How to find your niche as a virtual assistant requires taking an inventory of your skills if you want to effectively begin working online as a virtual assistant. Finding your niche is taking a deep look at your hard skills and deciding which ones translate into services? While some experts recommend starting out as a generalist to discover what you most enjoy doing, most agree that choosing a niche to specialize in early on is important.
What is a Niche?
So what exactly is a Niche? A niche is a focused, targeted area or activity that you are able to do particularly well. It’s usually a skill that you know well and is a best fit for you. It’s definitely worth while investing some time and thought into what your niche is as it will allow you to work more efficiently, focus on client needs and attract the right clients to your business. See How to Choose the Right Niche as a Virtual Assistant.
Having a niche will also help you name your business and website more easily. For example, even though I can do many tasks, my main niche is office skills, hence my website name, officeskills.org. Once you identify your niche, you will be able to channel your business offerings, website and social media to attract the right clients to your business. By narrowing your offerings and your target market, you will give your business a much higher chance of succeeding.Â
What are Hard Skills?
Above I mentioned that finding your niche is taking a deep look at your hard skills and deciding which ones translate into services. Before we do that, let’s take a look at what exactly hard skills are? For the virtual office professional, hard skills are the technical office skills, such as computer and technology skills, that you bring to your business. Hard skills can be learned and can be acquired through training, work or a combination of both. Hard skills are considered transferable which means, once learned, you can transfer them from job to job. That’s because hard skills are standard across industries. For example, the hard skills for an administrative assistant position would be very similar at several different organizations and industries.
As the virtual assistant spends a large amount of their day in front of a computer, a knowledge of and interest in technology is key to developing a successful VA business. Therefore, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest office software and applications so you can run your business efficiently.
How Find your Niche As a Virtual Assistant?
While it may not be immediately apparent, start out by thinking about what you already know and enjoy doing. The best way to get started is to focus on a realistic job in which you can succeed based on the skills you possess today. Make a list of all your hard and soft skills and decide on at least one job that you can justify on paper, that you can convince clients that you can do and a job in which you can succeed. Depending on your years of experience, there may be more than one job that you can do to earn money as a VA. Virtual assistants have skills and knowledge in many different areas and often choose a specific skill or niche that they are good at to specialize in.
Virtual Assistant Skills Assessment
To help you in your journey, download and fill out the Virtual Assistant Skills Assessment and then assess what you’ve come up with. On the skills assessment, write down the following:
- What industries have you worked in before? Do you see a pattern? Have you stayed in the same particular industry or have you moved around?
- Then list your top 10 skills that you were required to do where you rated yourself a score of 4 or 5.
- Write down all the skills that you are particularly good at, whether or not they were on the questionnaire. Do you have Specialization? Did you hold the same job at many different companies? For example, maybe you were an executive assistant at a small technology company or were a marketing manager for a large firm specializing in social media. Do you see a pattern in jobs that you have specialized knowledge in? Don’t forget volunteer experience as this also counts. Think about the type of volunteer jobs you held and if any of those skills could apply to your new business.
- What Education and Training do you have? List any education or professional development training that you may have taken, whether related to your jobs or not. For example, have you taken professional development courses in a particular piece of software like QuickBooks or any other subjects.
Hopefully, you’ve determined what tasks you are you good at, what you like to do and if you specialize in any particular industry
So Which Services Should I Offer?
When first starting out as a VA, it’s important to choose a primary service offering doing something you know well as this will give you more credibility when seeking your first client. Remember, clients are looking for virtual assistants who have experience and know what they’re doing so choosing a skill you’re good at to get started with will be the fastest way to getting you hired and getting some income coming in.
