How to Brand Your Virtual Assistant or “Virtual Service” Business?

When you’re first starting a Virtual Assistant or Your “Virtual Service” Business, your brand is going to be pretty simple and basic. You may or may not have the money to hire a professional at this point, and that is ok.  We all start somewhere with our businesses, right? Steve Jobs did not start out famous =-)

It is very important to remember that your brand is your first impression of your company. Especially when potential clients are coming to you from online traffic. And you have heard it before but I am going to say it yet again, 1st impressions are lasting impressions.

Your potential clients for your “virtual service business” will observe and relate to your brand. It is part of the connection process. The branding for your virtual service business relates to several different elements, including the traditional thinking of your logo, colors, fonts, design to your social element…the message you portray to your audience. It also includes how you speak within your blog post, and your videos and webinars as well.

1. Identify Your Business Vision and Mission. Your vision and your mission must be true to who you are, yet be able to provide a clear understanding of the services you offer in your virtual service business. What do you envision for your company? What is your company’s soul purpose?

2. Identify Your “Perfect” Client. If you could work with anyone, who would that be? What does your ideal client do for a business? How does their type of business impact the world? What are their interests, their hobbies, what do they do when they are not working? More importantly, what is their personality type? Are they “fun and loving” and like to joke or are they “all about business”? Are they mompreneurs or are they business men? Do they offer a product, or do they offer a service?

        3. Identify the Services You Will Provide What type of things do you enjoy working on? What do you excel at? What skills do you currently have? How would you provide value or                      service to the “perfect client”?

4. Choose a Business Name that is easy to remember =-) Easy to remember and spell helps it stick in the potential client’s head. It is best to choose a business name that also has a domain name available as you will be working virtually. You do not need to include “Virtual Assistant” in your business name; that is entirely up to you…but in my opinion the shorter the better so that you don’t have to worry about someone mistyping or misspelling the domain name.

5. Choose colors that represent who you are and what you want to portray.What colors represent your personality? What colors represent you, your business and your brand.

6. Get a Logo Designed. I really recommend that you have a professional logo designed from the beginning even though it is more costly. But there are services that are fairly economical. Check out Swiftly.com when you are getting started out. When having your logo designed remember you will need a icon that can be used across all social media outlets. Make sure the icon represents your brand and your colors effectively.

7. Create a Brand that makes you different from your competition. The fact is, no matter what business you are in…someone else offers the same “service” or product. So what makes you different? Know what makes you different. Understand why your potential client wants to work with you over Jane. Market that within your Brand.

8. What is your “Brand Promise”? Do your potential clients clearly see and understand what they will get by working with you? What will the end result be? More time? A New Website Design?

Your brand is a representation of who you are, and your business. Be true to yourself and your potential clients. Spend time creating your business brand, make sure your message is clear and that your perfect clients will not be able to resist you.

Your brand will evolve over time; it will change as you adapt to the perfect business model for you. It does not have to be perfect right from the start, that is ok. But it is important that you give it some time and focus as you begin to setup your business.

Virtually yours,

~Laura Beth Bastion