got me started online in the first place! Hi Mike! It’s come full circle, and it’s awesome. Mike is a computer genius and can make sense of all the nitty-gritty numbers and code that makes my brain hurt, and he explains it very well for those of us who aren’t developers.

Don’t try to develop skills that you absolutely hate doing. You may have to get a basic understanding if it’s required in your work, but you can always refer clients to other service providers who enjoy and are better at those things than you are. Life is too short to hate what you do. Hire out if necessary, or refer to your network. It makes like much easier, believe me.

Write out a list of skills that want to work on. Here is an example of mine:

• Typography
• Branding
• Logo Design
• Web Design
• Corporate Branding
• Package Design
• Layout Design
• Illustration
• Online Course Creation
• Online Funnels
• Copywriting
• Social Media Strategy and Design
• Product Design
• Photography

My list is long, but I LOVE these things and it keeps me on my toes to keep learning and developing Pink Elephant into the one-stop-shop for online businesses who are attracted to the Loveable Brand Concept. You can see exactly what I offer now here.

Develop Your Online Entrepreneur Skills

Use the many amazing resources out there to help you develop your skills. I use:

• Skillshare
• Marie Forleo’s B-School
• Brit+Co
• Domestika
• Elite Blog Academy
• Foodtography School
• Amy Porterfield’s Digital Course Academy
• Ashlyn Carter’s Copywriting for Creatives
• All of Jenna Kutcher’s courses
• Abby Grace’s Brand Photography Academy
• Google’s Digital Garage
• Amy Crane’s Facebook Manager School

And more. There is a LOT of great info in developing yourself as an online entrepreneur out there if you just look for it, and it can range from extremely affordable, or free, to multiple thousands of dollars. Start small if needed, and reinvest in your education as you go.

Put Up Your Open Sign!

Make a website and share your offerings. My first website was pretty horrible. If you’re skilled with branding and design, you have a bit of an advantage. If not, use something like Wix or Squarespace to start and use a template until you can spruce it up a bit. As an online entrepreneur, you need to show that you can represent yourself well.

When, or if you do have the funds, hire a graphic designer to help you develop your brand. Then ask for referrals from family and friends, and get started with what you’re able to offer while developing your skills further. Make sure you have AMAZING customer service and always make sure you take note of how it was working with a client and how to adjust your services.

Things that I came to understand were:

• Scope creep is real. Make sure you state exactly what you will be offering in a well-written contract. It’s good for both you and your client for clarity.
• Make sure you specify what your working hours are and how many calls you are available for and when. Some clients will want to talk 3 times a week for hours. Make sure you’re compensated if this is the case, whether it’s included in your package or an agreed-upon hourly rate.
• Keep texting to a minimum – like emergencies. Use e-mail instead. Luckily, most clients I’ve had don’t want to text. I love my clients, but requests for work while I’m playing with my kids are disruptive to my ability to be fully present with them. Most people understand this.
• Always try to keep communication pleasant, open, and clear. Sometimes projects can get off track and frustrations can happen. Make sure you breathe and do what you can to fix any issues and deliver on your promises.
• Once in a great while, you will have to let a client go. It’s very hard, but sometimes it’s for the best.

I’m including here my free guide to get started as a virtual assistant if you’re thinking about stepping into online work. Need more advice? Feel free to e-mail me at hello@pink-elephant.co.