Of course, you need to do your market research to make sure there is a demand for the skills you want to offer. Also, keep in mind that whatever niche you start out with, it doesn’t have to be forever. Your niches can and will change over time. For example, I started out offering general office skills as a service but after a while, I realized I enjoyed creating websites and blogs for clients more.  After I got my masters degree in instructional design, I changed to creating online courses on my own website so now my main niche is education which is mostly what I focus on now. Â
Try not of offer too many services at once. Instead, highlight that one great skill that would benefit your clients. If you offer too many services, you may find yourself being pulled in too many different directions where you’re no longer able to concentrate on all aspects of your business. It’s impossible to be all things to all people.  The key is to keep an open mind and just pick a service and get started. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What do you enjoy doing the most? On your skills assessment, did you identify a skill you’re good at that you really love and enjoy doing?
- What do you dislike doing? Was there a particular aspect of your prior experience that you dreaded doing each week or month? For example, if you hated collecting and tallying up the monthly expense reports for your department, bookkeeping and spreadsheet work may not be a good choice for your niche, even though you have experience doing it.
- What skill is particularly easy for you? Are you a wiz at calendar management or social media marketing? Starting out with a skill that you are good at and that you can do quickly and efficiently is a great starting place as you will come across as an expert right from the start.
- Are you an expert in a particular subject or field? Maybe you’ve never worked in a particular area but have developed a deep knowledge of something based on your own interests or unique qualities you possess. For example, after creating several of my own websites, I became experienced at monetizing my websites with Google advertising and affiliate marketing so I was eventually able to offer this service to clients.
- What are your personal strengths? Think of everything including hobbies, volunteer work, and things you’re passionate about. Are you a member of any groups or churches where you’ve contributed your time and skills to contribute to a higher goal or fundraiser.
- Who you can serve? As you look at what skills you possess and what industries you have served, can you see a pattern? Maybe you created advertising collateral for a local real estate company or you did bookkeeping for a local accounting firm.
Specializing in a Specific Industry
If you have accumulated many years of experience working in a particular industry, you may want to make this industry your niche, as specializing in an industry in which you have years of extensive experience will most likely enhance your business as your clients will feel you understand the unique needs of their business. For example, perhaps you have accumulated many years handling social media and web content for local high tech company or were a Medical Biller for a handful of doctors offices. Some industry niches that utilize the services of Virtual Assistants where demand for Va services is anticipated to grow are:
- Accommodation & Food Services
- Administration and Support Services
- Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
- Construction
- Educational Services
- Finance & Insurance
- Health Care & Social Assistance
- Information Technology
- Manufacturing
- Management of Companies & Enterprises
- Professional, Scientific & Technical
- Transportation and Warehousing
- Wholesale trade
- Law and Legal services
- Real Estate
- Healthcare and Medical Professionals Authors and Speakers
Specializing in a Specific Skill
Office Skills Virtual Assistant
It’s hard to list every possible skill that exists but having expertise in a particular skill or task can really set you apart in your business. It doesn’t mean that you’ll be doing nothing but this task but it does help if you are skilled in more than one area to keep your business interesting. For example, I specialize in Office Skills but I am also a trained instructional designer so I list all these skills on my website. Office skills can be a great way to get started as a VA as many businesses are looking for help with admin tasks and will often hire less experienced VAs. The following list are some of the tasks that may be involved with Admin work. You don’t need to have all these skills right away so keep in mind that many of these skills can be easily learned.Â
While having any of these skills will be a plus, many companies will be happy to train you to use the systems and tools they use in their business. Today, there are so many software choices for businesses that you will find you’re not always expected to know all the skills and tools they are looking for. Also, keep in mind that by learning some new tools, you will be gaining new marketable skills that you can potentially offer to other clients in the future.
- Excellent typing and proofreading skills
- Managing calendars
- Email programs such as Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail and Gmail.
- Designing and creating PowerPoint presentations
- Word processing programs such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages.
- Word processing and document creation including creating newsletters, letters, memos, press releases, flyers, brochures, letterhead, resumes, cover letters and more
- Spreadsheets using Excel, Google Sheets and Apple Numbers. Design and Modifications especially the more advanced features including the use of IF, Lookup functions and Macros.
