Is The Virtual Assistant Industry Oversaturated?
This blog post was inspired by a message I got on Instagram a couple of months ago and I felt like maybe other people are wondering the same thing so I figured, let’s get into it! Okay, the message was, “Hey Kate! I am so interested in jumping into your course, but I guess the fear in me is are there really that many people that need VA’s?”
I totally understand this question because the concept of being a virtual assistant is still pretty new to people, but to put it simply, the answer is YES. Many people DO need VA’s. I actually read an article a few months ago, and I’ll link that right here, but they stated that 67% of businesses in 2021 hired at least one virtual assistant. That was two years ago, and I can tell you that the online business space has only grown since then, so the need for VA’s is likely even higher. Not to mention there are businesses that operate as a brick and mortar that also hire VA’s or remote freelancers!
Now this is very anecdotal and just an observation that I have had when talking to clients or potential clients, but when we entered the pandemic in 2020, so many businesses either went online- OR were founded because people were at home and had the opportunity to start their own businesses and/or working as freelancers. So now, 3 years later, those businesses are looking for support as they continue to grow and scale and that doesn’t even count the businesses and brands that were founded before 2020.
Now let’s talk about WHO would be hiring a VA because I think it is helpful to hear about examples! In my experience, just about any business or brand owner in industry could benefit from having a VA. We have worked with clients who are service providers, online coaches… clients who own product-based businesses, photographers, interior designers, clients in the health and wellness space, in the financial industry, influencers, content creators, educators, and course creators. That covers A LOT of different industries! I truly have yet to find a small business or industry that couldn’t benefit from having a VA.
I feel that’s because of the WIDE RANGE of tasks a virtual assistant can take on for clients. Anything from customer or client support and communication, payroll, report preparation, social media scheduling, content repurposing, sending invoices, sending out their company emails and newsletters, calendar management… the list goes on. And many of these tasks that business owners need help with are super easy to learn, so don’t worry if you are like, “Omg wait I haven’t even done xyz before.” I find clients are more focused on finding an assistant who is a good person and is really good at communicating, is organized, and just someone they overall vibe well with rather than if you have experience in every single task they’d like done. 99% of the time, they are going to teach you what needs to be done.
Even if you have already done the task before, they might want it done a different way or on a different platform than the person you have done it for. There are a lot of the same tasks we do for clients, but they all have slight variations to them based on the clients systems, processes and strategies.
But digress, my point is that as long as there are businesses, especially online businesses, popping up, there will ALWAYS be a need for virtual assistants. And the good news is that as you gain experience and figure out exactly what it is you want to offer, you could even specialize in things that you see has a higher need and you could be the one to fill that gap!
Now maybe you are thinking, “Okay great, there are a lot of people that need VA’s but girl, there are also a lot of VA’s out there too.” This is true, there are– and I think we are going to see an increase in the next few years in the industry! But that doesn’t mean you can’t be successful, and I think that is kind of an example of supply and demand. If online businesses and brands are increasing, it would make sense that more and more people are becoming virtual assistants or freelancers.
The most important thing to remember is that at the end of the day, you are not going to be a good fit for everyone and THAT IS OKAY! Just like there are clients that won’t be a good fit for YOU. I mean, when you walk into the grocery store, how many brands of bread are there in the bread aisle? Or cheese in the refrigerators. Or cereal in the cereal aisle? A lot, right? But all of them have something slightly different about them: maybe it’s their price, or the quality, or what they are used for… options are a GOOD thing, both at the grocery store and in online business.
There are things about you that make you the right choice for certain clients. You stand out for a particular reason. Find confidence in that!
So no, I don’t think the VA market is oversaturated. I am constantly talking to people who need to hire help and many don’t even know where to start because they are so overwhelmed with tasks in their business they either don’t have time for or don’t want to do anymore. This means it’s time for YOU to put yourself out there, and find the people you are meant to work with.