‘Where do I actually find Virtual Assistant jobs / clients?’
That’s one of the biggest worries aspiring VAs have, obviously, because without clients you won’t be making any money and that 9-5 resignation letter seems an impossible dream.
But first, let me clarify what a Virtual Assistant is…
A Virtual Assistant is a self-employed business owner, who provides a variety of tasks and services to small business owners.
As a Virtual Assistant you find clients who need the services you’ve chosen to offer. Sadly, there’s no one place you’ll find clients but don’t panic, I’ll share the best places with you in a moment.
But first let me remind you…
Being a VA is life changing, and everyone who embarks on the journey is capable of getting clients and thriving.
And we do that in the same way any other business finds clients / customers, people to buy what they’re selling, and that is through marketing, building a relevant audience and engaging with potential clients.
WAIT!
I know that might sound daunting but listen, virtually none of us start this exciting journey knowing how to do any of that, yet so many go on to build highly successful VA businesses, some reaching six-figures too!
Shall we crack on?
Can you get Virtual Assistant jobs with no experience of being a VA?
Yes. Of course you can get clients without any experience of being a Virtual Assistant.
It would be impossible to be a VA if you needed experience of being a VA first. That’s as confusing as the chicken and the egg conundrum.
However, you do need to be confident and competent in the services you choose to offer. It’s not like employment where you have someone designated to teach you things you’ve never done before. My free guide here containing over 90 services you could offer as a Virtual Assistant is the first step on your VA journey, one that’ll reassure you that you can do this. Download it here.
Do you have to have been a PA or EA to become a Virtual Assistant?
No. Plenty of successful Virtual Assistants didn’t come from PA or EA backgrounds, in fact many didn’t come from admin roles either.
What matters is being able to identify the skills you already have and position them in a way that helps business owners.
There are so many thriving VAs who have built hugely successful businesses who had zero PA/EA experience. Tania is one of them. She worked on the deli counter at her local Morrison’s before becoming a Virtual Assistant!
Tania joined me on the podcast to share her story and prove that this life is possible. Listen here – it’s my most downloaded episode.
Where do Virtual Assistants get clients?
There are lots of ways to find clients as a Virtual Assistant, but some are significantly more effective than others.
1. LinkedIn (My Favourite)
If I was starting again tomorrow, LinkedIn is exactly where I’d focus my attention.
Why?
Because business owners are already there.
- It’s the best place to build a relevant audience – and in about a millionth of the time it takes on places like Instagram.
- It’s the platform where business owners are marketing all day, so your marketing will never look out of place.
- It’s so easy to engage with others posts that it’ll feel like you’re making friends every day.
I’ve created an entire training course on How to Get Clients Using LinkedIn because it’s such an effective way to find clients who need whatever you’re offering: Take a look here.
2. Networking
Networking often gets overlooked because people assume it means awkward breakfasts and 60 second elevator pitches (don’t ask).
It doesn’t.
Networking can happen online and offline.
Many VAs find clients through:
- Facebook groups
- LinkedIn engagement
- Business communities
- Existing contacts
- Referrals
Or … face to face events, which you could find advertised at your local Chamber of Commerce or on places like Eventbrite.
3. Referrals
Once you’ve worked with one client, referrals can become one of the easiest ways to grow your business.
A happy client often knows other business owners who need support.
This is why delivering an excellent service matters so much and why you should only ever offer services you’re confident and competent at. If you think you can ‘learn on the job’ you’ll notice those referrals don’t happen!
Never be afraid to ask an existing, or past, client for a testimonial. If you have my VA Starter Guide use the guidance in there on how to get the best testimonials.
Where I wouldn’t focus
I wouldn’t recommend building your business around websites like Fiverr, Upwork or PeoplePerHour.
While some people do claim to find success there, I am very sceptical, and their idea of success usually means low hourly rate, bidding for work, no consistency, etc. Sites like Fiverr often create unrealistic expectations around pricing and can leave new VAs feeling demoralised. They give a completely incorrect perspective of how the VA industry in the UK works.
Your goal should be building a sustainable business away from sites like that. They’re not for us.
Join a community that shares Virtual Assistant jobs
One of the most popular resources I offer is my free Facebook group for Virtual Assistants.
Unlike some online communities, it’s designed to be supportive, practical and completely free from the competitiveness and toxicity that can sometimes exist elsewhere.
And… we regularly see around 5–6 job opportunities shared every day. But you might want to read this blog first, it’ll help you enormously.
These opportunities are typically shared by established VAs who have too much work, need specialist support or have opportunities that aren’t the right fit for them personally.
The group is open to:
- Aspiring Virtual Assistants
- New Virtual Assistants
- Established Virtual Assistants
However, there are two important requirements to gain access:
- It is exclusively for UK and European-based VAs.
- You must answer all membership questions and agree to the group rules.
No exceptions.
The rules are what help keep the community supportive, helpful and enjoyable for everyone.
Why some VAs get enquiries but no clients
Here’s something people don’t talk about enough.
Some VAs manage to attract enquiries but then struggle to convert them into paying clients.
Often they presume it must be their pricing. It’s not.
It’s usually because they need help to:
- Qualify leads
- Run a discovery call
- Ask the right questions
- Handle objections
- Present their services confidently
- Attract the right kind of client
That’s exactly why I created my training: How to Convert Enquiries into Paying Clients
Because getting the enquiry is only half the battle.
How to get your first client as a Virtual Assistant
If you’re brand new, I’d focus on three things:
- Decide which services you want to offer. Use my free download here.
- Build your visibility on LinkedIn.
- Join communities where business owners and VAs are already active.
You do not need:
- A fancy logo
- Years of experience
- A huge social media following
- To take 73 weeks to think of a business name
You need to market yourself and your services to an ever growing, relevant audience. THAT is the secret to getting clients as a Virtual Assistant.
Final thoughts
One mistake a few aspiring Virtual Assistants make is they that because they have decided they’re going to be a Virtual Assistant clients will magically appear out of thin air.
The number of times I’ve seen people say ‘I’ve been doing this for X months now and haven’t had any interest’. I go to their social media channels – if they have them – and there’s like one post from 3 months ago, a very tiny audience and they never engage with other business owners. There’s also no sign of a website, or a professional email address.
How the actual fk is someone who needs a VA going to find you? How are they going to know what services you offer, how much you charge? How do they know you’re not a scammer with your hothipsdontlie@dodgyemail.com?
This life is possible, but you’ve got to put some work in. Lives like this don’t fall from the sky or grow on a Hydrangea plant!
The VAs who build successful businesses are usually doing the same things consistently:
- Showing up on LinkedIn
- Building relationships
- Joining supportive communities
- Learning how to convert enquiries into paying clients
- Staying visible
Start there and you’ll be ahead of most people already.
And if you’re looking for a supportive, UK-focused Virtual Assistant community with regular job opportunities, I’d love to welcome you into the Facebook group.