Are you spending holidays and weekends working on client projects?
It doesn’t have to be this way, I assure you.
Please allow me to share with you what my personal journey has been like on the way to Virtual Assistant success, so I can potentially save you months, and possibly years, of ‘weekend/holiday work.’
I remember many evenings, weekends, and holidays spent in front of my laptop screen working on my Virtual Assistant business. I worked 16 hour days, seven days a week for YEARS!
I’ve always loved the work, the loyal clients, and when it comes, the income. Though reflecting back on those days, none of it came easily.
I worked like a rabbit to get everything done on my To-Do list, taking time away from family and friends — even on holidays — to work on my Virtual Assistant business!
Many days, I wished I had my OWN Virtual Assistant!
But back then, I could rely only on my resourcefulness and my no-holds-barred drive to succeed.
Back in 2009, within a span of two months, my husband and I both lost our jobs when the U.S. economy took a steep nosedive.
And it wasn’t long before our house was going to short sale and my car was repossessed.
SOMETHING had to change–and FAST!
I had heard about Virtual Assistants and thought it would be the PERFECT business for me!
Aside from the ‘perk’ of being able to work from home in my pajamas (if I wanted to), flat out–I was BORN to do administrative work. I’m super organized, professional, and every one of my bosses all loved me and the work I did for them.
Being a Virtual Assistant yourself, I’ll bet this sounds familiar, right?
I thought, “This Virtual Assistant business ‘thing’ should be a CINCH! I have a computer, I have a fax machine, I’m a great communicator, and I’ve got ‘mad’ skills!”
Let’s get this VA ‘par-tay’ started! Right?
I had no doubt that clients would be lining up to work with me.
or so I THOUGHT…
Hard to believe, but I started my Virtual Assistant business with the only income I had…which was my unemployment check. Talk about bootstrapping! Even coupled with my husband’s unemployment check, we could barely rub two nickels together.
I had to build my Virtual Assistant business FAST — and on the ‘cheap.’
My mother asked a close friend of hers to design a ‘no-frills’ website for me, and she did so free of charge. Then I printed 200 business cards for $10 at Vistaprint.
Virtual Assistant business success—here I come! I could almost smell the money that was going to be coming my way.
or so I THOUGHT…
I spent at LEAST four days (and nights) every single week for MONTHS going to networking events getting my ‘shiny’ new business cards into some willing and open hands.
I HAD to make this work because frankly, I had NO OTHER OPTION!
My Virtual Assistant business was not merely an ‘I’ll supplement my husband’s income’ or ‘I just need some extra spending money’ situation.
My Virtual Assistant business HAD to feed our family and keep a roof over our heads. Though he’s been VERY supportive every step of my VA business journey and in life, my husband had his OWN career stagnation to deal with so essentially, it was my responsibility to ‘bring home the bacon.’
So, what did I do?
Well, aside from networking events, (which did bring in a few nice referrals and long-lasting connections), I did it ALL. You name it. I at least TRIED it.
I jumped on webinars and teleseminars… I ‘Googled’ my way through the information super highway, and I tried, and I tested all SORTS of strategies.
Sometimes I tried and failed… other times I advanced.
I added whatever bits and pieces I thought should be on my website and I managed to find ways of connecting with people who were either ideal clients or knew people who would be ideal.
I spent SO MUCH TIME ‘stumbling’ and ‘fumbling’ and I still have the scars to show for it.
I wished so hard that I could have afforded a Business Coach. Even better, a Virtual Assistant Coach–someone who’s ‘been there, done that’ in my industry. I wished I could have learned from someone who had ‘dialed it all in,’ someone who could TELL me how to price and package my VA services, what elements to include on my website, how I should market my services, etc.
But I just couldn’t afford to pay a Virtual Assistant Coach. Heck, I couldn’t even afford to pay my son’s Baseball Coach!
So I just kept ‘trudging’ along…
I tried a particular pricing model, and when that didn’t prove fruitful, I tried another.
I tried putting my prices on my website, and when that didn’t seem to be working, I took them down.
I spent so much time ‘trying,’ that I grew frustrated, desperate and quite frankly, I was utterly exhausted.
Over time though, the strategies I tried started to prove valuable, so I gathered them together and created some pretty ‘kick-ass’ SYSTEMS, which I then implemented into my business to great effect!
