Virtual Assistant 101: How Do You Decide What Services To Offer
When you start your Virtual Assistant business, a couple of questions might cross your mind.
What kind of service can I provide?
Why does my potential dream client need help?
Deciding what virtual assistant services to offer is a struggle for many, especially the inexperienced and the career/jobholders who haven’t done any administrative work before.
I can guarantee that you’ll find yourself looking at what other virtual assistants are offering for inspiration and feel even more uncertain about what services you have to offer as a Virtual Assistant.
Should I specialize?
Should I offer general VA service?
How am I going to stand out?
Here are a few suggestions to help you decide what virtual assistant services you want to offer.
Brainstorm Potential Virtual Assistant Services You Can Offer
If you are trying to decide what virtual assistant services to provide, sit down with a pen and paper and brainstorm. Ask yourself these questions and see what ideas come to you:
What software do I know well enough to assist me in the VA world?
Is there a particular skill I’ve acquired that I can help a potential client?
What do I love doing and won’t get bored performing repeatedly?
What skills did people turn to me for help in previous jobs?
What corporate or non-traditional industries have I worked in, and what skills and services did I perform?
What sectors or niches appeal to me?
Is there a particular skill I’m fascinated with and want to learn?
Check Out This List of Virtual Assistant Services You Can Offer
Bookkeeping
Social Media Management
Admin / Inbox Management
Graphic Design
Video Editor
Content Writing / Copywriting
Blog Writing / Blog Management
Website Design / Website Updates
Email Marketing / Email Management / Automated Email Systems
Podcast Manager
Data Entry
File Management
Customer Service
Product Launches
General Admin Support
Transcription
Sales Funnels
Project Management
Facebook and Instagram Ad Management
This list of virtual assistant services is in no way exhaustive, but this will get you started with your brainstorming.
Choose 3-5 Services You Want To Offer As A Virtual Assistant
You can choose more, but if you’re starting and want to get your foot wet with a few clients, choose 3-5 services you know you can perform well and begin to market yourself on your social media.
Niche Down and Decide Whom You Want To Work With
You’re going to hear different people say you should “niche” down and decide what types of clients you want to work with, so it’ll be easier to market your services. However, I look at niching down a little differently.
You can niche down, but there are two different ways to do it.
You can niche down based on the type of client you want to work with, OR you can niche down simply with the services you offer.
For example, if you decide to be a Pinterest Manager, does it matter what type of client it is? I’ve worked with a career coach, a food blogger, an eCommerce nail designer, a fashion blogger, an eCommerce fashion clothier, a Christian blogger, and a lifestyle blogger who was also an esthetician.
I could work with these dream clients because Pinterest is all about strategy. The tasks were generally the same for each client, but the strategy I had to develop for each was different and made each client unique. But again, I could work with them all because of my training and my expertise with Pinterest.
Don’t get me wrong, even with Pinterest, you can still niche down. You can decide to work with only food bloggers or travel bloggers.
What I’m trying to get you to understand is that if the services you provide can cross multiple disciplines, then allow it to until you begin to work with several clients and find a niche you love.
Create A Portfolio That Showcases Who You Are and the Services You Provide
The main goal of your virtual assistant portfolio is to make your dream client say, “yes.” You should include the following in your portfolio:
Who you are (include a headshot). Use this page to create a connection. Give a brief description of who you are—highlight why you started your business and whom you serve.
The virtual assistant services you offer. List your services and a brief description of what they are. Please keep it simple and easy to read.
Include the packages they can choose from (give your potential dream clients at least three package options). Clearly describe what your packages are and what they include. It would be best to have at least three packages you can sell in hours (10 hours, 20 hours, 40 hours - OR - dollar amounts ($500, $1000, $1500). Make sure each package is easy to understand and make it clear and concise.
Testimonials or character references. If you don’t have any virtual assistant experience to add testimonials, reach out to friends, previous employees and ask for a character reference.
Provide your contact information (include an email or link to a scheduler for a discovery call), so your potential dream clients can get in touch with you.
You can use an easy program like Canva to create your portfolio.
Claim Your Social Media Pages AND Your Website URL
Claim all your social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tiktok. Even if you don’t plan to use them immediately, you want to claim them, so they are available when you are ready. Be sure to claim your website URL, especially if you don’t plan to create a website as soon as you start your business. You don’t want to get six months or one year into your business only to find out someone else owns your website URL.
My suggestion, if you only start with one social media platform, start with Instagram and begin posting content your potential client needs and engage with the clients you want to become your dream clients.
Deciding what services to offer as a Virtual Assistant may seem like a daunting task if you are new to the VA world, but you will find your way with research.
Have you struggled to decide what virtual assistant services you want to offer in the virtual assistant business? I offer 1:1 virtual assistant strategy sessions. During this 2-Hour strategy session, we can work together to set goals, troubleshoot areas where you may be stuck, and generate ideas. You will get a customized roadmap with resources to help your business flourish. Check out my Virtual Assistant 1:1 Coaching page and apply to work with me.