What I Learned After One Year as a Virtual Assistant
A year really does go by in the blink of an eye. I remember how excited I was to receive my letter that Planned in Pink was officially registered. A lot has happened since then. Client calls, contracts signed, designs created, and lot’s of Googling.
I never saw myself being an entrepreneur, as I know next to nothing about business, but just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean you can’t learn. So take it from someone who literally started from the ground up and is still climbing.
Related Post: How I Became a Virtual Assistant
Photo by Caroline the Photographer
You can’t wait for or expect people to be happy for you.
What I mean by this is, there is still a stigma around starting a business. Most people think it will fail or it’s a phase and the only acceptable way to make an honest living is by working in the capitalistic 9-5 workforce. Which there is nothing wrong in doing so, but that is not the only way to make a living.
This may mean that when you break the news to family and friends that you are starting your own business, they might not react the way you want them to. It’s just a lack of understanding. With so many people starting businesses and the way the economy is it is hard to stay afloat.
And don’t assume people aren’t happy for you, assuming is just as bad as the comparison game! Or rather when in doubt, assume positively!
But either way, whether you are receiving bucketloads of support or half-hearted congrats, YOU ROCK and you are doing amazing, and I am rooting for you.
No one but yourself is pushing you to get the work done
I think it goes without saying that being your own boss is both the best and worst part of owning your own business. You are in complete control of your work and time, which is exciting! That amount of freedom can also be scary, as it can be hard to reel yourself in sometimes. It takes a certain level of dedication to get the work done at a reasonable pace, especially when you may not be working on deadlines.
Most likely there will be a level of trust with yourself and clients that you will get the work done without them having to micromanage. This means you have to find out what system works for you. Whether it is setting deadlines, setting a timer, moving pins around, whatever it is, use it.
You don’t need all the flashy expensive courses/ apps to be in business
It definitely costs money to start a business, but there are so many free resources out there. Splurge on the ones that really align with you and your goals, but don’t fall for every sales page. I’m definitely a victim of that! I just want to learn it all and they make it sound so good. But while first starting out, it might be better to just stock up on the freebies and youtube videos to start. Then once the money starts flowing, you can engage with some more high ticket offers and coaches.
Seriously work on your own schedule (seriously)
The whole point of running your own business on your own rules is the freedom! Use it! Because the rest of the world revolves around the 9-5 schedule, it’s natural to also stick with that. All your friends and family are so it makes sense. And while that may be good in general, remember that you don’t have too. One of my favorite parts of being a full time entrepreneur is that I can run errands at 12 pm, I can work until 9 pm and still only work 6 hours total during the day. I can be there to help my parents whenever they need me, and work around it.
Be upfront with yourself and your clients so you can still maintain a work-life balance on your own terms.
Stick up for yourself, everyone else already is
If you are a known people pleaser than starting your own business can be tricky. In those moments where you may need to deal with a tough client or trolls on the internet, it is up to you to stick up for yourself. When you want to raise your prices and are scared of what others will think or really believe in the idea you are pitching, its time to put on the big girl pants and make it happen. Don’t sell yourself short! Everyone else is already making moves and doing the hard things, it’s time we did too. And remember, no one knows how nervous you are unless you tell them.
Business is a mix of research and taking risks
But the balance of this is a line that is so minuscule it’s hard to see. Starting a business is a huge risk in itself, but to be successful, research must be done beforehand. Maybe research isn’t the right word, but rather preparation. When you think about it, every decision we ever make is risk in some way. But when it comes to business and logic and career, we take more calculated risks. I believe you can only prepare so much, that you will get to a point that you are preparing for the sake of preparing and to avoid making the decision. When you get to that point, you know it’s time to either let it go, or take the risk.
My tip for taking risks? Listen to your intuition. The best decision maker is yourself, hands down. And if you listen hard enough the answer will be there.
I’m so excited for what is in store for 2022 for my own business and yours! Leave any business advice you have below!