After being a virtual assistant and content writer for over 7 years now, I’ve found that niching down was one of the best things I could have done for my business. But, when I first began I absolutely offered all kinds of services – email management, calendar management, blogging, Pinterest, social media, everything. Over time, I realized that this wasn’t the most effective way to run my business. I was spread too thin and wasn’t really an expert in anything. Not only that, I HATED some of the things I offered. I literally dread going to work knowing I would have to do some of those tasks. So, how do you determine your offerings as a virtual assistant exactly? I don’t want anyone feeling dread when they go to work. That’s not why we started our businesses! Here’s a few quick tips:
#1: Try it all first.
I know, I know. I literally JUST said not to do everything. But, how do you know what you like if you don’t try it all? Now, the one exception to this is if you already run a business and know what you like. But if you’re starting out, I recommend trying anything you might want to offer in the future. Once you know what you like and what you’re good at, you can begin focusing on those tasks and niching down. For me, this looked like focusing on blogging, Pinterest management, email content, and album design. I began to niche down about 4 years into the business. Once I knew what I loved and what I was good at, I made those the only things we offered. Now people know what we’re known for and what we’re good at!
#2: Focus on a few services – and that’s it.
It’s tempting to do it all, because that means we have more income potential, right? But I’m not here to make money for the sake of making money. Instead, I want you to do what brings you joy. Sit down and look at your income statements. Which services make you the most money? Are those the ones you enjoy? If they are, then stick to those – and nothing else. We should be able to make money on just a few select offerings without having to do everything under the sun. Here’s your permission slip! Looking at what brought us the most revenue was super important to me to make sure I was aligning what people need and what we like doing.
#3: Figure out what people need.
If you really do like doing it all (and honestly, are you sure you do?), that’s okay. What I’d recommend is to figure out what people need most right now and focus on that. Ask people in your local community what they’d like to outsource and begin building a business around that task if you enjoy it. Sometimes just following the needs of other business owners can be enough to kick start us in the right direction!
When it comes to niching down, I think it’s a balance between what you like, what brings you revenue, and what’s needed in the creative community at the time. Striking that balance will allow you to make the money you need without feeling overwhelmed… which is the goal for all of us.
Grab my tips to find your first client here!
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