10 Tips for Finding Clients as a Virtual Assistant

10 Tips for Finding Clients as a Virtual Assistant

You may have noticed that the blogs this month are focused on getting clients and increasing income. That’s because we start this work to make money and without clients, you can’t really make the income you desire. And I know it can be scary when starting out and if you lack confidence, it will be harder to get clients and increase your income. So the more information I can give you on these topics, the more likely you will succeed! So I’m sharing with you tips on finding clients as a virtual assistant.  

As a virtual assistant, landing clients is essential to growing your business and increasing your income. But how do you go about finding and securing new clients? Below are ten tips to help answer these questions. Some overlap with a previous blog on places to find clients, but it never hurts to hear something twice! And the ones that do overlap have additional info. 

Here are ten effective ways for finding clients as a virtual assistant:

Optimize Your Website

Don’t worry about this if you don’t have a website. If you do, your website is a powerful marketing tool. Optimize it for search engines, showcase your services, and provide testimonials from satisfied clients. You can easily Google how to optimize your website if you aren’t sure what to do. In my 6-month program, I teach you how to quickly and inexpensively create your own website so that when you are ready, you don’t waste money by spending thousands when you could have done it for a couple of hundred dollars. 

Leverage Social Media

Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to network and connect with potential clients. Share your services, engage with your audience, and join groups related to your industry. This is a mix of having a professional business page or profile and sharing things on your personal profiles. You want to leverage both. Share information that your clients would find beneficial and leave them wanting more and wanting to work with you.

Attend Networking Events

Attend virtual or in-person networking events/conferences to connect with potential clients in your industry. Be sure to have an elevator pitch and business cards ready to hand out. You might think business cards are old school, BUT having something physical to hand out is necessary for people to remember you. I have business cards with my photo on one side since many people are visual, which helps them remember me. I also give a few cards so they can give them to friends and people in their network. Or I ask for their email, and if I can reach out to them later, then be sure to follow up. 

Reach Out to Your Network 

Contact your existing network of friends, family, and colleagues to inform them about your services and ask for referrals. I love to contact current or past clients and let them know what type of work I am open for. And to make it easy, I type up a little blurb they can share online and in Facebook groups. Be sure you always make it clear how to contact you too. I’ve said it before, but the easier you make it, the more likely they will refer people to you. 

Offer a Free Consultation

Offer a free consultation to potential clients to demonstrate your expertise and provide value. This can help you build trust and ultimately secure the client’s business. I’ve heard controversy on this one, but I have done this for many years! And it works for me. Usually, potential clients have questions, and going back and forth via email is time-consuming and makes it hard to explain things thoroughly. An alternative to this is some other free info or resource that would show yoru expertise and how you can help them. 

Utilize Freelance Websites

Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr are great places to start. You can create a profile and bid on jobs that match your skills. It is a bit harder now than it used to be due to more competition, but it’s still worth trying. And again, it’s usually about how effectively you communicate, so that is the skill you need to improve for this to work. I’ve looked at numerous profiles that tell me little about how the person can help me, but it’s more about how great they are. Clients don’t care about things that don’t apply to them; keep that in mind when setting up profiles on these platforms. 

Cold Emailing

Reach out to potential clients via email with a personalized message that highlights your skills and how you can help them. We went over this in another blog, which comes down to communication. Almost all online business owners will have a virtual assistant at some point. Create a list of types of clients you want to work with, research them, find contact info, and reach out. Be sure to keep a list. And always note what the communication was. Maybe they don’t need a virtual assistant yet, but then make a note to follow up in 3 to 6 months. 

Participate in Industry Forums

Participate in online industry forums and discussions to establish yourself as an expert and connect with potential clients. Often forums have business owners asking questions. Find forums with the types of clients you want to work with. Many are now using Facebook groups rather than external forums. See if you can join that group, then answer questions and make yourself helpful. If you join forums only to sell your services, that will turn many off. They need to know, like, and trust you, which comes from being helpful. 

Submit Proposals

Respond to job postings with a professional and personalized proposal showcasing your skills and highlighting how you can help the client. There are some Facebook groups specifically for this. And some paid training programs will put you on an email list where you receive notifications of clients wanting proposals. I myself have business owners that fill out a Google form, and then I email my list of the job opening. With some research, you can find these places, and again it’s about how you communicate with the client. 

Attend Local Business Events

Attend local business events to network with potential clients in your community. Be sure to have business cards ready and be prepared to introduce yourself and your services. I mentioned business cards above, and it’s the best way for someone to remember you and how to contact you. I like our local Chamber of Commerce but I am also in a smaller town. Depending on where you live, you may have more options. Do a quick Google search to see what is around you that might have potential clients you want to work with. 

Remember, there are many ways to find clients as a virtual assistant, and this list is just to get you started. It’s essential to be persistent, professional and focused on providing value to your clients. If you have a tip not listed here, please leave it below in the comments. 

Action Step

If you are looking for more clients, pick 1 or 2 of the above tips to implement. Also, set a deadline so that you can evaluate how it’s working and what needs to be tweaked, if anything. 

And once you have a full client load, it’s a great time to have another virtual assistant you can refer potential clients to. Keep this in mind if you are nearing a full client load.

Helpful Links

If you know you are a mom wanting to work from home but have no idea how to get started, grab my free guide, “10 Easy Steps to Get Started as a Virtual Assistant.” And if you are lacking confidence and wondering if you really can do it, If I can do it, living in a small rural town in Missouri with no formal business education or entrepreneurial background, so can you!

Go here to grab the free guide! 

This guide also works for established virtual assistants looking to grow their businesses and bring in more income! 

You’ll also be added to my email list, where I’ll send tips about working as a Virtual Assistant and more business advice.