Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about the best services to offer as a VA.
Today’s Quote: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
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Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Today we’re talking about a question I get all the time from both new and experienced virtual assistants:
What are the best services to offer as a VA?
This question usually comes up because VAs want to stand out, they want to attract clients who are excited to work with them, and they want to know they’re building a business around services that will actually sell.
But sometimes it comes up because VAs are looking to see what’s popular (that doesn’t matter, fyi).
So in today’s episode, we’re going to look at what makes a service “the best,” how to choose what fits you, and I’ll also share some of the most in-demand services right now in the VA industry. I’ll leave space for you to reflect on your own skills and preferences as we go through this.
And make sure you stick with me to the end, because I’ve got something special to help you package up your services in a way that attracts the right clients. It’s my Packages Workshop, and I’ll tell you more about how that can help you once we go through today’s topic.
Why Choosing the Right Services Matters
Offering the “right” services can make or break your VA business.
Here’s why:
Demand: Some services are consistently in high demand, which means clients are actively looking for help with them. If you offer those, it’s easier to find work.
Sustainability: You want services you actually enjoy delivering. Burnout comes fast if you’re doing work you don’t like or don’t feel confident doing.
Profitability: Not all services are valued equally. Some are considered more specialized and can command higher rates.
Growth Potential: Certain services naturally lend themselves to packaging, retainer agreements, or even team-based work later on. That makes it easier to grow your business without constantly chasing new clients.
Think of it this way: the services you choose are the foundation of your business. If they’re solid, everything else becomes easier.
What Makes a Service “The Best”?
Now, before I list off popular services, I want to make something clear:
The “best” service isn’t always the same for every VA.
It depends on the following things: Your skills. What are you good at already? What comes naturally to you? Your interests. What do you enjoy? If you’re bored, you won’t deliver your best work. Your clients’ needs. Who are you working with, or who do you want to work with? What do they value most? And the market value. Are people willing to pay well for this service?
When you match your skills and interests with client demand and profitability, that’s where you’ll find your sweet spot.
Categories of VA Services
To make this easier, let’s group VA services into categories. That way, you can see the big picture and figure out which area you’re most aligned with.
- Administrative Services
These are the classic VA tasks like inbox management, scheduling, calendar organization, data entry, document formatting, travel booking.
They’re the bread and butter of VA work, and there’s always demand. The downside is they’re often seen as “basic,” which can lead to lower rates if you don’t package them properly.
When I first started my VA business I offered financial services because that’s what I had done at my last job. Basic bookkeeping, data entry, reconciliations. I worked with a colleague who was an accountant. But I didn’t like them, and I definitely wasn’t skilled enough to be a full service bookkeeper – so I had to find other skills that I had if I wanted to continue my VA business I would need to start using as my services. Over the years I shifted to client care (email and phone support, managing payments and documentation), and as I took more training, I moved to email management and then virtual event management and affiliate management (all of which I loved).
2. Customer Service & Client Care
This includes managing client communications, handling support emails, responding to customer inquiries, onboarding clients, or maintaining community groups.
Businesses value this highly because it impacts their reputation and client retention.
While the service is customer service, I have always called it client care. It’s a more defined result with that slight shift. And my VAs that I have coached who offer client care as their specialty often moved up to Executive Client Care levels because they love it and because they find clients who value it.
3. Marketing Support
This is one of the biggest growth areas for VAs right now. Think social media management, email marketing, blog formatting, content scheduling, basic graphic design, or even podcast support.
Marketing is ongoing and essential for every business, which means clients often want this on a retainer basis.
Marketing is so important for business and so many people do it wrong, so they want to outsource it. Offering marketing is a great way to specialize and package very specific services for your target market.
The great thing about marketing is that you can learn it easily and you can even just offer what you want. Like I did email marketing and affiliate marketing and I left the social media, blogging, graphics and other stuff to other VAs. There are enough differences between each of these services that specializing is not unusual.
4. Tech & Systems Support
If you enjoy learning software, this is a fantastic niche. Services include setting up CRMs, automating workflows, managing email platforms like ConvertKit or Mailchimp, updating websites, or setting up landing pages.
Tech support tends to command higher rates because not every VA wants to dig into the details of platforms and tools.
It can come with its own challenges, like figuring out maintenance packages and constantly looking for new clients, and also there are so many platforms out there … but the technical nature of these kinds of services can be really in demand. As such clients pay more for them so you do need fewer clients. Find platforms that you love working with and then look for clients who use them.
5. Project Management
This is perfect for VAs who are organized and love overseeing things. You might manage launches, coordinate teams, track deliverables, or make sure timelines are met.
Clients will pay well for someone who can keep projects moving smoothly.
As their business grows, your clients need this kind of support. There is always more to do and often more people to deal with to get it done.
Every good business has a project manager – and seeking out clients who are medium sized businesses or in growth phases are ideal for this type of service.
6. Specialized Services
These are high-value skills that allow you to stand out, like podcast editing, bookkeeping, copywriting, paid ad management, or video editing.
These often require additional training or experience but are extremely profitable.
Be really careful about taking training to offer a service. Selling something you have never done before can be challenging. If you are taking training, be sure that it includes some training on how to market this service afterward. FreelanceU is a great option for training.
