The concept of starting a virtual assistant staffing agency is one that took off during the recent pandemic, as most businesses resorted to conducting operations by remote locations with employees scattered throughout their individual residences. When virtual assistants demonstrated remarkable initiative and capability at working remotely, the concept continued in popularity and today is an established form of an administrative title. Starting an agency focused on staffing virtual assistants is exciting and challenging. In the following, we will discuss ways to build clientele, create marketing strategies, inform growth and prepare to scale the agency within a few years. There is certainly money to be made in a virtual assistant staffing agency.
The first part of establishing a virtual assistant staffing agency is found in the creation of a business plan. The template business plan includes critical elements that describe the business concept and goals, conduct market research, compare competitors, and create marketing strategies. In addition financial plans and a forecast are included, in the event lenders or investors will want to fund the startup. Let’s get started!
First, form your business mission, describing how you considered starting the business and then took it further by researching and examining the success of remote-based businesses. Also, construct your objectives with the current and future picture of the business. Describe the short-term objectives, strategic decisions, and the anticipated traction to be gained in the near future.
Next, examine the target audience of your agency, which will be comprised of executives who are seeking qualified candidates to fill administrative roles. Conduct research to determine the candidates who most fit their personnel needs, the scope of the virtual assistant position, and specific responsibilities that need to be fulfilled. Your clientele will inform your next steps in this regard, as you execute the request to find virtual assistants that fit the needs of the organization.
Perform research on the demographic image of the perfect candidate to fill the virtual assistant role. What tasks do they perform, what are the expectations of the candidates, and are there expectations on the part of the employer that candidates will occasionally visit the work site? Such questions help build the image of the candidate that will help with marketing strategies in finding applicants for virtual assistant positions.
In the next step, you’ll want to continue building your business plan by analyzing competitors. Check directories and online outlets that may market positions for virtual assistants and determine the characteristics of those who apply. What experience do they have? Will they be approachable and professional? Determine the salary or contract pricing offered by competitors and how hours or other initiatives are used to indicate the value the virtual assistant brings to the company. Analyze the data to tabulate findings and assess the competitors to decide the unique and different ways your virtual assistant staffing agency will be set apart from others.
Following this, you’ll consider using the results of your analyses to begin the search for virtual assistant candidates. The strategies you employ should include the parameters of the available positions: length of experience, capability to provide remote assistance to business executives, as well as conducting research and organizing data. In addition, virtual assistants interact or host customers or clients on behalf of their employer and perform additional duties, such as updating calendars or filing documents.
After completing this step, you are ready to begin creating the marketing messages that virtual assistants will want to hear: work from your own home, receive a magnificent salary, organize one person’s day-to-day business, enjoy a degree of autonomy over your position, and learn the scope and sequence of positions held within the business.
Create an opportunity to inform your client regarding the best candidates for the position and indicate the high points of each resume. Arrange interviews with the candidates and the client and schedule them as requested by the client. After the interviews, you’ll want to conduct an exit interview with both the client and the candidate to determine next steps. This process typically results in at least one hire from a pool of candidates, with contracts signed and a new hire in training.
In the final step of your business plan, you’ll engage in impactive marketing strategies to build your cadre of candidates for virtual assistant positions and continue building the relationships of those who will hire them. Your virtual assistant staffing agency will soon be profitable with a very bright future ahead.