It seems one of the most controversial topics about being a VA is whether you need to specialize, or ‘niche’, your services.
The conversations take place in networking situations, often started by newer Virtual Assistants who honestly don’t know what they should provide as services.
More seasoned VAs are quite opinionated about the answer – and it’s largely due to the circumstances of their own experiences (which of course, is exactly where our opinions come from!).
To Niche or Not to Niche?
There are two schools of thought on this:
School #1 says that you can offer any services you know how to do to any clients and build a bigger and better business.
This group believes that your business will grow and change over time, and that your audience will eventually become apparent. They think that labeling yourself or your target audience is limiting and will stifle your business growth.
School #2 believes that the more focus you put into your marketing message and the group of people that you are putting that in front of, the better off you will be. They believe that you can’t be all things to all people and be the BEST at what you do.
If you have been following me for any length of time, you will know that I am in School #2!
Steve Jobs said “You don’t hire smart people and then tell them what to do. You hire smart people so that they can tell you what to do.” and I think he is absolutely correct.
Be the Expert Your Clients Need
Our clients hire us because we can do what we do better than they can. So we should be focusing on what we know how to do best – not learning on the job. Not faking it till we make it. Not trying to be everything to everyone.
While I wholeheartedly believe (from my experience) that your business will organically grow and change over time, I believe that making actual decisions at any point in time – to choose what services to offer to which people – is the fastest way to focus your marketing efforts so you can get clients.
It’s why I teach my Skills Inventory exercise – so you can get really clear on what you are GREAT at, and what you LOVE doing. These are the two parameters that your services should fall into.
Business is hard, and you need to love what you are doing.
Clients Will Refer You When You are the Best
And of course to get referrals from your clients, colleagues and anyone else in your audience, you have to be top of mind when someone they know is looking for help. So you’ve got to be very skilled in the services so that people remember that.
My advice is always this: to focus on what you know how to do very, very well. Develop a combination of services that complement each other. Then target a group of people that you know need those services, and get clients.
When your business changes, or when your expertise changes, or when your interests change, then change your niche. Simply choose another group of people to market to and adjust as necessary.
Your marketing message gets a lot clearer when you know what you can do to help a certain group of people. If you are having trouble finding clients, it might be worth looking at choose a niche (or just determining what yours is).
It’s just business. And I believe it’s the best way to grow yours, on your own terms.
For more info about niches and to decide if choosing one is right for you, click here.