3 Keys for Building a Successful Virtual Assistance Business While Still Employed

When I first started teaching administrative professionals how to create a successful virtual assistance practice of their own, most were ready to fire their boss, ditch their corporate job and dive right in to self-employment.

Times have changed! Most folks are happy to still have a job. While still very interested in virtual assistance, many are looking to setup their business part-time and grow into a full-time practice.

If that scenario would work well for you, here are 3 keys that will help you to accomplish this goal.

HUSTLE

In order to make a lasting impression at your place of employment, it is important that you stand out from the rest of your colleagues. How does a person excel? It is by constantly delivering high quality work.

When it comes to running your own business, those same principles apply. Being a virtual assistant is not for the faint of heart.

It takes a person who is willing to hustle and work hard in order to succeed. Not only do you have to stand out in the marketplace, but you must become astute at managing your business and acquiring clients. Doing those things WHILE maintaining your current employment will require a lot of hustle.

You’ll also need to show tenacity, patience and a proactive approach to your work to create the additional income you’re looking for.

BE A PROBLEM SOLVER

Simply put, businesses exist to solve problems. Restaurants feed hungry people. Clothing stores dress people. Virtual assistants relieve administrative overwhelm for their clients.

Which means you have to decide what problems you will solve. It is not advisable to start a business simply because you want to. Your skills must be marketable. Those skills need to be easily packaged as solutions for busy professionals.

Think about your skill set. What problems do you know how to solve? Do you excel at proof reading and typing, making travel arrangements, or creating spreadsheets? Are you great at managing accounting tasks, creating reports and developing presentations?

Take stock of your skills and list everything that you have to offer as a business owner. Answer this question for yourself: ‘Why should someone pay for my help?‘ The answer to this question is the beginning of a successful VA career. That will allow you to move on the 3rd Key…

GET YOUR FIRST CLIENT

After defining the problems that you solve and determining why someone would pay for your help; now you can look for the people who need you. Start close to home. If you look around at your personal network, you will likely see people who can help you to acquire your first few clients.

Notify everyone you know about your new business, what problems you solve and who you solve them for. If you know 50 people, keep in mind that all of those individuals know at least 50 people as well. You potentially have access to 2,500 people within your personal network.

This is exactly how I engaged one of my very first clients and a strategy I still utilize, with great success today.

These are a few basic steps to help you make progress with starting your business while still  dealing with your current employment situation.

If you’d like to know the rest of the steps and receive mentoring directly from me on how to create a successful virtual assistance business, I warmly invite you to join me as a member of the Successful VA Mentoring program. CLICK HERE for details!