Good morning. I am so sorry to hear about your situation. I have actually just started myself, but I have already learned some tips that I'd love to impart to you:
1) Don't be afraid. I'd been trying to start this business for years, and fear of failure, or of looking stupid, or of being a nuisance to my family, kept holding me back. Finally, by the time I realized fully that I wasn't living the life I wanted to live, I decided I wasn't going to let the fear rule me anymore. I know this sounds a bit self-helpy of me, but it's so true. The truth is, I realized that I was going to make mistakes no matter what - I might as well throw myself out there and see what happens. Every time an opportunity to expand my business comes my way, I take it (unless it's cost-prohibitive). If it fails, fine, I'll drop it and move on. However, to my shock, a large number of my opportunities have panned out, often in surprising and unexpected ways.
2) Do not - DO NOT - undersell yourself. As I mentioned in another thread earlier today, it is so very tempting to assume that your services and your experience are worth less than your competitors, and to thereby drop your prices "competitively" - but the trick to being competitive is to match the prices of the people you view as being more professional than you. Your clients will subconsciously associate your prices with your skill - the lower the price, the lower the skill, and they will take advantage of you. Price yourself at a rate that you would respect if you were a client.
3) You can do it for free. I have not spent a single cent on my business in my first month. If you have a computer, you can at least get started without spending any money. This was another thing that was holding me back - I assumed I'd have to have a huge start-up capital. Get a free website - yes, it might not be your own domain, but you'll have an online presence, which is the first step. Advertise on craigslist - locally at first, then in surrounding areas. Check with your city's chamber of commerce and see if there are any free mixer events, and GO. Print your own business cards - even if they're cheap, at least you'll have them. Of course, once you start making money, you'll want to spend some money to upgrade your business - getting your own domain, getting professional business cards printed, etc. But it IS possible to make money here without spending a whole lot of your own.
4) Know beforehand how much time you can devote to it, and tell your clients. Just like showing them that you value yourself by setting a respectable rate, show them that you value your own time. If you don't want to work until midnight every night, tell your clients that your cutoff time is 10 PM and that you will not do any work after that time no matter what. If you will need to be taking care of your husband while working, make sure they know you have family obligations that take precedence over your business. Don't surprise them with "new rules" after they've already signed a contract.
5) Don't be afraid. Did I already say that? I'm saying it again. Don't be afraid!
Let us know how it goes! You will do great, and I think you will find Virtual Assisting to be the best way to go for your situation.
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