Are You Worried About Your Competition? Don’t Be!

by Lisa Taliga

I remember sitting at my 9 to 5 job, with the seeds of my own Virtual Assistant business germinating in my mind.

I took out the Yellow Pages for my home town and had a look to see what other similar businesses were already operating in my area. At that time there wasn’t a listing for Virtual Assistants, so I looked under ‘Secretarial Services’. To my dismay I saw pages and pages of them! My first thought was, there’s no point in me setting up my own Virtual Assistant business, with all this competition! How am I going to get any business, let alone stand out from the crowd?

I am so glad that I didn’t let this stop me. I discovered that there is more than enough work and clients to go around.

Clients are found everywhere

It would have been a big mistake to be discouraged to go into business for myself based on the amount of ‘competition’ in the local Yellow Pages. Why?

Because my clients come from everywhere. From networking at local business events and associations, networking online, word of mouth referrals, through friends – the list is endless. Think about it, if someone meets you face to face at a networking event and is convinced of the benefits of working with YOU, are they going to think of looking in the Yellow Pages for someone they don’t even know? Remember that the client/Virtual Assistant relationship is based on trust.

Clients previously unaware of Virtual Assistance

I was surprised to find that NONE of my clients had ever worked with a Virtual Assistant before. After I educated them on the benefits of working with me, they were keen to try out my services.

Imagine all the potential clients you will be able to attract, who have never even heard of a VA before! Believe me, there is more work and clients to go around than you can imagine. The Virtual Assistance industry is in its infancy. There are still many, many people who have never heard of the whole concept before! We have only just begun to scratch the surface of the potential of this career.

For each client I serve or have served, I believe that there are numerous others that I could also be working with. However, there are only so many hours in the day!

Competition means that the business is viable

Look at ‘competition’ as a positive thing. Whenever people consider business opportunities they should always look for and hope to find competition. Because existing competition shows that the business model is profitable and viable, otherwise others wouldn’t be putting their valuable time, energy and money into it.
So, your existing VA ‘competitors’ are showing you that there IS business and demand out there.

Each VA is different

Because Virtual Assistance covers such a huge range of possible services, each VA will have their own unique service offering, experience, skills and background. Don’t be afraid that you’ll fade into the background amongst other VAs. Make an effort to value your uniqueness and showcase it. Make your website and other promotional materials reflect your personality. You will definitely stand out from the crowd then.

Competitors can become your allies

I work with my so-called competitors all the time. If I have overload, I refer work or outsource it to others. And if clients approach me who don’t belong to my particular target market, I have VA friends who would view them as ideal clients.

Think of your fellow VAs as one big team, ready and able to help each other out. What if you have a client approach you asking you to do something you’ve never done before? If you’ve struck up a relationship with other VAs, they’ll be only too pleased to help you out. I’ve never encountered an industry that is so generous with their help, knowledge and time.

So, rather than focus on your perceived level of competition, focus on moving full steam ahead with your Virtual Assistant business. And when you find you don’t have enough hours in the day to help all the clients you’re attracting, you’ll look back and laugh at any worries you had – just like I do!

Lisa Taliga is a Virtual Assistant and author of 'Freelance from Home! The 5 Key Steps to Your Successful Virtual Assistant Business' and ‘The 7 Things You Must Know Before Starting Your Successful Virtual Assistant Business’. Get your free eBook and newsletter subscription to find out how to become a Virtual Assistant.

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Kind regards

Lisa Taliga