First, what is this ‘pivoting’ your business all about? What does that even mean? Well, it is not a new term, even though it has recently become a popular buzzword. While pivoting your business a decade or so ago was generally used in the start-up world to refer to ‘Plan B’ when ‘Plan A’ wasn’t, well, going as planned, nowadays, it is a bit broader term.
Businesses pivot defensively, to avoid disaster, or proactively, to take advantage of a competitive environment. Most of the pivoting going on lately has been defensive in response to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pivoting carries risks, whether done proactively or defensively, and some of that risk is the unknown. Many of the businesses pivoting recently has been to move their business to a more online business model.
No big deal, right? We have had online businesses for a long time. Well, yes and no. The client-facing part of the business has been online, but the internal client, the business operations, not so much. Business operations, even for online businesses, has historically been based out of mostly brick-and-mortar settings.
So, for most businesses, when you need to do something or learn something you are unfamiliar with, you hire a consultant or a coach to get you through the transition. An expert that has been-there-done-that and knows the ropes.
This is where a VA is essential for pivoting your business online. Virtual Assistants have years of experience with doing business online. They are experts at what they do, and they definitely know the ropes.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS KNOW HOW TO IDENTIFY VALUE IN THE ONLINE SPACE
One of the first questions to ask during a pivot is what value do you deliver with your product or service. VAs know the online space better than most and where there are unmet demands. They are masters at creating solutions that meet people’s needs and creating new value from existing assets. VAs are experienced at converting services to products and vice versa and how to make that into a business.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS ARE ESTABLISHED IN ONLINE NETWORKS
VAs have a wide online network of established connections. By utilizing a VA, you potentially tap into an established referral network of resources, which gets you ahead of the game. This means you are not starting from scratch. VAs already know about electronic delivery methods and other delivery alternatives for your goods and services. Or they know where to find out.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS CAN HELP YOU TARGET CUSTOMERS
A VA worth their salt will know how to help you find your target market and reposition existing offerings for your clientele. They can also help brainstorm and facilitate partnerships and collaborations to tackle obstacles along the way.
WHAT’S NEXT?
It is time to party, that is what! Book a pivot party with me and let us talk about how Paper Chaser Biz can help you pivot your business to the next level of success. Set up a call today!