Starting Your VA Business pt 3 – Starting Your VA Business Full-Time
Starting your VA business? Whether you start your VA business with clients or from ground zero, congratulations! You did it! You have taken your life and destiny into your own hands and the Association of Virtual Assistants looks forward to support you in the journey.
We don’t want this feeling of excitement to end for you. Your sole focus should be on getting clients and earning money. The #1 question VAs at all stages of their career have is, “Where do I find my clients?” There are many opportunities and well meaning individuals to cause you to lose your focus. However, there is no greater threat to losing focus than not having enough or earning enough money.
The dangerous part of losing focus is that we are often our own worst enemies and mask our worries, doubts, and fears with analysis paralysis. After analyzing we determine if we take one more class, learn the latest software, or when our website it perfect then we’ll be ready. I’m here to tell you these are all very costly mistakes and simply not true!
There is only way one to deal with worry, doubt, and fear and that is to face it head on and immediately. The longer you wait the longer you delay the joy of freedom and flexibility. The pride of creating your own future and destiny.
Here’s the thing you have to remember, there will always be another class you can take, software and new technology is being brought to market much faster than you could possibly learn it all. Your website is never done and finished. You will have to keep it updated consistently.
They are costly mistakes because as you continue to spend money no money is coming in and often you haven’t addressed the real question – who will you serve? Instead, when you finish the class, learn the software, update your website and still don’t have clients you’re first inclination is going to be that you didn’t take the right class, learn the right software, or that your website isn’t right and go back to spending more money to get clients. Yet you are still unsure of who those clients are.
There are plenty of fun and exciting aspects about owning your own business. There’s the look, the branding, the logo. They all make you feel like you’re really in business. If you allow yourself to get caught up in those things – which will change quickly with time – you run the risk of going out of business because you have not focused on clients. Never forget the #1 goal – getting clients. No business can stay in business without clients, customers, or users.
It can be easy to let the day get away from you. You’re a business owner now. An entrepreneur. You must be disciplined with your time the same way you expect and hope your clients will be. This means devoting your time to getting clients. If you follow these steps you can still have time for the “fun” stuff but you will have done the most important thing – lead generation.
Step 1: Reach out to five people every single day and let them know of your services. Over the course of a month you will have contacted 100 people (if you didn’t work the weekends).
Step 2: Know the ONE service you are going to be offering. Think of yourself as a premium high-end brand like Rolex, Mercedes, or Jimmy Choo. Clients trust these brands for the specialty they have and are willing to pay more. Offering more than one service often overwhelms clients and has them thinking of you as a discount store with discount prices like WalMart.
Step 3: Know how your service is going to be of value. This step will greatly help you determine your niche – the clients you want to work with and the clients who want to hire you.
Step 4: Give something of value. Notice the word used is give not offer. Not everyone, including your potential clients are good at receiving. Do not consider your consultation a gift. It is a service. There is always something you can give.
Step 5: Follow-up. Never forget that you are telling your clients how busy they are and that they should hire you. Don’t expect timely responses. Follow up and get a yes, no, or a referral.
Starting your VA business is about making money and quickly. These steps can be as fun as you make them. Plus, if you follow these steps there will be plenty of time and money later to do all the things you want!
This is just the beginning of many other doors to be opened. The AVA will be with you each and every step of the way!
The Association of Virtual Assistants is here for you today, tomorrow, and at every stage of your career. Join the AVA now to get your support.
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