Celebrating 10 Years
It was March 30, 2000. Ten years ago today I graduated from
AssistU as a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant and started my business
as a VA. Nobody that I knew had heard of Virtual Assistance back then. It was Y2K and the
internet was so new to most people. I
remember my friends and family warning me that AssistU may not be legitimate. They
were all concerned and said I should be cautious and really know what I was
getting into. While I appreciated their concern, I knew deep in my heart that
this was what I wanted to do and I also knew that AssistU was the only place to
start. It turned out that I was right. I’m still here, 10 years later, and so is
AssistU.
In those 10 years, I have worked with many smart, successful small business
owners. I currently have 9 wonderful clients and 5 of those clients have been
with me for 9 years.
I feel very blessed today – blessed that I have had such
great opportunities. But I am also quite proud of myself today. I feel proud that I started my own business and have kept it going for 10 years. Proud that I stepped
out of my comfort zone, listened to my wise self and attracted such amazing
clients.
Now it’s time to ask, “What can I create in the next 10
years?”
The Obvious is Not Obvious to Everyone
I recently read Stacy’s post on dot connectors and it got me thinking. Over the years I’ve had many situations where I was
presented with a project or idea from a client and it seemed as if they were
missing what I thought was a very obvious piece. When I would reply to the
client, mentioning this oh, so obvious piece, their response was almost always,
“Oh, yeah! I didn’t think of that!” This proves that what YOU know is not
always common knowledge, no matter how “common sense” it seems. We all
have different experiences, perceptions, values and beliefs. Sometimes we need a
different perspective to see the “obvious”.
and share your ideas and dreams with them. The answer to something you’ve been
struggling with may be obvious to someone else.
Moving Forward
It's been 4 weeks since the What's Next retreat I blogged about a few months ago. I have accomplished more to grow my business in the last 4 weeks than I have in the last 4 years. I'm not exaggerating. At this retreat, hosted by the amazing Stacy Brice of AssistU, I was able to go away for 3 days and focus on my business without interruptions or distractions. I gained clarity on where I wanted to go and how I was going to get there. I created a detailed plan including all of the baby steps to get me from where I was to where I wanted to be. I am moving forward for the first time in a long time. I am inspired, motivated, focused and productive.
The biggest lesson I learned from this experience is that in order to learn and grow, I needed to step out of what was comfortable and safe. I needed to explore, experiment, share and take risks. I would not be where I am if I had stayed in my cozy little office. I could not see what I was missing. I needed a change of scenery and that's exactly what I got. Now my basement office has a corner office view. Stay tuned for a new website, a new blog and a new vision.
What’s Next?
I've been a Virtual Assistant for 9 years. I love being a VA and have no intention of stopping. But for the past 7 years I've had a recurring question in my head. "What's next?" Maybe it's my entrepreneurial spirit or maybe I just get bored easily. Maybe my question should really be "What else is next?".
I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately – probably because I lost a client. I can't decide whether to fill that time with a new VA client or something completely new and different. I have a long list of things that interest me and that might be a good fit for my business. In September I will take part in a business retreat through AssistU. In this retreat I will have the time I need to focus on my business and figure out what direction I want to go. Above all, I want to continue to be a valuable resource for my clients. Maybe this new endeavor will be one of the the things on my list or even several of them. Maybe it will be none of them at all. What I know for sure is that by the end of September I will be headed in the right direction with clarity and intention. Stay tuned!
9 years
Nine years ago today I graduated as a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant from AssistU. It seems like only yesterday that I started my practice but it also seems like I've been doing this forever. I compare it to having children. You remember so vividly the day they were born, like it was yesterday. You also can't imagine what you did before you had them or what life would be like now without them.
My business has changed so much in the last nine years. Clients have come and gone, I've made some mistakes and I've had great successes. I am now in the best place I've ever been. I have a successful VA practice with my ideal clients. I am truly blessed to be able to do work that I love with clients that I respect and admire and be at home with my children. I am so grateful and I tell the Universe that every day.
Virtual Assistance
I graduated from AssistU in March of 2000 as a Certified Professional Virtual Assistant. My background is in customer service, office management and purchasing.
I assist my clients with bookkeeping, accounts payable, invoicing, accounts receivable, research, event planning, travel planning, scheduling, database management, word processing and spreadsheets.
Those are the "tasks" I do but there is much more than that to Virtual Assistance. As a VA, I work WITH my clients, not FOR my clients. I have a collaborative relationship with each client and we work together to manage and grow their business. My clients are located locally, across the country and around the world.
