builderall

????????????



How to successfully launch your VA business

 


It doesn?t matter what kind of business you want to run; the truth is, you always have to run it. Being a self-starter and motivating yourself daily to do even the necessary tasks you don?t love is crucial to building a successful business. If you struggle with time management, organization, and sticking to deadlines, it will be extremely difficult for you to find success as a virtual assistant. Your clients are counting on you to meet your deadlines and get their work completed when you say you will, and if you can?t do that, the client relationship won?t last.


One of the hardest things about working for yourself and working from home is staying motivated and on task. If you work from home, there is usually something else that could be done. It is important to set yourself up with a designated workspace that allows you to focus and avoid distractions. Be consistent, and if you have the ability to do so, set yourself up a schedule for your day that allows for regular breaks. Doing this will make it easier to stay on task while working and help you avoid distractions.


I have been an executive administrative assistant for over 20 years, and I can honestly say I am very good at what I do. I have come across assistants who have been in the field longer than me, and I am more technically savvy. It does not matter if you are an assistant in the office or work virtually; you have to be good at what you do and be a self-starter. More so as a virtual assistant because you are a solo operation. In the office, you might get away with not reaching a target or deadline, but when you are in the business for yourself as a virtual assistant, you have to be able to do the things you said you could do and be able to produce and meet deadlines.

 

Once you have launched yourself into business as a virtual assistant, always go back to your why. Why did you start? What was it that made this business the one for you? Allow yourself to be passionate about what you do. Offer services that you enjoy and that you are good at. Price yourself well, and it will be easier to find motivation on those days when you?d rather be anywhere else. If you are consistent in your message to yourself, you will be consistent in the quality of your work, and your clients will come back time and time again. Starting a new business is hard, no matter what business you are in. Give yourself the best chance of success by utilizing your self-motivation, your desire to succeed, and by doing what you do best every day.

 

How to successfully launch your VA business

 

You have to be dedicated, driven, focused, have the stamina to fail, and get told no over and over again. It is no game to try to live the life you want to live for yourself and your family. Your family depends on you to make this happen. Be ready to put in the work! When you take your business seriously and bring excitement, happiness, and a sense of true purpose to your life, others will see it. Are you willing to make a few sacrifices along the way? If you said, ?Yes,? then you are ready and willing to work hard to go after it!


How do I decide on what services to offer?


To help you decide on services to offer in your VA business, think about the skills you know would make a great service in your business. I don?t recommend offering services that you particularly don?t like to do; however, if you are great at something, you can use that as a starting point in bringing clients to your business. This will give you an opportunity to showcase what you can do and how good you are at it. I would use this method ONLY if you want to start earning money right away.  If not, let?s move on to how to decide on the services you love to offer. I believe what you love and have passion for will bring in profits. Make a list of all things you know how to do, what people say you do best, the things family, friends, and coworkers ask you to do all the time, and the things which do not take a long time for you to do but may take someone else hours to do. Once you make that list, start to circle the services you can provide that you love to do. Start researching other VA companies to see if they offer those services and how much they charge. You want to see if the service is in demand and if there is any competition. You want the competition because then you know you?ve picked a service that clients are looking for.


A list of services you can offer:




How do I price my services so I can start earning income?


This is the most common question I get from my students, apart from knowing what services to provide. A lot of new VAs struggle with what to charge for their services. When we look for a job, we first look at the salary they are offering, right? When we look at the salary offer, we wonder if it will fit into the lifestyle we want. We have to pay rent/mortgage, utilities, food, taxes, etc. Therefore, when we decide on prices for our services, this is the first thing you should consider. Working for another company, the taxes, healthcare, and other expenses are deducted from your check. So, you are now responsible for doing this in your business. When we are considering hourly rates for USA virtual assistants, it can range anywhere from $20+ per hour depending on the services you provide. It is so easy to figure out what rate to set up by adding up all of your expenses/taxes and determining the salary you want to earn, e.g. ($50,000), we?ll add these two together to get x(expense/tax) + salary ($50,000) = (x +$50,000). You will get the total annual earning and divide that by billable hours for the year, and you will get the rate per hour.


These methods are further explained in the virtual assistant business workshop and in the blog called, 7 Sure-Fire Ways to Start a Profitable Virtual Assistant Business.



Remember when you are launching your business to keep these pointers in mind:


 

Motivate Yourself

 

No one said that being a business owner was going to be easy. If you think that right now, I suggest you stay at your full-time job. This is why I talk about having passion first. Having the passion, knowing your purpose, your ?why,? and genuinely wanting to help others will help you stay motivated. Motivation will give you the second wind you need to get things done. However, sometimes it doesn?t work in every moment. This is why having people around you for support, the ?Team You,? will help you get back on track. If you do not have a support person, I highly suggest you start networking and find people in the virtual assistant industry or any other entrepreneur to help you stay accountable and cheer you on when you are down and out. I call my Dad every time I feel deflated, and sometimes he calls me, but once he hears the okay voice, he puts me back on track. If you?re finding getting something started or finished challenging, things like affirmations or a motivational speaker to listen to from time to time to give yourself some encouragement can keep you going. When you are trying to reach those long-term goals, make sure that you have clear and manageable goals so that you maintain your motivation throughout the process.

 

Avoid distractions

 

I am a single mom, so avoiding distractions can be challenging, but I have worked it so that I will not be distracted when I am trying to get things done at home. It is tough sometimes when you are running a business from home. Some of us have family, or for those who live alone, we can get distracted from thoughts, behavior, our DEVICES, social media; all play an important part in our daily lives but can hinder our focus. In order for you to stay focused and get things done, you should ensure that you are working in an area that will help you avoid distractions, have a dedicated workspace that your family members know is off-limits, picking a time where you work at your best, scheduling time to work on projects or tasks when your children are at school, every night creating a list of things you need to get done the next day, and trying to stay off social media while you are getting things done. This was one of my biggest problems because I have a Facebook group and other groups that I am the ambassador of; therefore, I have to tune out of my social media to get some work done. The point is to remove those distractions!

 

Stay consistent

 

I struggled with this in the beginning stages of my business. I was so excited that I kept jumping from idea to idea or would start a project and never finish it because I started another. I was all over the place. I felt overwhelmed, defeated, and I did not have a clear direction on what I needed to do for my business. I have been an executive senior assistant for over 20 years now, and I had to stop and re-evaluate myself. I had the key to consistency for years by setting and achieving my goals at my 9 to 5. I was the queen at setting the goals and making things happen, which resulted in repeat promotions. If you struggle with consistency, start by determining how you want to be more consistent, keep yourself motivated and accountable. It may take you some time to master it, so set up small goals to achieve, and if you can consistently achieve them, you will be productive throughout the process.

 

Be blessed, stay focused, and live the life you want!




Did you find This Blog Post Helpful?

If you did, let me know in the comments below!

And feel free to share this post with your friends. 




Name it, Claim it, Faith it, & Take Action!

Sis, Start Your Biz!


Teekwa Scarborough 

Business Christian Coach 


FREE Consultation: "30 min Consultation"

Book me!

Hire a VA or VA Team

Book us!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachteekwa/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachteekwa