How to Use Niches and Skills to Grow Your Virtual Assistant Business

One way to become self-employed and take control of your future is to open a Virtual Assistant Business. It is a relatively low-cost/low-risk way to create a career path where you make the decisions. If you are considering becoming a VA, then it’s time to talk about niches and skills. Evaluating your skillset and picking what types of businesses you would like to help, gives you an idea of what services to offer. This will become the foundation on which you build your company, so these are important steps.

What Is a Niche?

The definition of a niche is “a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.” When you consider your niche for a VA business, you would be thinking about what services you want to specialize in and who you want to provide your services to. You can be a generalist VA, who offers general admin work. There is a demand for them, however, their rates are lower than for a VA who has a niche. A common saying in the VA industry is “the riches are in the niches,” so consider specializing.

By choosing a niche, you have an opportunity to focus on the types of services you offer and stand out in the crowd as a skilled specialist in that area. The best part? You decide what you enjoy and love doing, and that helps you discover your specialization.

So, what are some of the niches you might consider for your business? Keeping in mind that a VA can perform any task that does not require face-to-face contact, the list is a long one. Here are a few.

• Technology. As a tech-savvy VA, you can provide website design and maintenance, SEO services, setting up and/or managing online stores, managing membership sites, or setting up product launches.
• Administrative Services. While there are generalized admin services, you can also niche down on some tasks. Popular offerings include email management, calendar management, creating presentations, developing e-books, and customer service.
• Bookkeeping services. Not everyone is into numbers - and small business owners like to farm out bookkeeping to someone who knows popular accounting software platforms geared towards small businesses, including QuickBooks, Wave, Freshbooks, and several others.
• Copywriting and ghostwriting services. Enjoy writing and feel like you have a way with words? VAs can offer writing services that include copy for blogs, articles, social media posts, product descriptions, or web copy. Ghostwriting allows the client to put their name on the copy rather than yours when it is published.
• Social media management. Every business, small or large, needs to be on social media today. Creating branded content, posting to various social media accounts, and tracking analytics are popular, in-demand VA services.
• Ad Campaigns. Skilled VAs design, run the ads, and track the results of online campaigns, in addition to monitoring changing algorithms of online platforms.
• Organize virtual or in-person events. When the pandemic hit, virtual events became front and center as a way of engaging a target audience. VAs offer services such as finding speakers, arranging locations, moderating online chats, event promotion, registration support, and customer service. 
• Lead generation and sales outreach. Setting up a system to make connections and track leads. You may even make initial contact or sales calls on behalf of your client.

VAs perform many tasks that support small businesses, outside of the typical administrative tasks. And the list does not end here - consider services that you could offer and also think about the type of clients you would like to work with as a VA. For example, you may want to be a social media VA for commercial real estate agents, or health and wellness coaches. The opportunities are endless! 

Do I Have the Skills to Make a VA Business Work?

Every VA asks themselves that question - along with “will people buy what I am selling?” VAs often think that they need new skills to offer - and run out to buy expensive skills training programs. But more often, VAs already have great and worthwhile skill sets that many small businesses need. 

Consider all the skills that you have acquired up to this point. Write it ALL down. Look at your current resume and job description. Make a list of all the things you already know how to do. Many of your current skills can be used as a VA, but also to help you build your VA business. And if you discover a skill set that you need to brush up on, look online - free or low-cost resources are out there if you know where to look! 

Niches & Skills = Building Blocks to a VA Business

Whether your VA business is a full-time venture or a side hustle, now you have a great starting point to move forward. Even though your head may be spinning, you can create a business you enjoy while making money. Pretty epic, right? In the coming weeks, Let’s Build Talent will be launching a new venture geared towards VAs. Stay tuned for updates through any of our social media channels. Connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram today!