If you’ve popped in to read this post, then this must be an exciting time for you! You are starting out on your Virtual Assistant or Social Media Manager journey, and are looking for support in building out your packages and offers. Welcome!

While this task may feel a little intimidating at first, we’re going to break it down into the 5 most important steps to take and factors to consider. The best part about the process, is that you get to make these packages entirely your own. There is no one way to be a great VA or SMM, so showing up as yourself and incorporating that into your packages will only help to align you with your dream clients even sooner. 

Zone of Genius – What tasks are you super aligned with?

First and foremost – what do you love to do? What are you really good at? Make a list of all of the services you would be really excited to offer. Don’t think too much about anything else, just focus on what you would like to offer. At this point, if it doesn’t light you up, don’t write it down! 

This exercise will help you narrow down what your niche or specialty may be. By starting off with the things you love, you will be building the foundation for a business you feel great about!

Market Research – How I can help people, and how much should I charge?

So, now that you’ve listed out all of the things you love to do, now it is time to see what your clients need! The best way to gather this information is to go straight to the source! Chat with people who would be your ideal clients, create a survey and post it in a Facebook group (or something similar) with your ideal clients in it. Tip for this tactic: offering a small giveaway or some kind of incentive could help to inspire more people to complete it!

This may seem like a pain in the butt, but it is such an important part of creating your packages! If you don’t know what your client needs, you won’t be able to create a package that will really serve them. If you’re offering the exact solution your client needs, it will make it only that much easier for them to make the decision to work with you! 

Community Analysis – What are others in your industry doing, and how can you bring your own twist on things?

Now, it’s time to put on your best spy outfit and get ready to do some competitor espionage! 

Okay, I’m joking a bit, you don’t need to do anything sketchy in order to see what services and packages your competitors are offering!

“But Jasmin, isn’t it bad to focus too much on other people?”. I hear you – and while I would never suggest that you try to copy someone else, it is important to have an idea of what else is out there! I am a firm believer that each and every one of us has something different to bring to the table, so what works for someone else may not work for you. With that being said, if you’re having a hard time figuring out what kind of packages to offer, checking out someone else in a similar niche as you could help spark a light bulb and give you inspiration for your own packages. 

This is also a great time to analyze what is working for others, and what you would like to do differently than they do. Like I said before, we are all unique, so how would you like your approach to be? While you’re there, also take note of what kinds of prices others in your industry are charging for their services and packages, because that’s where we’re headed next!

Money, money, money! – What is the value included in your packages, and how will that reflect in the price?

After doing some market and competitor research, you may already have an idea of what kind of prices people are charging for the services you want to provide. If not, don’t worry, because you’re going to come up with a number on your own, too.

After combining the services you’d like to offer into their packages, now is the time to decide which price points they will be at. When deciding on the price, some good things to keep in mind are: the time it takes to complete, the amount of experience you have, and what value it will bring to your client. Will you free up enough time for your client to take on 3 new clients of their own? That would be an incredible value! Do you help them to reach their ideal clients with your digital marketing strategies? These are all things to think about and consider when you are creating your packages!

A good rule of thumb is to have 3 offers to start out with, this way, you can offer tiered pricing (a low, medium, and high investment option). When creating VA and SMM packages, these tiers could also reflect the amount of time they will get from you. A low-tier option could be just a few hours a month, whereas a high-tier option would be much more support. Doing it this way gives enough options to give your client the choice, but not too many that they are overwhelmed. 

Tweak as you go  – Don’t be afraid to adapt. What’s working well? What isn’t?

As with everything in this entrepreneurial world, you will end up tweaking things as you go. After your first couple of clients, you may realize that your lowest tiered option, an Instagram engagement subscription, needs to have more hours included in it in order to be truly effective. Or maybe you are offering inbox management as part of your VA package, but it really drains you and you don’t have the energy you’d like to have for the other tasks you offer (so, going forward you won’t be offering that anymore!). 

Don’t be afraid to change things up, try something new, or ask your clients if there’s something else they’d like for you to offer! 

Creating your packages can be such a fun process if you allow your creativity and passion to light it up! With there being so many different ways to do it, allow that variety to inspire you, not paralyze you! You have your own unique way of serving your clients, whether it is with your incredible systems or your quirky personality, someone out there will be looking for exactly what you have to offer. 

Have any questions or insights to share? Leave a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going!