Setting yourself up as a virtual assistant is straightforward, but finding clients is a whole different ball game. And having clients is crucial. Without clients, you’re going to struggle from day one to the day you have to give up and find another career. But finding clients isn’t as difficult as you may think. All you need to do is demonstrate that you have the right skills. So, if you can get to grips with the most profitable skills to learn in 2023, it should be easy.
Entering the Virtual Assistant World
There are certain basics that you need to start finding clients. From the very start, these steps are essential:
Invest in good IT equipment:
Without IT equipment you’re going to struggle to find clients, so it’s vital this is addressed early on in your journey. But how good does your IT equipment need to be? Well, while you won’t need a computer with cutting-edge gaming capabilities, you will want one which is powerful enough to get the best out of the internet. After all, the internet is the way in which you will connect with your employers, so you want a machine – and internet service – which is going to make life as easy as possible.
Have a dedicated workspace:
It’s recommended that you have a regular place where you can work both quietly and efficiently. Find a place where you can work with a secured WiFi connection but without the sheer number of distractions that can seriously affect your productivity. Better if you can either work from a quiet space at home or rent a desk in a communal office.
Naturally, many of those entering the virtual assistant sphere for the first time are prone to making mistakes. Thankfully, we’ve put together a quick guide on the most common mistakes to avoid. Address these and you should be ready to start in no time at all.
The Best Tips and Tricks for Finding Clients
With the basic foundations of being a virtual assistant in place, it’s time to start finding clients. Now, the most profitable skills to learn in 2023 are numerous, but you only need to master the most important ones. This will allow you to impress and dazzle clients from the moment they look at your resume.
It’s certainly not easy due to all the competition, but you can improve your chances by following these best practices:
1. Create a website
You need a place to act as both a portfolio of your skills and a contact point, so the simplest solution is to create a personal website. This online space will allow you to upload examples of your work to demonstrate your skills to potential clients and allow them to interact directly with you. These can be created quickly and simply through platforms such as Squarespace and Wix.
2. Embrace social media
The power of social media is huge, and this also applies to recruitment. This means that it makes sense to set up a social media profile. However, rather than creating profiles on every possible social media site, make sure you only focus on one platform e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. This singular approach will allow you to dedicate your efforts to one platform, rather than spreading yourself across several different sites and diluting your interaction.
3. Understand content marketing
Once you have your website in place, you need to create content there which is going to attract the right people. Naturally, you will want to catch the eyes of employers looking for virtual assistants, so concentrate your content efforts on this area. For example, creating articles based around themes of “What makes a world-class virtual assistant?” and “Where do you find virtual assistants?” will ensure that potential clients are led directly to your site. And, from here, you can make your sales pitch.
4. Become part of a virtual assistant agency:
Joining an agency can help you match with a client. This is a huge advantage for those who are beginning in the field. Not only will you be in a place where you can reach new clients but you can also learn from other colleagues. Some agencies, like Pineapple, offer training to beginning virtual assistants. This is to help better equip them with skills to handle their clients. In an agency, you can learn how other virtual assistants also handle their clients which can help your growth. Apply to one now.
Securing Your Clients
By combining the most profitable skills to learn in 2023 with the best practices for standing out, you should be able to find the clients who need your talents. However, while this approach will generate results, it won’t maximize your success. Instead, you need to align yourself with Pineapple, a virtual assistant hub that works with amazing small businesses based in the USA.
Thanks to the contacts we have built up, we can align your skills with businesses that are the best possible fit. This saves you not just time, but also help you to take advantage of established business relationships. Just click here to find out how we can help you find clients and advance your career as a virtual assistant.
