The Virtual Assistant Industry MUST Change to Survive.

The word

I have some issues with the VA Industry in Australia as it currently stands and I am going to lay them on the table.

VAs in Australia have a lot to contend with.

For example:

  • There are providers who offer the same or similar services who don’t identify as Virtual Assistants (e.g. Bookkeepers, Designers, Website Developers) and charge really good money.
  • There are offshore VAs who charge $5 an hour and who are promoted by business heavyweights who seem to be keynote speakers at every second business event.
  • And there are VAs who are not clear about what they offer, providing every service under the sun.

This is so confusing for business owners. They hear the term Virtual Assistant, and based on the messages out there, think ’cheap labour, low end admin, jack of all trades master of none’. It’s a huge problem for the industry as a whole.

The term ‘Virtual Assistant’ was coined before the Internet became available to the general public. It was simply offsite admin support. People used a Virtual Assistant for secretarial services that are easy to outsource such as typing, transcription and document formatting.

A few years later, when the Internet took over the world, the term was eagerly taken up by anyone offering business administrative support from an offsite location. It got even more confusing when people weren’t sure if a Virtual Assistant was a robotic representation of someone on a website saying hello and talking to visitors, or a real contractor offering administrative support. The former seems to have died out somewhat as people focus on streamlining systems and avoiding Flash elements on their websites. Thank goodness for that.

However, over the years, the cheaper offshore business services seem to have ruled the marketing sphere for the term Virtual Assistant. Big business owners, mainly speakers, are heavily promoting this option and getting the word out there extremely well. And it’s definitely an option.

Meanwhile, most Australian Virtual Assistants are sole traders who don’t have the budget or the audience to really get the message out there that they even exist. And when they do manage to get out there, they seem to be saying this sort of thing:

  • There are heaps of Australian VAs out there that you should hire.
  • Buy local and support Australian VAs.
  • We are better than the off-shore options.

The problem with these statements, in my opinion, is as follows:

  • Buying local isn’t enough incentive for many people, especially with such a huge price difference.
  • Saying Australian VAs are better doesn’t explain why they should be considered as an option.
  • Criticising the offshore options just makes Aussie VAs look scared of the competition.

So I want to let you know what I think needs to change and why.

What needs to change:

  • Standards in Australia need to be higher. Better communication, better follow up, better training. However, to do this, VAs in Australia need to invest in their own businesses and learn how to provide these services virtually in a fabulous way. Some VAs are amazing at this. I see them sucking up new knowledge and implementing it into their businesses and they are exactly the sort of VA I’d want to work with. They take their business seriously and they respect their clients’ businesses. They think outside the square and they find solutions. Always. They INVEST in themselves and in their business. But we need more VAs to be doing this.
  • Australian VAs need to be clear about why they are worth what they are worth and communicate this well. Your worth is not based on your country. Your worth is based on the outcomes you deliver to your clients. Your outcomes are determined by your knowledge, learning, ideas, implementation, follow up and attitude. Your knowledge, learning, ideas, implementation and attitude are determined by your experience, commitment and training.
  • Australian VAs need to identify as providers of their specific skillset. Yes, you fit into the VA Industry; but what are you? A Social Media strategist? Website Developer? CRM Specialist? Online Business Manager? Bookkeeper? Copywriter? Most of these providers, when set up as contractors rather than staff, work remotely. So being virtual is part and parcel with these offerings – it’s more about what the problem is that you solve rather than where you do it from. Focus on the service, not the “virtual assistant”.
  • More VAs need to outsource. VAs who are scared of outsourcing lose out because they: 1. Are not practicing what they preach, 2. Can’t put themselves into the shoes of their clients who HAVE outsourced and 3. Are not able to see for themselves what works well and what doesn’t. You don’t run a hamburger shop without tasting the hamburgers.

Why we need to make these changes:

  • If we continue as we are, our industry will never grow in strength or stability. The VA industry is over 20 years old. Yet most people still don’t know what it is or how it works.
  • To remain as we are, most VAs will continue to charge less than they are worth or be challenged when they do charge what they are worth.
  • Without a stronger industry and better understanding of their value, VAs will not be making the money they need to continue to learn what they need to learn, to be that amazing asset to their clients.
  • Prospects will always hear the term Virtual Assistant, and automatically rank it as a lower end administrative service that can be sourced for $5 an hour offshore.
  • The Industry will never be able to speak as a strong force, to those in positions of power, such as government and funding bodies.

The Virtual Assistant industry in Australia is wonderful. It has incredible people within it. It also has some less than professional providers – as does every industry. It’s a wonderful industry to be a part of.

But it’s not a charity.

It’s not a hobby.

It’s a very, very, important income for many families, and a valuable solution for many businesses.

The Virtual Assistant industry could be hugely beneficial to all Australian businesses – especially small to medium enterprises – providing growth opportunities and better work/life balance.

The industry needs to take itself seriously to be heard and to grow.

And now is the time.