Fear of niching down is very common for Virtual Assistants. Is it for you?
Every time I ask VAs who their target market is, or what their service offerings are, and I get a vague answer, I know they are afraid to specialize in one or the other.
I ask them, of course, why they haven’t defined those things, and they tell me that they don’t know yet, or they don’t want to miss out on clients, or they don’t want to say no to someone who asks them for help.
The funny thing is that you never have to say no to someone if you want to work with them – ever!
And honestly, if you have a business filled with great clients and you work with all kinds of people, you don’t need to niche down for your marketing.
But if you are struggling to find clients, and your marketing initiatives are not working for you, then you should consider it.
The main reason that VAs don’t make that choice is that they are afraid.
Let’s unpack that fear a bit.
I get it.
Maybe you think you might get boxed in, serving a specific group of people.
Maybe you think you will make the wrong choice, and work with people you don’t want to work with.
Maybe you think doing the same thing every day will get boring.
Those are valid concerns. But here’s the thing.
Niching down is about marketing. It’s not about the work (not entirely, anyway).
In order for your clients to find YOU, and get to know you, like you and trust you (so they work with you), you have to position yourself as the very BEST person to help them with the things they need done.
Those great clients are the ones with the money – the ones that will pay us to get our help.
So talking directly to them is essential in our marketing.
That’s not scary, is it?
Choosing a niche client/service helps you get really clear on how you’re helping your clients. When you understand it, you can explain it easily to them.
It also helps you to create solutions that will help many other business owners just like those clients – which makes finding people to work with become SO much easier.
You can also work more efficiently during the work day if you are doing similar tasks for all of your clients.
And if you find large groups of similar potential clients, you can become their VA authority, and grow with their businesses too.
Imagine being the expert that people seek out – that’s what choosing a niche can help you do.
You can learn new things that help your clients in new ways. You can raise your rates. You can grow your own business while they grow theirs.
Choosing a niche is not scary when you realize how it will help you, as well as your clients.
You can develop a solid strategy, network less, work more, and really be in charge of the direction of your business – it’s about making decisions, and those are yours to make!
If you are struggling to find great clients, it’s time to make a decision. Or two. I promise you won’t regret it!
My business went from 2 small clients to booked out and on a waiting list, simply from making a choice of what service to offer to a specific client.
From there, I knew where to find them and network with them, I loved the ones I worked with and did a great job for them, and they sent me referrals too.
It can happen for you too!
Becoming the sought-after VA that your clients need is exactly the kind of thing you can get help with in a mastermind group. The Inspired Action VA mastermind is a small group of supportive VAs who work together through the day to day issues that crop up just like this one. If you are struggling through your VA business, check out this group to see if it’s the right time for you! Our next session starts in just a few weeks.