New Player in the Virtual Assistant Market

Posted by sam harries on November 13th, 2020

There comes a point in your life when you need to decide to stop dreaming, and start doing. For aspiring entrepreneurs with a solid business idea, this can be an exciting and scary time. Doubts creep in, the inevitable 'What if I fail' question infests like a bad disease in your brain, and for many, these destructive thoughts are enough to shelve their dreams and return to the world of the sane! Some have thrown caution to the wind, and gone for the 'swim or drown' approach, a method more suited for those more eccentric types. At the same time, for many, these thoughts have lead to a more cautious approach to starting a successful business in today's competitive market Celtabet.

Once you've decided to dive in, the next question is 'How do I get this started?'. There are a few steps that are essential when in this start-up phase, which basically involves market research, business plan development, capital investment, determining business structure and name, developing marketing collateral and obtaining necessary licenses and permits. More information on these topics can be found through trolling the web on related topics.

The keyword here is RESEARCH. Research prevents the budding entrepreneur from running blind in an environment riddled with obstacles. If you were buying a house, you wouldn't just buy a random house, in an unknown neighborhood that you've never visited, with zero knowledge of the structural design, compound, previous owners, neighbors etc. You would look at numerous potential homes, before settling on one after weighing the pro and cons, and listening to your gut feeling. This same concept is needed when starting off your new business. Know what you're getting yourself into before making any sort of commitment.

For those entering the Virtual Assistant market, research will be your lifesaver, and your business plan will be your bible.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a virtual assistant (VA), is an independent contractor who provides specialized administrative, creative, or technical assistance to clients from a home office. VA's are not employees, therefore do not need extra administrative equipment or an office space as they operate out of their own office, where clients don't have any responsibility or involvement in taxes or employee benefits such as insurance etc. Communication is done through making use of available technology such as the internet as well as through available telecommunication providers. Work is done on a contractual basis, and reduced rates are usually given to long term clients.

All types of businesses use VA services, from small businesses that don't have the time or resources to properly administer various essential business functions, to large corporations looking to cut costs through outsourcing to smaller, specialized consultants. This frees up clients to focus their time and energy on more pressing matters.

Services provided are, but not limited to article writing, graphic design, IT Support, website design, data entry, travel arrangements, marketing, blog management, account management, accounting, event management, transcribing, project management, research, assembling and mailing promotional packages, managing mailing lists, receptionist services, copy-writing etc

The best bet for newbies into the Virtual Assistant market is to find a niche market, and attack it with everything you got, provided that thorough research on that niche has been carried out. Identify what you're good at, what you can do with your eyes closed, find potential clients out there looking for these services, and approach them with your guarantee. This guarantee would have been identified in your business plan. It would vary across service providers, from quality focused service providers to cost focused service providers.

For a virtual assistant, the best and unrivaled method of marketing would be through word of mouth. I cannot put enough emphasis on the importance of networking at this critical point in your business career. Get in touch with past business clients, work colleagues, uni classmates and spread the good gospel of your new business. Get your business cards done and get them out there. There is bound to be someone who knows someone looking for just that service.