So you’ve decided that you’d love to become a virtual assistant (AWESOME!).
But now, you feel like the market is too saturated, and you’ll never be able to get a job.
It doesn’t matter where you look. It seems like there are virtual assistants everywhere. Your friend’s mom, her neighbor, and their whole Facebook network! Some of them with years of experience.
How can you ever compete with them if you’re just getting started?
Well, you can put your mind at ease because virtual assisting isn’t too competitive.
Let me let you in on a little secret – that’s a myth!
I’m here to tell you that the virtual assistant world is a lot bigger than you realize. There are ways you can find your ideal job AND stand out from the competition.
Let’s go over 5 reasons why virtual assisting isn’t as competitive as you might think.
1. There are millions of small businesses looking to outsource work
Let me say this now – there is no shortage of work online.
You don’t need luck or years or years of experience to make a livable income. I’ll tell you why. There are:
The global outsourcing market is currently worth 92.5 billion U.S. dollars. Yes, BILLIONS.
And guess what? All of these businesses need admin help; Business owners can’t do everything themselves.
Most of them would prefer to have someone working remotely instead of taking up office space too.
As you probably know (following the crazy year we all had last year), many companies went remote with stay-at-home orders in place. Some companies have even decided to keep their employees remote permanently!
That’s because these same companies realize that remote work saves on renting costs, they can reinvest that money back into the business, their employees are happier working at times most convenient for them, and so on.
Not to mention, 2020 had many people reconsidering whether or not they should open their own business.
It turns out, some of the corporate 9-to-5 “stable jobs” aren’t so stable.
2. You might not need to find as many clients as you think
It’s up to you whether or not you want to work part-time or full-time.
Many of my 90 Day VA students work part-time hours, making a full-time income.
That means there are VA’s who finish my course, can only work 20 hours a week, and STILL make more money than what they were making at their 9-to-5!
Some VA’s CHOOSE part-time gigs because they have kids, they’re college students, virtual assisting is their side hustle, or they’ve set that boundary for themselves that 20 hours a week is their limit.
I’m not kidding when I say you determine the kind of work-life balance you want to live!
Virtual assisting gives you the flexibility to live life on your own terms.
Remote work is very different from your 9-to-5 job at an office. Say goodbye to working overtime or putting in years and years at ONE company just to get that raise you deserve.
You might only need to find 3 clients to make your target income (or more if you decide to earn a little extra.)
It’s hard for businesses to find the right help, so you’re a hot commodity if you are good at what you do.
Business owners constantly reach out, asking for good VA references. Once word gets out about the type of work you do, it won’t take long before you book out with clients.
An awesome thing about being a VA is getting to decide how much you earn and who you want to work with. YOU determine your rates. No one else does.
3. You’re not looking in the right places
You might have started looking at well-known freelancer sites like Upwork and Fiverr, but I do not recommend using these sites. Check out why in my blog post here.
People tend to use Upwork and Fiverr to find help for the lowest prices. There’s always going to be someone willing to do the job for less than it’s worth there. But not you!
Know that your skills and time are worth more than what most people are willing to pay on those sites.
And although Facebook groups are a great place to find jobs, one job posting can have hundreds of responses, and yours gets lost in the shuffle.
Instead, spend time on Facebook or Linkedin groups, commenting on posts, offering advice or help, networking with others.
And now that places and events are starting to open up again, check out live (or virtual) events where you can network with people you want to work for.
Yoga and wellness are your thing? Attend live events or online workshops in that industry. The same goes for any niche you’re interested in!
Network in nearby coworking spaces, check out small businesses or local shops and see how your services may help them.
Maybe you’re at the hairdresser getting your hair done, and you notice she’s struggling to keep up with all her recent appointments. Offer some admin help.
Maybe you notice the local shop you love so much has an Instagram page that can use a little love. Let them know you offer social media management.
Whatever services you want to offer, there are TONS of opportunities to find work.
If in-person networking still isn’t happening in your country, state, or province – consider online communities that host virtual coworking or coffee hours.
When my students join my program, they’re added to our members-only Facebook group where we host “Get Shiz Done” calls. It’s an hour of coworking with people doing the same thing as you.
Building an online community is key to your success. It also helps to know you’re not alone in this new journey!
We are naturally social beings, so there are tons of resources created for us to connect.
4. You need to work on your virtual assistant skillset
If you have basic admin or data entry skills, that’s great! But you’re limiting yourself to the jobs that most people qualify for.
It’s essential to your growth as a virtual assistant and remote worker to constantly improve and uplevel your current skills and make them better.
The more you specialize in a specific skill set, the more in-demand you become to business owners.
For example, let’s say you love podcast editing. You work REALLY hard on improving your editing skills, learn how to make the audio sound better, and you get faster. You become the pro in that area.
That’s when business owners want to work with you because you know what you’re doing and how to make their lives easier.
Now, if you’re like, “But Esther, where do I start?”
Think about what interests you and what resources you can find to help you improve in that area. Is it another course? Is there a virtual workshop you can join?
There are so many resources out there (a lot of free ones, too!)
The great thing about starting as a virtual assistant is that you can do all kinds of tasks. You’ll eventually figure out what you enjoy more and what you’ll never do again.
It’s important to know what virtual assistant skills are needed. That’s why I cover the hottest skills that business owners are looking for in my free class.
But if you already know the area you want to focus on, find a few resources and invest in a course or two to help you get there.
For example, if your interest is in graphic design, find resources that will help you improve that skill set. Then, you can make a portfolio to impress potential customers.
5. You’re giving up too quickly
You’re entering a new field, so it’s only natural to struggle at first.
We’ve all been through it. No one is born straight out of the womb knowing how to do ALL THE THINGS.
Like anything, there’s an adjustment period. You’ll have to learn the ins and outs of virtual assisting, but give yourself some time, and you’ll get the hang of it.
You can’t expect to nail the first job you apply to or be great at something you just started. These are unrealistic expectations.
And don’t get discouraged because you didn’t get the job you were aiming for in the first week.
In your previous jobs, you probably had to apply to a few places before you got hired. Perseverance is key. You got this.
See this as an opportunity to grow and reach for your dreams. You decided you need a change. Put in the work to see the fruits of your labor, don’t give up before then!
You have so much to gain from this.
It’s not too late to start. Everybody starts from somewhere. Dream big and reach for your ideal lifestyle.
Now’s the time to get to work
Hopefully, by now, you’ve seen that the world of virtual assisting has a lot of work to offer you.
Becoming a virtual assistant isn’t too competitive, but you have to put in the work to be successful. Upskill, baby! Work on bettering yourself.
In the end, the freedom you gain will be so worth it, and you’ll get to do something you love!
If you’re ready to start your career as a virtual assistant and are interested in a program meant to help you upskill quickly, check out my free class to help you decide if virtual assisting is right for you.
If you’re as excited about you getting started as we are, decide to invest in yourself right now!
In 90 Day VA, Esther teaches her students how to research and repurpose current content into blogs for the VAI website. Maria is the student we’ve chosen this week to feature what she’s learned in the course. Get to know her:
Maria Celeste Navarro is a virtual assistant here to help business owners and entrepreneurs achieve their ideal work-life balance from her home in sunny Arizona.
When she’s not helping passionate business owners behind the scenes, she loves to paint, cook healthy meals and explore a new dance class.
She’s a member of 90 Day VA and assists with everything from content repurposing, social media management, project management, and more. To see all the services she offers and how she can help you, click here or contact her at [email protected].
