Difficult Decisions Virtual Assistants Make – When Did You Know? Pt. 4
Difficult decisions virtual assistants make has been the theme for the month. I encourage you to check out the prior blogs this month.
Part 1 – Hearing about and deciding to become a VA
Part 2 – Feeling like the CEO of your business and what title you use
Part 3 – The first time you raised your rates and earning six figures
Growing your business can happen in a number of different ways. Whether or not you have a team or an agency, hiring your own VA to assist you is crucial to your business. You have now become a client.
Q. When did you know you needed to hire your own VA in order to grow your business?
Bonnie Schutz, of Tandem Resource Solutions, LLC had a more extreme situation, “After losing my business partner and gaining more than 5 clients!”
While we can tend to think of hiring a virtual assistant to do the work that we do to grow our business. I like to encourage VAs to think about hiring other types of assistants to make their lives easier. It could be a housecleaner, a nanny, ordering a chef or food service. Anything that gives you time back in your day to make life easier and enjoy the freedom and flexibility desired.
I remember when I knew I needed to hire a VA. In one of the very first interviews I did I was asked what my goal for the coming year. I remember telling the woman that I wanted to hire a social media virtual assistant. Only a few weeks later I became frustrated again with my expenses and keeping track of everything. Not only was I not good at it. It was difficult on my mindset and how I felt about owning my own business. I knew then and there that I needed to hire a VA bookkeeper and couldn’t wait to make that first hire!
Q. When did you know you wanted to grow your business by starting an agency (team)?
Rhonda and Bonnie knew they wanted an agency (team) right away. However, that’s not the case for everyone and that’s okay! There is no one right way or wrong way to grow your VA business and there are more opportunities than you think.
Q. When did you know you wanted to grow your business but didn’t want to take on a team?
Barbara Grealish said, “When my charter clients asked about my VA work and how they can help grow my business. I want to stay solo because I don’t want to add managing staff to my full plate. Looking ahead, it might be an option when I’m gliding into retirement, but not right now.”
This is extremely important to note. You do have options. You can make your own choices. Isn’t that the freedom and flexibility you wanted by deciding to become a VA? Owning your own business is not a linear path. This isn’t a ladder to climb. You are in control and get to navigate the direction you choose. That’s just one of the difficult decisions virtual assistants make.
Never forget there are opportunities waiting around every corner. However, you have to be willing to turn those sometimes scary and unknown corners. Looking for guarantees isn’t the answer. Recognizing being your own boss comes with unlimited possibilities that give you the best questions to ask of yourself. So, when did you know?
Join the Association of Virtual Assistants and share your stories, successes, and gain support from a like-minded community. This is your place to be valued, heard, and recognized as an industry-leading VA. The AVA is the place that wants nothing more than to support and celebrate your success!
