So you are ready to start working as a virtual assistant, but you don’t know where the heck to find your first client? Don’t worry, here’s the EXACT strategy I wish I had when I was just starting out. Get all the steps to land your first client, free templates to make the process faster, and even tactics for introvert VA’s!
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- How To Get Clients As A Virtual Assistant [I Landed One In My First Week!]
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How To Get Clients As A Virtual Assistant [I Landed One In My First Week!]
When people started using AI to make translations, I, a certified translator, became desperate because that meant that I was going to suffer financially, and I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills.
Indeed, I started receiving less and less work from my clients, and I KNEW that I needed to find another way of making money.
I noticed that on freelancing platforms there was a huge demand for virtual assistants, so I decided to get a chance.
Guess what? I landed my first retainer client in my first week!
I was so happy because I knew that was the beginning of a fulfilling career path that could help me provide for myself financially.
Now I want to share with you the exact strategy I used to attract clients with resources to make the process even more streamlined.
Let’s get started!
Define Your Services + Niche
Before you can attract the right clients, you need to know what you actually offer and who you’re offering it to.
When you’re just starting out, it’s totally normal to accept a variety of clients and tasks.
This builds your resume and portfolio and helps you figure out what you enjoy.
But, over time, the goal is to niche down because specialists typically charge more and stand out faster in a crowded market.
So…What can you offer right now?
Make a list of your current skills, tools you know how to use, and tasks you feel confident doing. This could include calendar and inbox management, customer service, social media scheduling – you name it.
Once you have a list, decide which services you’re most excited to offer and start from there.
Then ask yourself: Who do you want to work with?
To choose your niche, consider these questions:
- What industries or topics do you love talking or learning about?
- Who would you love to support (coaches, creatives, e-commerce brands, real estate agents, etc.)?
- What kind of work do you love doing (design, tech, writing, admin)?
- Do you prefer working behind the scenes or interacting with clients directly?
You can also use this VA Niche Picker to make the decision process faster!
Set Up Your Online Presence
You can be amazing at what you do, but if no one can find you online, getting clients will feel way harder than it needs to be.
Your online presence doesn’t have to be perfect.
It just needs to show that you’re legit and ready to work.
When someone looks you up, they should get a clear picture of what you offer and how to reach you. That’s it.
Here’s the bare minimum you need to get started:
→ A simple one-page website
→ A LinkedIn profile
Before you panic, I can assure you that you don’t need a full website with 10 pages and a blog. Just one clean page is enough to show:
- Who you help and what you do
- A short intro about yourself
- The main services you offer
- Your contact information
For this, I highly recommend Carrd.co.
It’s super easy to use, and you can make something professional-looking in under an hour, even if you’ve never built a website before. It’s only $19 per year.
You can check how to design a simple site in Carrd step by step in this post!
As for your LinkedIn, again, my recommendation is to take it easy and improve it with time.
If someone’s considering hiring you, they’ll probably look up your profile before anything else, but you don’t need to build the most optimized, keyword-stuffed profile of all time.
Here are my top tips for your LinkedIn profile:
- Profile picture: upload a clean headshot with good lighting and a neutral background. Look friendly and relaxed. Wear something you’d feel confident in on a Zoom call with a client (doesn’t have to be formal; just put-together and polished)
- Headline: Be specific and follow this format: “Virtual Assistant for Coaches | Systems, Automation & Admin Support”
- About section: Use it to tell potential clients who you help, what services you offer, and how to get in touch. Here’s an example you can use for inspiration:
Hi, I’m [Your Name] — a Virtual Assistant who helps online coaches stay organized, consistent, and fully focused on what they do best: changing lives.
I specialize in behind-the-scenes support so you don’t have to stress about your inbox, calendar, systems, or social media. Whether you’re scaling your coaching programs, managing a group offer, or launching a new course, I help keep everything running smoothly.
Services I offer:
– Calendar & email management
– Client onboarding and admin
– Simple automation setup (HoneyBook, Dubsado, Zapier)
– Social media scheduling and content repurposing
– Community support (Facebook groups, Kajabi, Slack)
Looking for help or want to see how we can work together? Visit yourwebsite.com or reach out via DM and let’s chat about your project!
- Job history section: here you want to highlight how you can help clients by referring to personal projects and formal experience, if any. Include 1–2 lines of context (who you worked with, what type of business), bulleted tasks (focus on tools used + responsibilities), and mini wins if possible (for example, if you increased engagement by 30 % in one month on your hobby Instagram account by using content batching and story polls, you can use that).
