How Abbey Ashley Turned a Side Hustle into a Thriving Virtual Assistant Career (And How You Can Too!)

Abbey's Journey: From Side Hustle to Virtual Assistant Empire

In 2013, Abbey Ashley was expecting her first child and knew she couldn't stand returning to her dreaded job. Determined, pregnant, and with barely any extra cash, Abbey dove into the world of virtual assistant services—a decision that completely changed her life.

Starting off with simple tasks like posting to social media, blogging, and scheduling appointments, Abbey quickly found a niche—and freedom. Within just a few months, she was earning enough to confidently leave her old job behind forever. Best of all? She did it all working part-time from home.

Starting Your Own Service-Based Side Hustle

The beauty of starting a virtual assistant (VA) or service-based freelance business is its low barriers to entry. You don't have to have special degrees or spend a lot of money. Here's how Abbey—and you—can begin:

• List Your Skills: Write down what skills you currently have (e.g., social media management, writing blogs, administrative tasks).
• Identify Clients' Needs: Most small business owners need help with basic tasks: social media posts, content creation, customer service, online scheduling. Think about people you already know who run small businesses.
• Spread the Word: Mention your VA services to your network. Share your new business on social media, reach out directly to business-owner friends, and attend local networking meetings.

Pricing Your Virtual Assistant Services

Abbey started at around $30 per hour and advises beginners not to go below $20 an hour. Selling "hour bundles" (like ten or twenty-hour packages) can simplify billing. Over time she was able to move towards more specialized tasks and command even higher rates.

When structuring pricing, consider:

• Your desired hourly rate (minimum recommended is $20/hr)
• An estimate of hours a task will realistically take
• Packages of hours per month to provide predictable income

Finding Your First Clients

One of Abbey’s biggest early successes came from simply engaging in local networking groups. Think about:

• Your Immediate Network: Friends, family, colleagues—they may either hire you or know someone who will.
• Local Meetups: Platforms like Meetup.com have frequent small business and entrepreneur gatherings.
• Online Communities: Join free online communities like Abbey’s popular Virtual Savvies Facebook Group to find potential clients and fellow VAs.

Going from Freelancer to Entrepreneur: The Agency Model

Many successful virtual assistants quickly move from freelancer to small agency owner, as Abbey did. Hiring subcontractors allows you to handle more clients and larger projects. Your role becomes facilitating customer service, managing quality, and ensuring newly hired assistants follow your proven processes.

Other ways Abbey and her students scale their businesses include:

• Increasing their hourly or service-package rates once specialized skills are developed.
• Creating and selling digital products or courses that share VA expertise.
• Offering consulting services on workflows, tools, and productivity.

Abbey's “High-End Client Targeting” Method

Abbey particularly recommends a tactic called high-end client targeting. This involves:

1. Identifying influential people or businesses you admire.
2. Following their content (blog, podcast, videos) to discover their struggles.
3. Offering something valuable for free—like Pinterest images or suggested edits to their copy.

By giving clients clear value upfront rather than instantly asking to get hired, you stand out and build a trusted relationship.

Top Tools and Resources for Starting Your VA Career

Abbey recommends several affordable tools to streamline client communication and project management:

• Trello or Asana for task organization & client project management.
• Calendly or Acuity Scheduling to automate meeting appointments and booking.
• Zoom for client meetings and team communication.
• Google Workspace for emails, file sharing, and collaboration with your clients and team members.

Your Next Steps

If Abbey Ashley’s inspiring story has you thinking that becoming a virtual assistant could transform your professional life, you're ready to begin. Give yourself grace—everyone makes mistakes—learn from them, pivot, and keep moving forward.

For deeper learning and step-by-step training, check out our free training class, Become a Booked Out Virtual Assistant.

Ready to Work Smarter?

Building a successful virtual assistant business takes commitment—but, as Abbey Ashley showed, it could also mean freedom, flexibility, and financial security. For more practical tips and guides on creating the business that works for you, visit agent.lorrainedukes.com.