When starting out as a Virtual PA it can be tempting to take on all jobs, to gain the most experience and build your portfolio. You may find yourself taking on any client, regardless of the nature of the project in order to maintain a consistent income.
While in the early stages this can be greatly beneficial in building your experience and skills, this type of business model isn’t sustainable in the long run. By marketing to everybody, you are effectively marketing to no one. To succeed as a Virtual PA, it is best to find a niche and become an expert in it. Why? You then can market your business specifically to fit the target audience of the niche and go from there.
Not quite at this stage yet? Read more about how to become a Virtual Assistant and what your career might entail.
Why is it important to find your niche?
Finding your niche has many advantages. Here are a few to consider:
- You can position yourself as an expert in your field and therefore charge a higher hourly rate.
- You can gain more profitability – allowing you to grow a distinctive set of skills within a specialised field.
- Having a niche means you can better market yourself to attract more business –with more precise wording and targeting.
- Having a niche sets you apart from your competition – you are a valuable asset to your client which means ongoing work, repeat business and a more consistent income.
- Performing a vast array of monotonous tasks means you might also be doing yourself an injustice by not improving a particular range of skills. Being a Virtual PA is not just carrying out purely administrative tasks. Whilst gaining a breadth of knowledge and skills is never going to be unhelpful, it will mean you can only perform the lower paid jobs. Specialising in a niche means you can charge more for your expertise and have more control over your own scope of work.
What is a niche?
So, we’ve established why finding a niche for your Virtual PA business is a great idea. But what is a niche in business terms? Defined as a distinct specialised product, service or interest, a niche for a Virtual PA is targeting a specific market or field to specialise in.
Although it might seem counterproductive because you utilise a smaller skill set, creating a specific niche is certainly a long-term way to succeed as a Virtual PA. Not only that but you will avoid performing tasks you hate and hopefully pursue something you are passionate about. Read more about Rediscovering a sense of inspiration at work and how this can catapult your career.
How to find your niche as a Virtual PA
Know you are aware of the benefits, let’s get started on finding your niche.
Begin with a brainstorm: what are you good at and what do you enjoy? Write a considered list of your strengths, thinking of things such as:
- Writing – Are you a strong communicator and are you good at getting your message across?
- Networking and out reach
- Marketing
- Organisation, multi-tasking and forward planning
- Managing social media accounts
- Graphic design and multimedia
Next, think about the technology and software you are familiar with or enjoying using. If you really hate filling in spreadsheets, avoid bookkeeping jobs! But if you’re a pro at using Canva for getting creative with graphic design then this route might be for you. Most niches will require some technical knowledge of a particular software so choosing your niche wisely will help you to avoid completing tasks you find tedious.
Once you’ve evaluated your existing skills set you can move forward. The next thing to consider is what you don’t want to do and who you might not want to work with. Clients want to have a VA that is self-motivated, interested and familiar with their business, so it’s best for both of you to invest your time wisely and follow your interests and passion.
Another thing to take into consideration is your desired income. Each niche will have a different revenue potential. So, do some research and figure out what will be best for you. Consider your target market and go from there.
- Out of what you know what to do, what you do best, and what you like doing, think who would be able to use those skills.
- Test different categories and target audiences – bear in mind there is no harm in rotating within different categories. Take note of what you like or dislike and what works and doesn’t work- narrow down your niche through a structured trial and error plan.
- Don’t be afraid to merge your personal interests with business strengths – you will enjoy the work far more if it’s something that stimulates and interests you.
Scope out your target audience – find the ideal audience for the services you provide and then build upon this. What other services might they need or be interested in; what other pain points might they have? Note them down – then build your services, knowledge and niche around them.
Top 5 in demand Niches for Virtual PAs
To get you started we have given you are our top 5 niches that are currently in demand. Whilst you might find a niche you feel very strongly about; the age-old principle of demand and supply still applies.
Let’s take a look about what we consider the current top 5 in-demand niches for Virtual PAs.
- Online Business Manager
Many entrepreneurs and small or medium business owners require someone to handle the day-to-day management of their general activities. But, as with the nature of the modern world, a central location is not always possible or suitable for everyone. So, an online business manager who can work remotely is the ideal solution. Managing all operations, projects, contractors and overseeing budgets etc. is what this role mainly consists of. Instead of doing every task, they simply organise and delegate, plan and strategise to allow for maximum efficiency and the overall smooth running of the business.
- Online Event Organiser
If your main strengths are in planning, developing, and organizing events then this is the niche for you. Assisting your client through the event management process in any way possible, from start to finish, you will need to be a good problem solver who’s not easily flustered. An added benefit? You can charge high fees for such efficient organisational skills and get great satisfaction from the smooth running of your event!
- Online Marketing Manager
If marketing is your passion, utilising a niche within this industry is a great way to stay engaged and stimulated. A well-experienced Marketing specialist must be able to stay up to date with all things related to Digital Marketing- SEO, PPC and Social Media. Tasks might include email and content marketing, or structuring and scheduling social media campaigns, either way you must be at the forefront of the rapidly evolving industry.
- Multimedia Specialist
The clue with this niche is in the name. A flair for graphic design, laying out PowerPoint presentations or editing video content – a Multimedia specialist should be able to manage various tasks and get creative when they need to. If you are eager to move up to management level, then building a team of experts in each area will allow you to subcontract work to others while you oversee, organise and direct it.
- Online researcher
Do you love sourcing information and constantly learning? Internet or online researchers must be resourceful and patient. The process normally consists of researching an assigned topic that your client is interested in or wanting to learn more about. Your job is then to find, qualify and gather information about this given topic and condense it into a digestible form for the client.
Still not sure?
Read more about these 5 in-demand niches for Virtual PAs to see what might be the best fit for you.
Deciding on a niche for your Virtual PA business is a crucial task in building a successful career as Virtual PA. It’s something you and your potential clients will both benefit from. Allowing you to pursue your strengths, focus on jobs you really enjoy and avoid those you don’t, it’s a win-win. Even better, you can begin to earn a more consistent and higher salary.
Mutually beneficial for you and clients, deciding on a niche is the next thing for you on your Virtual PA career path.
