If you are starting your virtual assistant business on a budget, like I did, you’ll be looking for the least expensive tools to help you. 
The following are some of the tools that I’ve used since I “opened” the doors to my own virtual assistant business. This is not written in stone. You’ll find your own way and your own tools, these are just the ones I recommend if you are starting on a budget.
Least expensive tools for a virtual assistant business
CRM tool
A CRM is a customer relationship manager tool and you would use this type of program to track and follow clients as they move from leads to relationships. CRM’s are wonderful for tracking everything from inquiries to quotes, proposals to contracts, and emails to invoices. They are incredibly valuable and I recommend getting one set up as soon as you decide you want to take your virtual assistant business full-time.
Dubsado is my ultimate favorite of those I’ve used. This CRM allows you to do everything from sending proposals to invoices, communicate via email, keep track of workflows, tasks, and deliverables, along with collecting leads and sending out questionnaires. Dubsado does take a minute to set up.
You won’t need to use all of the tools that Dubsado offers right away. You can use it just for the basics until you get things up and running. Then expand as your business does. Dubsado is free for your first three clients and then $45/month after that which is great because you don’t get charged until you have enough clients to pay for it!
Task Management tools
Task management tools help you visualize the tasks that need to be completed and allow you to put a date, time, deliverables, and communicate with the client on task-specific questions.
Asana is one of the original task management tools and is perfect for those of us who think in lists. You will be able to hop right into this task management tool without much training. If you do need some training you’ll be able to find help in the hundreds of YouTube videos or even their own training within the program. Asana is free unless you want fancier bells and whistles
Trello is best for those who need to visualize tasks moving through a system. This task management tool uses a Kaban style layout (Google it) and allows you to create cards that you can move from the start of the task to finish.
Graphic creation tools
Canva is my total go-to when it comes to creating great graphics for clients or myself. They have tons of templates to choose from for social media, flyers, business cards, and basically everything you can imagine. You’ll be able to start out with a free account on Canva.
These tools will help you while also being free as you get started out!
What other tools have you run into that have made your life easier?