Are you still struggling to find clients for your VA business?

When we start our Virtual Assistant business, we all have the same vision – working on our own schedule, clients calling with work they need done, and money coming in easily.

After a while that shine goes away and we realize that it’s much harder than we thought it was going to be to find those wonderful clients.

But it doesn’t have to be!

If you are struggling, you need to look at what you are doing to find and sign clients.

The first thing you need to identify is where you are looking for clients.

Here are 10 places you can find potential clients to connect with:

1. Facebook

You can find clients in Facebook groups (go and join the entrepreneur groups, not the VA groups!). Start or join conversations with people who are talking about what kind of support they need.

2. LinkedIn

Use the search function in LinkedIn to find people who might be able to use your services. Choose an industry to target and do some outreach to active LinkedIn users.

3. Your phone or email address book

You know more people than you think you do. Go through your phone or email address book (or your Facebook friends!) and look for people who could potentially be your clients, or who might know someone who could use your services.

4. Bulletin boards

Local small business owners use bulletin boards in public places to post their business card. Find and connect with these people on social media and start to build a relationship to see if they need your support.

5. Referrals

Ask your family and friends if they know anyone that might need your services. You have to be very clear on what you offer and who you can best support, but once you know that, it’s easy to ask for referrals.

6. Former employers or clients

Reach out to people you have worked with before to see if they need any help, or if they know anyone who does. Also see if you can get a testimonial from them if you haven’t yet, to put on your LinkedIn profile or website.

7. Email list

If you aren’t building an email list yet, you need to start. These are people who are interested in what you have to offer – and they will be your warmest audience for prospects.

8. Networking event

Attend a local or virtual networking event to connect with people who are looking to connect with other business owners. Remember every small business owner needs support – get out there so they can see you are there to help!

9. Professional associations or organizations

Join your local chamber of commerce or business group where entrepreneurs are connecting. Surrounding yourself with people who are looking to grow their business is an excellent way to find people who will need to outsource work to a VA.

10. Job boards

Of course job boards are a great place to look for clients. These are people who are looking for help right now. It is important to be able to respond quickly, so be sure to have a draft proposal ready to fill in with their requirements to increase your chances of getting an interview.

Clients are everywhere. These are just 10 places to look.

The key is to be looking every day, and to not just be asking people if they need your help, but to be building relationships with communities of people so that they see your expertise.

Once you get talking to people daily about what they need help with and how you might be able to help them, it’s time to invite them to a sales conversation (don’t do this in your first interaction, please!). I’ve recorded a video on my Youtube channel to talk about how to handle that sales conversation. Watch it here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocij3Z8AX3w

About the Author: Tracey D’Aviero is a Virtual Assistant Coach, Trainer, Speaker and Author. After operating a busy VA business of her own since 1996, Tracey began teaching others to run their VA businesses in 2010 through Your VA Mentor. Tracey owns CAVA VA association and teaches and coaches VAs exclusively. She has a vast amount of experience working in many different industries which helps her to offer her students and coaching clients a unique perspective and sound advice. She is a proud advocate of the Virtual Assistant industry. Learn more about Tracey’s journey in the VA industry here.