After creating your profile, start engaging with your dream client’s posts, reacting to their updates and leaving thoughtful comments.
Then you can connect and start conversations with them!
RELATED POST:
Prepare Your Tools
Before working with clients, you should prepare the tools to communicate with them and complete project tasks.
Here are my top tools that help me present myself professionally and stay on top of all projects.
Communication Tools
- Professional Email (to set up the business email that you’re going to include in your website and professional platforms, here’s an easy tutorial on how to do it!
- WhatsApp/ Slack (for sending and receiving messages fast)
- Zoom/Google Meet (for videoconferences)
Client Acquisition & Onboarding Toolkit
- Contract Template (You can use tools like Dropbox Sign to sign the contract; it allows you to sign up to 3 docs per month in the free plan. Then, you can send it via email or WhatsApp).
- Invoice Template
- Business Proposal Template
- Calendly (to let clients schedule calls and meetings according to your availability).
- Google Drive/ Dropbox (to create shared folders clients can upload files to).
BTW, all the docs you need to onboard your client are included in my free VA Client Acquisition Toolkit! Get instant access to:
– customizable Zoom & Meet backgrounds,
– contract templates (hourly, project, and retainer-based),
– invoice templates, and
– a business proposal template.
It also includes the pitch templates and the resume that got me 2 new clients! Grab the free toolkit below!!
Project Management Tools
With a project management tool, the client can assign tasks to you and see your progress; these are my favorite tools, but you can choose whichever you like.
Take into account that the client might already be working with one of these, and you have to know how to use them:
- Trello
- Click-Up
- Asana (my favorite one)
Tap into Your Existing Network
If you are just getting started and want to get your first VA clients, then everyone and their cat SHOULD know that you are a virtual assistant.
There’s no way around this.
So, start with your existing network! This includes friends, family, colleagues, even the guy who works at the grocery store two blocks away. No kidding here.
If you already know someone who runs a small business, even better. Help is always needed when building and scaling a business.
Announce on your socials that you are a virtual assistant offering her services; it could be something like,
‘Hey, I’m [your name] and I offer [email management, social media posting, graphic design, calendar management] services for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Reach out via DM or send me an email at [your email] and let’s discuss your project! Here is my website if you want to know more about me [include URL]’.
Don’t wait to be ready. Your next client might be just an announcement away!
Start Sending Proposals In Freelance Platforms
This is one of my favorite ways of getting clients as a virtual assistant because this is how I got my first two clients!
In these platforms, clients post their projects and freelancers send them proposals, where they explain shortly how they are going to help them.
Getting started is very easy!
Just sign up, complete your profile with key information (what you do, who you help and how and relevant skills and background), and start sending your proposals.
You can try these top freelancing platforms:
- Upwork
- Freelancer
- PeoplePerHour
- Workana
Don’t know what to put in your proposal?
Here’s a template you can customize according to the project’s details (it’s the one I use to get clients!):
Hey, there!
Nice to meet you, [client’s name if available].
I am [your name], an executive and personal assistant. I have over five years of experience assisting general managers and private clients. In my resume, you can find more information about how I can help you with your daily tasks.
I can assist you with the following activities to save you time [customize them according to the project]:
– General administrative tasks.
– Customer service
– Management of Google Drive, CRM, Canva, email marketing provider.
– Payment management and coordination.
– Personal and professional calendar management.
– And much more.
Relevant qualifications: [insert them here]
[Insert key values like empathy and confidentiality]
Shall we discuss the details?
I look forward to hearing from you.
[Your name].
[Insert resume without contact information as this is prohibited by most freelancing platforms.]
Here are my top recs for sending your first proposals:
✅ Your proposal should be customized and to the point. Don’t send the same proposal to all clients because it would be too obvious.
✅ The client wants to know how you are going to help them: include only useful information.
✅ Let your personality shine through! It helps you stand out.
✅ If the client mentions some tools and you know how to use them, include them in your proposal. If you don’t know how to use them, say that you are a fast learner and are open to using new tools.
✅ Don’t apply for projects you can’t complete or don’t feel comfortable with.
✅ Send as many proposals as possible. You should do this every day, all day. No kidding here if you are new to the platform and want your first reviews.
