By 2023 alone, the virtual consultant marketplace surged into becoming a $343 billion business. It was empowering 40% of all independent virtual consultants globally in 2023 [Data source: Gitnux].
According to ILO (International Labor Organization) estimates, in 2026, we currently have a global workforce of 3.3 to 3.5 billion people.
With remote work reaching historic highs, ever – 52% of the global workforce is working remotely now. Of them, many have donned the robes of a virtual consultant in the process [source: Yomly].
Virtual consulting is a significant but minority subset of the entire global population, with 1.7-1.8 billion estimated remote workers in 2026.
When it comes to preferences while analyzing the sudden surge, Robert Half’s data shows 50% prefer hybrid and 25% prefer remote working opportunities.
This is facilitating people to care for their lives while earning their living. On the other hand, Zoom’s latest survey titled “Navigating the Future of Work: Global Perspectives on Hybrid Models and Technology” showed that 83% agreed they get more work done in a remote or hybrid setting. Thus, this entire evolution is giving way to a new kind of emerging global talent economy.
The shift is imminent, the platforms are overcrowded, and the crowd is not earning enough while they are spending a lot of their time trying to decode these platforms. They are losing what they stayed for – a proper work-life balance.
Now is the time for some simple virtual consultant platforms with an easy consultant onboarding process in place to thrive. It can work to minimize the adversaries in the form of existing platforms, and this is where we are headed with VirtUp.
Platforms like VirtUp are not just participating in the shift; they are indeed involved in shaping the next frontier on how expertise gets discovered, deployed, and scaled.
The platform is shaped by a group of virtual consultants, and it is keeping its doors open for consultants who want to share their expertise on what could make VirtUp far friendlier and even better.
Basically, operating as an advisory consultant marketplace, it aims to sell knowledge, judgment, and experience. Even though it promotes 1:1 consultation and post-consultation task completion process, it isprimarily aimed at promoting virtual consultations.
What plagues the industry the most?
The constant bidding wars, and extreme platform dependency. Each platform began by promoting client and consultant collaborations but then shifted to become platforms promoting their own profit-oriented interests at the cost of the virtual consultants – those very people who brought them profit in the first place.
We plan to reverse this monopoly.
In short, what VirtUp is?
VirtUp is a platform for paid 1:1 advisory services, built for virtual marketing consultants, coaches, and specialists. It is designed around trust, pricing power, and client ownership.
What VirtUp is not?
- It does not intend to continue the race-to-the-bottom pricing model prevalent in most freelance marketplaces.
- There is no middleman option in it, which means we plan to keep it clean.
- The working of the platform is simple – you create a profile and a consultation card highlighting your expertise, and we match your profile with our present list of clients.
- If your profile is promising, we will refer the client to you, and thereon, you can start communicating with them.
- All this takes time to read, but the process is way quicker. All you need is a complete profile and a consultation card. Once you have these, you can start onboarding projects with promising clients.
- We have kept the middleman away. There is no scope for the growth of middlemen in all of it.
- We also don’t take any commission from your earnings, which means you can have all that you earn for yourself.
What do we at VirtUp do differently than others?
1. At VirtUp we have singularly removed the issue of lock-ins.
We proudly state that we don’t bind our virtual consultants or our clients into the platform.
Many are asking us to elaborate on it.
Here’s what we mean by it –
We don’t lock in our virtual consultants, which means we don’t cage them. You are free to build long-term client relationships, and that means you are free to pick up your clients from VirtUp.
We kept the virtual consultant onboarding process simple. Consultants can close as many projects as they want with these clients both on or off-the platform. Even clients can search from the list of consultants easily on VirtUp.
As an example, here’s what a virtual consultant can do on VirtUp.
After creating an account, a consultation card, and post subscription, when a client is routed to a consultant, they can review and decide on the project from their end.
If they happen to accept the project, consultants cancontinue doing it through the platform or take it off the platform. Once the consultant’s onboarding process from the client end is complete, the very first project itself can be done without being within the confines of the platform.
But if you are doing it through the platform, you have the option to get paid instantly, soon after the consultation comes to a close. If you do it outside the platform, you will need to communicate with the client on the payment process and method.
Again, within the same month, the same client, impressed by your work, connects back to you and wishes to have more consultations. You can then take these consultation sessions beyond the walls of VirtUp if it suits you.
You can receive the payments in your personal bank accounts or whichever way seems beneficial to you. Post this, you can ask the client to leave a review on VirtUp for your work. This review helps optimize your profile on VirtUp, and keeps bringing more clients in.
Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it what you’ve always wanted?
