Pop. The. Bubbly.
This week marks 1 year since I signed my first service agreement. A year ago, I had no idea if I could make this VA thing work but here I am, 4 contracts later and well on my way to building a business that works! Now that I’m slightly less green…I’d love to share a few takeaways and tips from this first year.
Takeaway 1: Adopt the mindset of a business owner.
I’ve always been a good employee. As an employee, I showed up to work, knew my stuff, was a team player, tried my best, was dependable and loyal. I am proud to have demonstrated those values and will continue to live those values. While these traits are great and a must have for the services I provide, being a business owner requires so much more. I no longer execute decisions that other people make; I make them. I no longer rely on the other team member to do their job; all the jobs are mine. I decide who to work with, how much to charge, when a situation is no longer a good fit, what next step to take on the journey.
One of the scarier aspects of being a business owner is the responsibility of it all. I’m responsible for the successes as well as the failures. The mistakes can only be attributed to me. There are no guarantees when owning your own business. The venture itself can be considered a risk. Acknowledging all of that, I’ve been having a blast fumbling through my first year. Despite all the extra brainpower and time required to upskill, network, pitch, market, plan and cultivate, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Takeaway 2: Always be Marketing.
For my business (at least in its current state), I can’t always be selling. I don’t have enough hours in the day to take on more and more work. However, and I’m terrible at this, I should always be marketing. When I first started out, I had a tidy little schedule that included social media, blogs, networking events etc.…I hated it (see previous post), but I was getting out of my comfort zone and stepping out into the world. I knew I had to do it and you know what? It worked! Then I got a little work and slipped right back into my comfort zone, doing the actual work. Marketing and networking fell into the “too hard” basket very quickly.
Here’s the thing. I KNOW that marketing is essential to the longevity of my business. I am a solopreneur offering up a service-based portfolio. Brand identity, connecting with potential clients and presenting as a competent service provider, is critical! But I can’t do that by sitting behind my screen ignoring the world beyond my office walls. This has been the least favorite part of being a business owner, but I’ve been working on it and everyday it gets a bit better. If you’re anything like me and are struggling to find a suitable marketing strategy for your service-based business, check out this article by Lyfe Marketing for some useful tips!
Takeaway 3: There’s no time for mystery.
Direct, effective communication is essential to running a business. Whether it’s with clients, contractors or even employees, you must clearly and quickly establish the service you’re offering, the expectations you have and the boundaries you set. I learned the hard way that you don’t want to leave these things up in the air or open to interpretation.
On the other hand, while there is no time to be mysterious, there’s plenty of time to be curious. If something is unclear, ask. If you need a little more context, ask. If you’re afraid of sounding like a dummy, don’t be. It’s the questions you don’t ask that get you in the most trouble. If you can eliminate guesses and assumptions, you’re well on your way to building trust in your business relationships.
Takeaway 4: Schedule your time, prepare to be flexible.
As a VA, freelancer, gig-worker, whatever you want to call it, time management is key to maximizing your day, week and therefore, earning capacity. If you agree to finish a project by a certain day, you better deliver! Otherwise, the consequence can be devastating to your client relationship and reputation. Having a clear plan of your work week keeps your projects under control and can help you avoid the tendency of small business owners to overextend.
Be sure your working days make sense for your situation. I segment my calendar into work, admin, kid duties, marketing etc... While it does work most of the time, I do have 3 young kids, so things are never set in stone. I’ve had to pivot, re-organize specific days or weeks depending on my family needs. It’s great to map out your plan (including personal time) but be prepared to be flexible.
Takeaway 5: Slay the Tech Fear.
I’m going to level with you here. When I first started out, I had a ridiculous level of imposter syndrome BECAUSE of the tech. I had a massive gap in my resume (kids), then COVID hit, and the entire world went from a steady crawl toward digital convenience options to living life online in warp speed. I thought to myself, “your brain and experience have been nullified…AHHH!”
The seemingly endless amount of software, applications, platforms out there can make anyone stop in their tracks, especially someone who had babies on the brain for the good part of five years. Each position description I looked at asked for experience in a different combination of project management tools, email marketing platforms, software suites etc… Talk about self-doubt. Did I really need to know all these things? Was I actually this far behind?
Well, the answer is yes BUT (cue growth mindset speak) I’ve always been a resourceful person. My business became my guinea pig and I just started learning. And I found that all these new techy tools are getting increasingly user friendly. Whew! I never lie about my experience with a particular tool but my go-to answer when asked about something I haven’t worked with is: “I’ve never used it, but it doesn’t intimidate me.”
Takeaway 6: Get to know your client’s business.
If you do any client/customer facing work for your clients (I do a ton) you need to know what your client does. While I don’t expect myself to be an expert in their field of work, I do my homework. For example, I do a little social media marketing for one of my clients. She wasn’t happy with the person she worked with previously so she asked is I could step in. I’m not a social media person but, always in the growth mindset, I did my research. I read all my client’s published blog posts, previous social media posts, shared posts, and articles that I can find to get familiar the language of the very specific industry my client works in. I use graphics, images, layouts of previous posts and try not to deviate too far from them to keep a cohesive branding scheme.
My client seems to be happy with the work I’ve done with her social media to date. And as a bonus, it’s given me the confidence to say “yes” if another client asks for social media support in the future.
Takeaway 7: Build and cultivate partnerships.
Over the year I have been fortunate to find a community of other VAs. Not only has that allowed me to find work (I currently subcontract for two of them) but it has also expanded my network, allowed me to seek the advice from others with more experience, get help when I’m stuck on a project, offer help when others are stuck. These partnerships that I’ve been able to establish are critical for my current and future successes.
My initial instinct was that other VAs are my competitors. Why would I need to build relationships with people that are after the same work I do? I quickly realised how wrong I was. Here’s the scoop: 1) there’s plenty of work out there. 2) everyone has their own specialties. 3) We are all better off collaborating instead of competing especially if we want our industry to continue to grow.
We all have triumphs and setbacks in our business, the community we build helps us get through the rough patches and celebrate the victories.
Takeaway 8: Don’t be afraid to cut ties.
It’s a simple fact that sometimes things don’t work out. This does not have to reflect poorly on either the client or the contractor. Situations/needs may change, or you simply realise that the arrangement isn’t playing out the way everyone thought it might. That’s okay. It’s part of any business relationship. Often, you’ll find, quite quickly even, that ending the business relationship is better for both parties and makes room for better fitting opportunities.
The Journey so Far.
Year #1 is in the books and boy has it has been a wild ride. I’ve learned so much about myself and how I’d like the next few years to look. I have a better Idea of my next steps; I have a sharper focus and better-defined goals. I feel fortunate to have made it through this year still feeling hopeful and eager. It gives me the confidence to keep on keepin’ on.
I’m looking forward to sharing more of my journey including more tips, hard lessons, and small victories. Be sure to sign up to my mailing list to follow along!
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