When deciding to leave your job to become a business owner/operator as a Virtual Assistant there are some things you need to think about.
- First, work out your real reason for wanting to do this. It won’t happen overnight and will take months, or even a couple of years to develop so the reason ‘why’ is very important.
- You will need to change your mindset from that of an ’employee’ to that of a ‘business owner’. The buck stops with you and you are responsible for all the marketing, networking, attracting clients and getting the work done.
- A good thing to do is to work out what your realistic expected income should be. Not your wishlist, but rather the real list of things you need to cover. Working at home will mean less expenses in some respects (no regular travel fees, uniforms, bought lunches, childcare, etc) but there will be other expenses to be covered (software, hardware, phone, internet, insurances, taxes, etc). This is the income that you need.
- Once you know what the real amount is that you need to cover you can start planning the real income you want to earn.
- The only way you’re going to achieve this successfully is to set goals and to review them regularly. Make sure they are in front of you in some form so you see them often.
- Develop systems and continue to refine and review them often. Remember, the buck stops with you – you need to hold yourself accountable.
- Don’t forget to schedule time for personal and professional development – make time for yourself and enjoy the process.
- Make time for your family too – after all, aren’t they the reason for doing this?
- Find VA forums and networks and connect with them. You can learn from your peers and get support from them when needed.
- Set a time frame for achieving this. Not one month, or two, but more 1-2 years is a reasonable time.
- Do something every day towards building your business
- Enjoy the process!