I designed effective systems for EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of how I run my Virtual Assistant business and TODAY I have:
a MARKETING system;
a PROSPECT ATTRACTION system;
a PRE-CONSULTATION system;
a CONSULTATION CONVERSATION system;
a PROPOSAL FOLLOW UP system;
a NEW CLIENT GETTING STARTED system;
a CLIENT CARE system;
and so many other systems—all of which run my business quite optimally.
Although my Virtual Assistant business is very successful today, it did not come easy. I thought it would, but it didn’t.
I didn’t lose faith or give up hope though, and I encourage you not to either.
Being a Virtual Assistant is rewarding—on so many levels. Though you may not be looking to earn six figures as I do, YOU CAN TAKE CONTROL of achieving your goals and fulfilling your destiny.
Because I have a fully-optimized and successful Virtual Assistant business, I’ve been able to excel far beyond my entrepreneurial dreams.
My Virtual Assistant business has enabled me to be TRULY present for my son. I started this business when Spencer was just four years old. I’ve been able to be run carpool for him and all my friends’ kids (the other parents have outside-the-home jobs, so our house is the after school ‘hangout’). I volunteer at his school and help him with homework when he needs it. I was the Den Leader for his cub scout troop, and I’ve never missed a single Little League practice or game. We get to travel, and I take days off whenever I want to.
And one of my greatest rewards is the legacy of hard work and perseverance I get to demonstrate and share with Spencer.
I’ve been a Virtual Assistant since 2009, but it took me FOUR YEARS to be TRULY successful. Now that I have ‘systems’ in place, I can keep my favorite clients long-term, I have referrals on a regular basis, and I have ‘predictable’ income with the unlimited potential for more.
And since 2013:
- I’ve hired and trained a TEAM of Virtual assistant subcontractors which consists of five project managers and three task-based support members assisting my clients and me;
- I’ve earned SIX FIGURES + (annually)–and my income continues to grow month after month;
- In addition to the long-term VA clients I work with, I have a steady stream of referrals (a wait list for my services is not uncommon), and I continue to foster relationships and provide consultation when requested;
- Every year I choose at least one or two Business Mastermind groups to ‘play’ in, which cost in the range of $6k and $10k. (I no longer think of business coaching as a dreaded expense because the advanced level of training I receive always proves to be a worthwhile investment. As long as I implement the advice given—my investment ALWAYS pays off); and
- Following a considerable vetting process, I am a Preferred Partner of the International Virtual Assistants Association. Membership in this Association is what every VA should aspire to. My programs have been endorsed and promoted by this organization since 2015.
BECAUSE I have been able to accomplish and achieve all I’ve shared with you here, I can focus more on the next ‘logical’ path on my career journey. I’ve been striving to transition from BEING a Virtual Assistant to COACHING my fellow Virtual Assistants.
For quite some time, I’ve been ‘moonlighting’ as a VA Coach and have worked privately with dozens of Virtual Assistants one-to-one.
I receive many requests from Virtual Assistants all over the world who are looking for guidance and advice to help them get started or to maintain their path to a joyful workday and greater prosperity (on every level). I have invested major time, money, and effort creating and optimizing my website and my business, and I’m now able to offer that guidance and assistance to others.
With my experience owning and operating a —very successful— Virtual Assistant business I know the most important and requested topics to cover with the VAs I work with, I have created a course for VAs who are still struggling with many of the same issues I’ve long since ‘handled.’
Click here to read what some of my Virtual Assistant Private Coaching clients say about my coaching.
Let me help you shorten your path to VA business success and happiness.
You may not be looking to have a six-figure VA business…I surely wasn’t. But you may be feeling, just like I was, frustrated with the cycle of needing more and more clients to make a better income. I can help you to get out of that cycle!
I’ve spent years training Virtual Assistants and the #1 challenge I hear repeatedly is the difficulty VAs have in getting their business to grow. If this is an issue you have and you yearn for a MAJOR Business BREAKTHROUGH…
I invite you to take advantage of a FREE special “VA Business Breakthrough” coaching session where we’ll work together to…
- Create a crystal clear vision for your “ultimate VA business success” and the “perfect lifestyle” you’d like your business to provide.
- Uncover hidden challenges that may be sabotaging the growth of your VA business and keeping you working too many hours for too little pay.
Just click the link below, let me know a couple of things about your VA business, and then we’ll have a strategy session.
Yes. I am ready for a VA Business Breakthrough!
How much is it costing you to stay where you are; NOT making the income you deserve, NOT helping the people who need your help, and NOT building the Virtual Assistant business you KNOW you can have?
Don’t wait! A year from now you’ll wish you would have jumped on this amazing opportunity!