✅ If a client asks you to give them your personal information or pay to get the job, they are scammers. Report them immediately! Same for those who want to pay you off the platform.
Try Service Testing
If you don’t have testimonials or real client projects to show yet, ‘sampling’ your services can be a great way to open the door to long-term paid work.
The idea is simple: you offer to complete a small task for free, so the client can experience your work style, communication, and reliability firsthand. If they like the results, it becomes easier to transition into a paid arrangement.
You can choose a task that shows your skills but doesn’t take too much time (e.g., organizing a client’s inbox for one hour or creating a simple content calendar)
Define exactly what’s included, how long it will take, and when you’ll deliver it.
After delivering the work, ask if they’d like to continue working together and send a clear outline of your packages or hourly rate.
Use Social Media
Using your socials is a fantastic way of attracting potential clients.
My recommendation is to start with one and then expand to the others if you feel ok with that.
Best platform to hang out and post content for VA’s? Instagram!
Let’s see what you can do to get the most out of this platform.
Instagram For VAs
Instagram is a great place to connect with potential clients, especially if you’re targeting online coaches, creatives, or solo entrepreneurs.
Many of them are active on the platform and looking for support.
The key in IG is showing up consistently and engaging in a genuine way.
Start by interacting with people you’d love to work with.
Comment on their posts, reply to stories, vote on polls, and make yourself visible without selling anything. This helps you build trust over time.
If you are totally clueless about what to post, don’t worry: focus on content that positions you as helpful and professional.
Share simple tips related to your services, behind-the-scenes moments that show how you stay organized, or short testimonials from anyone you’ve helped.
If you’ve worked on personal or practice projects, showcase those too.
Using hashtags can also help new people discover your content.
Start with a few general ones (#virtualassistantservices, #remotework, #onlinebusinesssupport) and mix them with niche ones (#coachesneedvas, #socialmediava, #virtualassistantforhealers).
Also make sure your profile includes a clear bio and relevant links. You can use Linktree to include links to your website, LinkedIn profile, and Calendly.
A clear bio will be as follows:
Your name | Virtual Assistant
I help [coaches, graphic designers, doctors, etc.] save time so they can focus on what they love.
Book a free call! ⬇️ [or a similar call-to-action]
[Linktree link or Calendly link]
Cold Pitch to Your Dream Clients
Some aspiring VAs get terrified at the idea of cold pitching, but it’s very effective!
This would mean reaching out directly to people you’d love to work with, even if they haven’t posted a job.
Start by making a list of businesses or people who could use your support.
Think of coaches, creatives, and solopreneurs running things alone and that clearly need help: maybe their socials or copy is not on point, their branding looks inconsistent across platforms, they haven’t posted on Instagram in weeks, or their sales page still has broken links and typos.
Follow them on social media, engage with their content a bit, and then reach out via email or DM.
Keep your pitch short and focused on how you can help. Mention something specific about their business so they know you’re not copying and pasting the same message for everyone.
Here’s a simple formula:
- A quick intro
- What you do and who you help
- Why you are reaching out to them specifically
- A soft call to action like: “Would you be open to a quick chat?” or “Happy to send more details if you’re interested!”
Bonus: Customize Your Strategy
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to finding clients as a Virtual Assistant.
Your outreach strategy should feel natural and sustainable for you. Whether you’re an introvert, an extrovert, or somewhere in between, you can absolutely succeed!
Now, if you thrive in real-time interactions and aren’t afraid to put yourself out there, consider:
- Going to networking events (virtual or local coworking meetups)
- Hosting live sessions or workshops to showcase your skills
- DMing people directly after engaging with their content
- Sending video pitches instead of written ones for a more personal touch
But if you prefer a quieter approach, try this:
- Create content that speaks for you (Instagram posts, blog tips, LinkedIn updates)
- Send written pitches
- Engage in Facebook Groups by giving value through comments and soft promotion
- Avoid phone-heavy networking
The goal is to work with your personality, not against it.
Start with the methods that feel most natural, then challenge yourself to try something new once you’re more confident.
You get to build your VA business your way!
Wrapping Up: How To Get Clients As A Virtual Assistant
So there you have it! This post was all about how to get clients as a virtual assistant.
These are the exact strategies I applied to get my first two clients, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.
Now it’s time for you to follow these steps, get your first client, and get the money rolling!
I know that you can do it!
You’ve got this.
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