Starting an online business can be daunting. It seems like there are so many things to get in order before you can get started. That’s only a little bit true. Here are 5 things you can get rolling on this week to build the foundation you need for a successful Virtual Assisting business.
Guest Post by Laura Tringali Sobieski
It will take some time to establish your business and start getting paid. BUT, work through these 5 things, spending just 30 minutes per day, and you will be on a strong path to start gaining confidence and growing your network.
It took me 6 weeks to land my first paying client. These are the things I did right away to get there. **Just so you know, I had more than 30 minutes a day to invest in starting my business, so don’t get discouraged by your timeline. Investing in your business consistently is the key to getting the results you want!
Let’s dive in…
Define Your Skills
This is a crucial foundational piece for all entrepreneurs. Whether you are confident in your skills or not sure what skills you have that will translate to your new online business, taking time to define your skills will improve your chances of landing clients.
When you are defining your skills, don’t limit yourself to things that directly overlap. An example of something that directly overlaps would be a tool like Google Docs that you may use in your current job and clients will likely expect you to use with ease.
Sit down with a pen and paper or a doc open on your computer.
Think outside the box.
Write everything that comes to you.
Here’s a little inspo to get the wheels turning…
As a teacher, you likely have had to deal with conflict and angry or opinionated parents. Translating that to work a VA might do – depending on your niche – is comfortability and professionalism in handling dissatisfied customers.
Teachers are also resourceful, quick learners, and have excellent communication skills. These are all things you can include in defining your skills for your online business.
Practice Your Elevator Pitch
Once you know your skills, write a short elevator pitch to concisely describe how your skills can solve a problem (AKA a pain point) for your client. This should be quick. It’s not a speech. This is your 30 second answer when someone asks what you do or a potential client wonders how you might be able to help her.
To get more confident pitching yourself, practice saying it out loud. Practice saying it to someone else also. Your pitch should come easily and flow confidently when the opportunity comes to share about your Virtual Assisting business.
In the online space, years of experience is not the most important factor determining competence. It is your confidence and your ability to use the skills you already have to get your clients results. Knowing your pitch inside and out will help you feel and exude confidence.
Get to Know Your Ideal Customer
When you are first starting out, it is easy to think you don’t need an “ideal customer” because you’re willing to work for anyone. There is a saying out there that goes something like, “If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one.” Basically, if you don’t have your ideal customer in mind when you are pitching yourself because you are trying to connect to anyone and everyone, then no one is going to read it and feel like you’re the perfect fit for them.
Knowing your ideal customer helps you tailor your pitch and your social media posts to reach her. So, who is she?
- Is she a sole proprietor of her business and is starting to grow beyond what she can handle all by herself?
- Does she sell a product or service that you personally love like fitness classes, kids’ activities, or jewelry?
- Is she a professional in a niche you have experience with like realty, interior design, or architecture?
Knowing WHO she is and WHAT she needs will help you articulate your services. You might want to say that you offer “general admin” services, and that’s fine. But, if you know what your ideal client needs you can expand that and highlight your signature services which will be exactly what she needs (e.g. inbox organization, handling customer service calls, cold pitching, etc.)
It might seem like a silly exercise, but spending 30 minutes writing out a story about your ideal customer’s life will help you focus your messaging and connect with potential clients. You’ll uncover the reasons why you are the best fit to work with her.
Earn Testimonials
Testimonials are also called social proof. These are positive reviews from previous clients about the value you provided for their business. Testimonials are key to not only starting but also growing your business!
Exchanging work for testimonials brings 3 awesome benefits:
1) You will learn a lot. Clients know you are just starting out so it is a perfect time to ask questions, get feedback, and try new things that you might want to offer as services in your business.
2) You will gain confidence! You will get comfortable talking to potential clients and pitching yourself. Plus, you’ll learn what kinds of questions you need to ask to understand the scope of the work. As clients give you feedback and thank you for your work, you will gain confidence in your abilities to provide quality work and add value for your clients. You already KNOW you have the skills, but now you have that external AFFIRMATION that these are skills that you can turn into a business.
3) Testimonials are the social proof you need to help potential clients know and trust you to hire you. Remember, you are connecting with people online and they don’t really know you. You need to build trust quickly and effectively. Testimonials are key to showing your potential clients that you provide quality work and are enjoyable to work with!
When I first started I spent 2 weeks exchanging work for testimonials instead of pay. It took me longer than 2 weeks to do all the work, of course, but limiting myself to only accepting work for testimonials for 2 weeks was the perfect boundary for me. Landing work for testimonials is relatively easy because clients aren’t making a financial investment in you, so the yesses come easy. I say this because I want you to be careful about getting carried away in this type of work.
Once you have about 3 testimonials, start getting paid!
Share Your Business
Take all of the above and share your skills, pitch, and testimonials on your social media. Keep your ideal customer in mind when you are crafting your posts. Lots of people don’t know what a virtual assistant is and won’t understand what it is you are doing in your business.
When I first started out, I shared posts on my personal social media that answered questions like:
“What does a virtual assistant do?”
“Who can benefit from hiring a virtual assistant?”
I also shared testimonials and celebrated them as wins to, more or less, validate my business and show that I was working with clients and getting them results.
Then, people started asking me about my business. I had so many opportunities with friends and family to explain what I was doing and how it was going. This was excellent practice for my elevator pitch.
While I don’t think that these posts will necessarily lead to your best clients (because we are just talking about sharing in your personal network), I did land early clients because these posts started the conversation about my new business.
The biggest benefit here is that people need to KNOW you are in business and know what you offer. If no one knows you are in business, you won’t have any clients.
Gaining confidence in sharing about your business, explaining what you do and who you serve, and articulating the value you add for clients will help you crush those email pitches and discovery calls with potential clients.
This may seem like an overwhelming list. The thought of talking to friends and family about your new business might be intimidating. Don’t worry about that yet. Start from the top.
These steps are ordered to help you grow in confidence along the way.
Let me know how these steps help you in getting started!
If you are feeling like you aren’t sure how to find these 30 minutes a day to work on your business, I want to gift to you my free guide 5 Productivity Hacks Anyone Can Use. Follow this link for instant access: https://laura-tringali-sobieski.mykajabi.com/5-productivity-hacks-anyone-can-use
Laura Tringali Sobieski is a virtual assistant and copywriter. Keep reading for more about her story and her business.
Her story
I started my business as a Virtual Assistant & Copywriter when I was ready to start working again after I had my son. I love freelancing because it offers the flexibility to be a work-from-home mom and to plan my schedule around the needs of my family.
Balancing the work-from-home mom thing with a now 1-year-old is quite a task! I have always loved planning and productivity, and that passion has taken on new life now that I am a working mom. I love to connect with other busy moms who want to optimize their work time to they can have the freedom to spend more carefree time with their families. If this is your goal, let’s connect!
I would LOVE to help you with strategies to focus and give your best self to your work in less time, get those life and home responsibilities taken care of efficiently, and create more space for time to enjoy with your family.
Connect with me via email hello@lauratringali.com or on Instagram @hello.lauratringali.
Get started right now by downloading my free guide 5 Productivity Hacks Anyone Can Use. Follow this link for instant access: https://laura-tringali-sobieski.mykajabi.com/5-productivity-hacks-anyone-can-use