How to Choose What to Offer
So now that we’ve looked at categories, how do you actually decide?
Do a skills inventory. Write down everything you’re good at. Not just work-related but personal skills too. Education, experience, hobbies, interests.
Highlight what you enjoy. Circle the things you’d happily do for hours.
Research demand. Look at job boards, talk to business owners, or check social media to see what people are asking for.
Match it up. The overlap between skills, enjoyment, and demand is where your best services live.
Test and refine. Start offering, see what people hire you for, and adjust as you go.
If you’ve done my Skills Inventory, that’s what we are talking about here. Really think about everything you know how to do and then pick what you want to offer. Remember I told you I started with finance stuff, because that’s what I did in my last job. We often don’t think about everything we know, just the last thing someone paid us to do.
But you have so much more to offer than that. You have SO much experience. Your Skills Inventory will help you see that!
Sample In-Demand Services in 2025
So, what is trending right now, in 2025? Here are some services business owners are actively seeking:
- Social Media Management (especially short-form video editing and scheduling across multiple platforms)
- Email Marketing (setup, automation, list growth strategies)
- Podcast Support (editing, publishing, show notes, guest coordination)
- Community Management (Facebook groups, membership platforms)
- Online Launch Support (webinars, challenges, digital product launches)
- CRM Setup and Maintenance (HubSpot, Dubsado, HoneyBook, etc.)
- Content Repurposing (taking blogs, podcasts, or videos and turning them into multiple content pieces)
- Bookkeeping Support (in QuickBooks, Wave, or FreshBooks)
- Graphic Design (basic Canva design for branded content)
Now, do you need to offer all of these? Absolutely not. In fact, I strongly recommend against offering too many things.
Instead, choose three to five services that are complementary and that align with your skills and the clients you want to serve. Then focus on packaging those in a way that shows value.
Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Services
Let’s talk about some common mistakes VAs make when choosing services, so you can avoid them:
Offering everything under the sun. Clients want specialists, not generalists. They want to pay for a deliverable, a result – and pinning that down is going to be the difference between you and other VAs.
Choosing services you hate just because they’re in demand. That’s a fast track to burnout. If you don’t like it, don’t plan to do it. Not even once. Trust me on this one!
Undervaluing admin tasks. Just because something feels “easy” to you doesn’t mean it’s not valuable to clients. In fact, this is one of the most important lessons I have learned in my VA career. What comes easiest to you should be the thing you charge the most for. It’s not easy for others. It’s your secret sauce.
Not updating your services. The industry changes quickly. What was hot three years ago might not be in demand now. This doesn’t even just apply to tech or marketing stuff. There are new platforms, new ways of communicating and collaborating, and new ways to automate things for all services. Keep yourself up to date on things that are relevant to your services and your clients and you’ll always stay hot.
Ignoring profitability. Some services can be time-heavy with low returns if not packaged properly. This is one of the reasons I highly recommend pricing out your tasks and services and projects in detail. You need to know that a package is profitable, and that you can grow it when you want to.
The Power of Packaging Your Services
And this brings me to one of the most important points:
It’s not just about what services you offer. It’s about how you offer them.
Clients don’t usually think in terms of “I want 10 hours of admin support.” Even though you probably have so many conversations about hours, it’s honestly not what they want. They think in terms of outcomes, and you need to guide them to that if the conversations start with hours.
So if your clients are saying things like: “I need someone to keep my inbox under control.” or “I need my social media handled so I can focus on clients.” or “I need someone to make sure my launch runs smoothly.”, that’s where packages can make sense. Outcomes!
By bundling your services into outcomes, you make it easier for clients to see the value. You move away from trading hours for dollars. And you poosition yourself as a partner in your client’s success, not just a task-doer.
If you constantly tell your clients how long things take to do then you will always be a slave to your clock or timer. Instead, switch to talking about what you will DO for them. It’s ultimately what they want. It’s up to you to change the language around it.
Do You Need Help?
If today’s episode is resonating with you and you’re thinking, “Okay, I know what services I want to offer, but how do I actually present them to clients in a way that makes sense and makes sales?” — then my Packages Workshop is exactly what you need.
In this workshop, we’ll walk through:
- How to take the services you offer and turn them into outcome-based packages.
- How to price those packages so you’re confident in what you’re charging.
- How to communicate your packages to potential clients so they immediately see the value.
This isn’t just theory. You’ll walk away with real, ready-to-use packages that you can start offering right away.
So, if you’re ready to stop trading hours for dollars and start attracting clients who value what you do, you’ll want to sign up for my Packages Workshop. It’s taking place in October.
We talked today about why choosing the right services matters, the categories of services available, how to decide which ones fit you best, and the importance of packaging them in a way that your clients understand.
Remember, the “best” service is the one that matches your skills, your interests, and your clients’ needs . It’s about what you do and what you love to do. And of course when you package it well, you’ll stand out in a crowded VA market.
Thanks for tuning in to The Ridiculously Good VA Show. I’m Tracey D’Aviero, The Confidence Coach for VAs. That’s all I’ve got for you this week. I’ll see you next time!