If you’re considering becoming a virtual assistant or have a virtual assistant agency, you will need to be clear about who your target market will be. Remember, not everyone who is looking for an assistant wants their assistant to be virtual. So, who is the target market for Virtual Assistants?
The three most common target markets for VAs are small businesses, entrepreneurs, and solopreneurs. If we expand the net further, we can also see some other professions benefiting from a VA including authors, consultants, real estate agents and salespeople. We’ll cover all of these in this article.
But for the relationship to work, there needs to be a fit between you as the VA and the person whom you will be assisting.
For instance, you could come across someone looking for an in-person assistant without knowing that, in fact, the work can be done virtually.
Likewise, you could meet someone who is open to the idea of a VA but may not realize that the work they want to be done cannot be done virtually.
And then there will be other potential customers who are looking for a VA but are not ideal for your skill set or working style.
So, let’s discuss the target market for Virtual Assistants so that you can start the process of finding the perfect person to work with.
What is the Target Market for Virtual Assistants?
Here are some individuals and organizations who can benefit from the services of a virtual assistant:
- Small-business owners
- Entrepreneurs
- Solopreneurs
- Authors
- Coaches and consultants
- Real-estate agents
- Salespeople
Needless to say, this list is not exhaustive but these are the people we will discuss in this article.
1. Small business owners
Small business owners, usually do not have the time or resources to do everything by themselves. They often need someone to help with tasks such as handling social media accounts, customer support calls, data entry, and appointment scheduling.
For such tasks, a qualified and well-trained VA can be extremely useful. A VA with a background or experience in business can be an invaluable asset to a small business owner who can then focus on managing and growing the business. This makes small business owners a prime target market for virtual assistants.
2. Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs are often looking for ways to delegate so they can focus on their core business. A virtual assistant can help with tasks such as customer research, prospecting and identifying potential target markets, handling emails and other communication, and scheduling.
If the VA has a finance or business background they could also assist with bookkeeping, accounting, and building presentations.
3. Solopreneurs
Solopreneurs are like entrepreneurs but they tend to work alone. They often need to help with tasks such as managing Facebook and Instagram accounts, handling customer calls, building sales quotations, and scheduling appointments.
In many ways, the tasks are fairly similar to those of a small business owner or an entrepreneur, just smaller in scale.
4. Writers
Writers and authors are always in the need of assistants who can research topics for their next literary work, who can manage a newsletter, handle social media accounts and help schedule speaking events and even book signings.
If you have a background in literature or have strong language skills, you could assist the author with proofreading, editing, and even writing.
5. Coaches and consultants
Coaches and consultants can also find a lot of use for a virtual assistant. A VA can help with tasks such as handling customer calls and inquiries, scheduling appointments, sending out reminders for payments or upcoming sessions, and preparing reports.
For instance, a VA could help a consultant by conducting customer research, identifying target markets, and creating marketing plans.
6. Real-estate agents
Real-estate agents often need someone to help with tasks such as taking photos of properties and posting them online, handling incoming calls and emails, and scheduling appointments with prospective home buyers.
A VA with a background in marketing or real estate could be extremely useful in helping the agent to identify target markets, create marketing collateral, and even plan open houses.
7. Salespeople
Salespeople can also find a lot of use for a virtual assistant. A VA could help research a new market or a new territory. They could help develop a database of potential customers, find phone numbers for cold calling, help create and mail out marketing materials, and even help with cold call lead generation.
A VA could also help with tasks such as handling customer calls and inquiries and developing proposals, and quotes.
In short, a VA could take care of all the tedious tasks that are necessary to generate leads so the salesperson can focus on selling.
Conclusion
The target market for virtual assistants includes a wide range of professions and businesses. In general, anyone who could use an extra set of hands to take care of tasks that are time-consuming or tedious can find a lot of use for a VA.
And as more and more people become comfortable working entirely online, the demand for virtual assistants is only going to continue to grow.
If you are thinking of becoming a virtual assistant, it is important to think about the skills and experience you have that would be most useful to your target market.
Do you have experience in social media, customer service, data entry, or appointment scheduling? Do you have a background in finance, business, marketing, or real estate?
Answering such questions can help you to target your marketing efforts and make it more likely that you will find clients who are willing and able to pay for your services.