- Data Entry
- Database Management using software such as Microsoft Access
- Mail Merge and bulk mailings
- Bookkeeping using software such as Quickbooks and Quicken.
- Knowledge of basic office procedures
- Electronic Filing such as OneDrive, Google Drive and DropBox
- Maintaining Contact Lists
- Transcription
- Making travel arrangements
- CRM software such as SalesForce and Raiser’s Edge
- Knowledge of online file sharing and storage devices such as Dropbox, OneDrive or Google Drive
- Basic knowledge of Bookkeeping/Accounting
- Office procedures for organizing your clients forms, policies and procedures
- Knowledge of how to create an effective web presence
- Technology savvy (Skype, Dropbox, Microsoft Office Suite, etc.)
- Event planning and coordination skills
- Project Assistance/Coordination
- Writing and proofreading – excellent punctuation and grammar required
Specialty Skills
These are specialized technology skills that you may be an expert in and that are in demand today. Someone offering these skills can understand how parts and wholes work together. These are just some of the possibilities:
- Copywriting and Editing Assistance
- Research skills
- Paid traffic – Ads Manager
- Podcast Manager
- Social Media Manager
- Creating blog posts
- Web design
- Graphic design
- Video Editor
- Email and Calendar Management
- Email marketing
- Tech Support
- Author assistant
- Medical Billing
- Project Manager
- Online and social media marketing
- Desktop Publishing/Graphic Design Software including Photoshop, InDesign and Acrobat.
- Website Design and Maintenance
- Blogging and website creation
- Course creation
- Event specialist
- Email Marketer
- Video Editor
- Tech Support & Customer Service
- Author Assistant
- Project Manager
- CRM software (Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge)
- Internet and Market Research
Technical Skills
People who specialize in technical skills are usually responsible for making sure the computers in the workplace are working and are comfortable working with technology. They are responsible for installing software and programs, maintaining equipment, choosing tools, repairing equipment and many other functions. While once only in-house tech support positions, many of these tasks can now be performed remotely. Here is a list of just some of the responsibilities:
- Choosing Tools
- Controlling quality
- Installing equipment
- Installing programs
- Installing software
- Maintaining equipment
- Checking equipment
- Operating equipment
- Repairing
- Technology design
- Troubleshooting
Resource Management/Business Entrepreneurial Skills
While all Virtual Assistants need business/entrepreneurial skills to run their own business, many small businesses and entrepreneurs hire VAs who can keep track of projects, money and their time which is why this category resides on our Skills Assessment list. Here is a list of some of these tasks in demand:
- Manage money
- Manage people
- Manage things
- Manage time
- Desire to achieve
- Willing to take risks
- Self Confidence
- Passion for business
- Self Starter & Takes Initiative
- Set goals
- Multi-task
Customer Service Virtual Assistant Skills
In additional to traditional phone support, as a customer service virtual assistant, you will be providing customer service and support to customers using a variety of channels including email, live chat, web forms and social media. You will need to possess a high level of excellent soft skills and professionalism including good communication skills, both written and verbal, exceptional telephone etiquette skills including how to make a great first impression on the phone and how to display empathy to customers when needed. Some services that are currently in demand in customer service include:
- Cold calling
- Sending emails and direct messages,
- Posting on social media including Tiktok, and scheduling posts,
- Telephone etiquette
- Handling account and product inquiries via both phone & chat
- Account maintenance
- Responding to questions concerning accounts including outstanding payments and order follow-up
- Real-time troubleshooting
- Technical support for customers ion their equipment and how to use it.
- Service inbound calls while engaging and consulting with small business owners and decision makers,
- Understand customer needs and recommend the right products
Working from home has become a huge opportunity for so many people since the pandemic started and the demand for virtual assistants is still strong as more and more companies are now comfortable with remote work. Identifying how to find your niche as a virtual assistant is key as companies are searching for industry-specific virtual assistants including those with both office skills and specialty service offerings.
