Month: March 2009

“Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.”

~ Jodie Foster

“Bringing out your own unique brand of creativity into your life and the world can be the most significant thing you’ll ever do.”

~ Lorna Catford, PH.D.

Q.  What do you think about people making the transition from employment to self-employment?  Do you have any tips to share on that?

A. Laura Allen – Admissions Director, AssistU: That’s another big question that’s often asked. “How do I actually do this?  Do I go through the training and stay at my current employment?  Do I actually transition out part time?”  I’ve had a lot of conversations with potential applicants who plan on doing temp work as a fill-in, possibly leaving their full-time employment and doing temp work as they go through the program until they’re able to get at least one client under their belt to move forward.

The biggest thing is to decide upon a date somewhere in the future.  might be at the point that you graduate from whatever training you plan on doing.  You need to commit to that particular date and hold yourself to it.  That’s important, rather than letting it continue to be “in the future” so it keeps moving because you’re not there yet or ready to take that leap of faith.

Part of what it takes is that leap of faith, believing in yourself and trusting that the ideal clients will come when you’re ready.  I totally believe that.  I know sometimes that can be seen as “woo-woo” talk rather than the Law of Attraction and the principles we teach at AssistU.  ’m living proof that it works.

It’s the same principle as “When the student is ready, the teacher will come.”  Commit to how you want to transition.  Have a plan.  I’m not saying just jump without having any kind of net underneath you.  The key is to commit to it and move forward on it when it’s time.

“Either we have our dreams or we live our dreams”

~ Zoe Koplowitz

Q.  I read frequently that the AssistU Virtual Training Program is rigorous. Can you give me your definition of “rigorous”?

A.  Laura Allen – Admissions Director, AssistU:   It takes a huge personal commitment on your part. The Virtual Training Program makes you ask the difficult questions of yourself.  When you’re creating your ideal client profile, it makes you dig deep to think, “Who is it that I want to spend my days with?  Who is it that I want to invest my time in, believe in, support and help build their dreams?

“Is it the person I work with right now that I call ‘Boss’?  Is that the type of client I want to have?  Probably not.”  There are some bosses out there I have been happy to have, but the average boss profile I’ve seen has the mindset that they are in charge and they get to dictate.  That’s not the kind of person I want to work with all the time.

The rigorous part comes in when you’re asking those difficult questions of yourself.  “Why do I want to do this?  Who do I want to support?  How is it that I want to run my business?”  This the hardest part of the program.  Doing the field work and homework was joyful and exciting.

I love learning, and I learned so much.  It wasn’t just skills and technology that I learned.  I learned so much about myself.

Sydni Craig-Hart:  I will agree that it is rigorous.  It’s a lot of hard work.  It’s a lot of reading.  It’s a tremendous mental exercise.

You will not be the same person when you come out of AssistU.  You will be more enlightened.  You will be more in touch with who you are and what makes you tick.  You will go through this transformation from your existing job to being a business owner, but you won’t complete the transition in AssistU.  I didn’t really wrap my head around being a business owner until about a year into my business.

It’s rigorous because the way you view everything mentally is shifting.  Any time you go through a major breakthrough or transition in your brain, it is rigorous on you.  It’s very involved.  To get the most out of it, you have to immerse yourself in the program and in apply what you’re learning as it works for you.

I don’t want you to get the impression that the trainers are taskmasters.  They’re not.  They’re not going to beat you if you don’t get your homework done.  They may be a little irritated with you, but they won’t come after you if you don’t get your homework done.  They strive to help you be the best you can be and to help you walk out of that virtual AssistU door being the best possible VA you can with a solid foundation to start your business.  It’s rigorous because they want the best for you.

Honestly, I chose AssistU because it was hard to get into.  It sounded like a difficult program.  I felt that they were going to give me the best training I could have received.  I’ve never regretted one dime I spent on AssistU.  And, it has been one of the best investments I’ve made in my business.  When you look at the potential you have when come out of the program and the vast potential to attract as many clients as your heart desires, the cost is actually minimal.

You have so much to gain by investing in this program…so just go ahead and apply!

“I’ve gone through life believing in the strength and competence of others; never in my own.  Now, dazzled, I discovered that my capacities were real.  It was like finding a fortune in the lining of an old coat.”

~ Joan Mills

Q.  Do ideal clients come based on the niche or service you provide?  How do you determine the fit for that?

A. The way you choose your ideal clients has nothing to do with your niche or your client’s profession. It has everything to do with you.  Sydni’s ideal client is totally different from YOUR ideal client. And YOUR ideal client is totally different from the next Virtual Assistant’s ideal client.

Who your ideal client is starts with you.  It starts with the type of people you’d like to work with, what types of personalities energize you, and what type of work you like to do and are qualified to do.

Just remember that your ideal client is yours. It’s the person who really resonates with you. I can’t tell you who your ideal client is because I don’t know what’s important to you. That’s something you have to figure out.  Then start looking for groups of people or professionals who fit that profile.

For more insight on this topic, check out: https://www.eatova.com/2008/10/03/how-to-find-your-ideal-clients/.

“The greatest gift you will ever receive is the gift of loving and believing in yourself.  Guard this gift with your life.  It is the only thing that will ever truly be yours.”

~ Tiffany Loren Rowe