2. We have an all-free-to-display calendar
With VirtUp, we don’t have hidden fee structures, and virtual consultants can play it well. It means your calendar is yours, and you can display it to your prospective and current clients without having to pay us to do so.
This way, we are attempting to promote a rich work life culture. We understand consultants can feel worn out; you too have a life to go back to and your innate needs.
When working with VirtUp, we are trying to ensure every consultant working with us can have a life away from work, and the free-to-display calendar is a step forward.
3. Establishing a united close-knit community
A community supporting each other can be a massive turnaround, a support system that can surpass all shortcomings. Becoming a virtual consultant isn’t just a pay-grade elevating structure, but it also comes with a certain set of responsibilities.
Catering to that set of responsibility involves adding to the knowledge base and ensuring self and surrounding growth in a healthy direction. Through our various community efforts, we plan to offer you the same level of commitment from our end, and we want to offer you an opportunity to grow beyond yourselves.
The first step to it is our LinkedIn community where we plan to have a healthy one-on-one collaboration and conversation possible.
Why Did We Plan to Bring Virtual Consultants VirtUp?
Were all the platforms not enough that we thought of adding another one?
Well, you have a point in it.
But here’s what we have to say.
1. If you want to avoid the suffocating crowd of other platforms, join VirtUp
In here, we plan to keep it leaner, structured, and more concise to make the entire setup more concrete and cohesive.
How VirtUp Assists Virtual Consultants: Stand out for what you know. Stop being known as an expert available cheaply.
2. Stop bidding for the lowest price wins – you deserve to earn your worth
VirtUp plans to offer a way to help with skill appreciation.
We want to have a responsive and responsible crowd of clients who want you to earn the value you add.
How VirtUp Solves It: No bidding wars, pay for the real value.
3. Removal of trust gaps
In VirtUp, you can remove the trust gaps by owning your communications. Use any channel of communication that suits your client and you; we wouldn’t restrict you.
Sign NDAs if that can improve the long-term client consultant relationship metrics for you.
Agree on the way you can work together and build a long-term client – consultant working relationship right in place.
How VirtUp Solves It: Through no lock-ins and easy, free communication means, VirtUp solves the problem of establishing trust-based businesses better.
BYOC also reduces trust gaps, and we strongly promote it. Bring your own clients on VirtUp and establish long-term relationships with others and your existing client lists.
4. Platform hidden fees and barriers
Earnings are reduced by commissions and hidden costs. Don’t compromise on your earnings. Keep 100% with VirtUp.
How VirtUp Solves It: Work with clients who need your expertise and don’t lean on quick-fixing clients.
We have a plan wherein we are interested in onboarding the first 100-cohort of virtual consultants.
This group, we must say, is extremely special to us.
A group which we will facilitate in different ways in the long run.
Here’s what we plan to do for those who join us as part of the cohort.
- We give them a feature-finding badge.
- VirtUp offers more visibility and credibility to these virtual consultants
- We will offer more call booking opportunities
- Revenue boosters for them all alongside
- No subscription fee for the next 2 years
- Priority access to the inbound demand
- Feature options for your profiles across social channels
What is it that you do for us in return?
A little goes a long way for us.
- Create a consultation card on VirtUp.
- Share your newly created VirtUp profile on your social media platforms.
- Bring your own clients (BYOC) to VirtUp.
- Tell us what we can do better with the platform.
VirtUp is being built for virtual consultants, and we are not planning to keep them out.
If you are in search of an ideal platform, exploring VirtUp and giving it a little time could be the next best step you might be taking in 2026.
Amid all this rush, cutthroat competition, being on a platform and not planning to dilute yourself could be a scenario we all are somewhere aiming to reach.
FAQs
Why VirtUp is different for virtual consultants?
VirtUp is helping create a balanced client consultant environment where clients can flourish as much as consultants. With no commission, no lock-ins, no hidden fees, and free communication opportunities you can do a lot more for yourself on VirtUp as a virtual consultant.
Why being, in a good consultant marketplace become a necessity now?
A consultant’s marketplace that does not feed on your hard-earned money, doesn’t dilute your expertise, and doesn’t feed on your capabilities, or takes you down a winding path is essential to preserve sanity, resources, and a balance between life and work.
How do you benefit from the 100-cohort of virtual consultants?
You get a verified badge, exceptionally good credibility, and significant visibility with us. You also don’t have to pay the subscription fee for 2 years. With 0% commissions and no lock-ins, we will ensure you thrive on VirtUp.
More call booking opportunities and more revenue boosters, features on our profiles, a virtual consultant can go way beyond with VirtUp.
In return, we ask you to create a consultation card, share your profile within your social media, and tell us how we could make it a better place for you.