You started your Virtual Assistant business with a specific plan to do something that you knew you had the skills and talents for, you would enjoy doing, and—most importantly—you would be successful at. You carefully charted your course and set out for your destination wearing your Captain’s hat. Somewhere along the way you started wearing more and more hats (Book-keeper, Marketing Director, Social Media Expert, IT, etc.) Now you find yourself stuck in this realm of having no time to focus or take action on what matters most. It’s time to steer that ship back on course and focus on your core strengths. Here’s how:
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- Productivity is crucial because, without action and productivity, nothing gets done. Don’t waste time with activities that don’t add real value to your business and to the lives of your clients.
- Implement systems, common solutions to repetitious and predictable problems.
- With a few well-designed systems and procedures in place, you can free up your time and start working on your business instead of working in your business.
- There is an art to bringing people together and helping them achieve their goals. When the people you serve come to love and respect you and are consistently learning from you, they become eager to purchase the packages and services you offer. This group of people is known as “your tribe,” and having a tribe is the key to having money in the bank.
- Understand your clients’ direction and objectives so you will be better able to serve them and help them achieve their success.
The formula is simple. If you want to explode your business and—by that I mean—attract better clients, make more money, and have more freedom…you must focus on three key areas.
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- Get in front of the right people, at the right time, with the right message.
- Move interested prospects into a sales conversation when they are ready and eager, and keep the lines of communication open.
- Implement systems and structures that will support you, your clients, and the continuous growth of your business.
Remember, as a business owner you are the commander-in-chief. You are the captain of this great vessel. As the key decision maker, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you. Stop working on things that don’t add value to your business or that take you away from making more money. Keep in mind when you hit those rough waters, a Virtual Assistant Mentor Coach could be your first mate to return you back to smooth sailing.
If you feel that you are ready to step up to the next level in your Virtual Assistant business, stop trying to figure it all out on your own.
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.
Click to Apply for a FREE VA Business Breakthrough Session
After starting a few businesses and eventually selling them off, I can tell you from personal experience that my first business card ‘should have’ said “Head Dishwasher”. I found myself cleaning toilets, spending my Friday nights cleaning the office after everyone else had left and then finally going over the weeks books to double check on a few deals. But once I started trusting the staff and having faith in others abilities to do what was expected of them, then it all came together.
Starting your business is more then just putting up a shingle and hoping for the best, it’s about having faith in your abilities and those of the people that you hire.
I think the metaphor of the captain makes a lot of sense. Another key point is that a captain cannot go it alone–a successful ship has a great crew. But for some of us, even though we know it would be wise to delegate, it can be hard to let go of absolute control.
As someone who has built my indie business totally on my own, I have been hesitant to expand into having any permanent employees, but at the same time I know I could grow my business if I had some help. After checking out your list of services, I think I’ve found a middle ground I feel comfortable with. 🙂
Getting in front of the right people at the right time, and with the right message sums up just about everything people need to know to succeed in today’s business world. It’s not about how hard you work any more, it’s about who see you do it.
I like this boat captain analogy. It makes sense not only because we are “captains” of our business, but because the nature of the sea is something that is constantly changing. At times we can go of course or hit stormy seas, and at others it is smooth sailing and fun in the sun. Regardless of the climate though, it is beneficial to have others along for the ride. It would be terrible to just want others around during the hard times (on the rough seas!), because the best relationships (business or otherwise) go through the tough hurdles together, and enjoy the peace and stability found in other moments of our lives. As a solo entrepreneur myself, I’ve been consistently learning to let go a little bit, roll with the tide, and bring others along for the ride when possible. Of course, I am selective with who gets to be on my crew, but with the right people a business can be more than just a financial adventure. It can actually be fun and an overall good experience! Heck, that’s one reason I started freelancing, to get out of the mundanity of being subservient to an assortment of bosses!