If you want true flexibility as a virtual assistant, your freedom starts now. Flexibility and freedom were huge factors in drawing people into the VA industry, but are you achieving the work-life balance you dreamed of when you first started?
When I started in 2011, I thought life would automatically fall into place once I left my 9-5. But the truth is, if you don’t structure your virtual assistant business properly, you’ll find yourself working harder than you ever did as an employee, all without the security of a steady paycheck.
It wasn’t until I committed to building a solid foundation for my business that I began to see the freedom and flexibility I craved. It took time, research, and careful planning, but the results were well worth it.
Increase Your In-Demand Skills
Virtual assistants are becoming essential in high-growth industries, but only those who stay ahead with updated, relevant skills will see long-term success. So how do you attain that. I block out time in my diary. Every Wednesday for 2 hours, I call it development time. It is not negotiable, and I won’t allow anyone to book over that time. Boundaries are the key to everything, and protecting the time you need to grow and develop your business and skills is the only way you can survive in business. How can you be the SME to your clients if your skillset and knowledge are not current?
Recurring Income is Possible
Stop chasing after new clients every month. Building a solid foundation will attract the right clients who provide consistent work. This makes it easier to budget, pay yourself, and pay your bills. If you are constantly chasing clients to ‘be a booked out VA,’ when will you find time to chase again so you can be booked out for another month? If you are a virtual assistant specialising in business administration, supporting and working alongside clients, then being a fully booked out VA and having to consistently chase clients to earn money, is not a long term strategy that you want to consider for success.
Achieve the Flexibility You Deserve
You can design a business that gives you flexibility and ensures steady income—without burnout. It’s called not letting your inbox run your business. I stopped opening my email first thing in the morning a while ago. All I was doing was getting bogged down in the day-to-day routine, and I couldn’t complete the tasks I had to do. Things got pushed out further until I was stressing out because I felt I wasn’t achieving anything. Now, I open my calendar first. I view the tasks I must complete because I’ve blocked them in my diary. I use colour coding for different clients to easily see who is getting the lion’s share of my attention for the week.
Want more great virtual assistant tips for free?
I am constantly looking for ways to improve The VA Project, and this year, I decided to make the entire program FREE. I reviewed all the modules and created a new delivery method that works well, so you get all your info quickly and easily without logging into a full-blown course.
Join The VA Project for free and start creating a sustainable business that works for you, not the other way around. Click here to learn more.
You can also find more great tips and ideas on The VA Project’s Instagram page and The VA Project Group on Facebook. Join me there!
