Getting Through a Temporary Setback
You finally figured out what you want to do in life. You’ve realized that you don’t want to work for others anymore, you want to work for you. So you opened your own Virtual Assistant business. You jumped through all the legal hoops to register your business, got your Web site up and running and may have even had a few clients come through your door.
Then life happened.
Whether it was a spouse’s job change, family crisis, health concerns - whatever the case, you need to head back out into the corporate world to find a job. You try to avoid it at all costs by pushing yourself to get more and more clients, but it’s not happening fast enough. Luckily, you are able to find employment but want to make sure it’s as temporary as possible to get back to your business full-time. But how do you keep going with your business when you’re working 40 hours or more a week for someone else and taking care of a family?
It’s doable - very doable in fact. But you need to be prepared for some seriously hard work and long hours.
The first thing you absolutely need to make sure you do is take care of yourself. Yes, you are going to be putting in some very long days and most likely working quite a bit on weekends as well. However, you need to make sure you are still getting some sleep each night and making time for your family. Be aware of how you are feeling each day and take some time for yourself when you begin to feel stressed and overwhelmed. It’s okay to take a day off for yourself now and then to rest and re-energize - it will help keep you healthy and motivated. It’s not easy to work long hours to set up a business when you are sick and not feeling well!
Set up a schedule and daily to-do list for yourself. Include not only the hours you work at your job, but also the times you are going to work on your business and even write in time to spend with family and relaxing. Many VAs’ schedules revolve around their families, which means they work during children’s naps, after everyone is in bed and before everyone else gets up in the morning. Getting yourself organized each day, right down to scheduling what item on your to-do list is completed when, will ensure you are much more productive while you are working on your business.
Also, make sure that you do not quit your job before you are truly ready. Make sure that you have a good-sized safety net in place for just in case (many recommend at least three months’ worth of your current salary) and wait until you have a few definite clients in place to take the leap. After all, you are going back to work because you need the income; you don’t want to find yourself in this situation all over again after another few months. Making sure all your ducks are in a row before you quit will ensure that you do not find yourself struggling and needing to find a new job yet again in the near future.
Most importantly, do not be hard on yourself. You have not failed as a business owner, as it can be sometimes easy to think. It is simply a temporary setback in plans, and it has happened to many VAs and other business owners. There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing to find employment while you are working on your business. Things come up in life that are unavoidable and not finding a way to support your family would be worse than getting a job. The important thing is to make the most out of the opportunities you are given and learn from this experience. You will not only come out stronger, but you will appreciate your future business success that much more.
How Self-Esteem Impacts Our Confidence Levels
Our belief in self has a profound effect on our confidence and on the quality of both our lives and business. Today our focus is on business. If person A believes that he lacks the basic skills to solve problems, ex. marketing, networking, sales, etc. then he may lose heart and give up. In contrast, person B, who may have less ability yet strong self belief, stands a much better chance of being successful. This is because his belief in self gives him the confidence to try and try harder again.
Think back to high school or college. Have you ever wondered why only a few students in a class asked questions? Could it be because the remaining students understood all of the critical points made during the lecture? Or is it because they lack the confidence to ask a question? More often than not, it is the fear that stops students from asking questions. In other words, they lack self-confidence. The only way this confidence can improve is when they start believing in themselves.
This is why belief in self is so important, especially in business. It gives an individual the confidence they need to shoot for the stars. It overwhelms negative thoughts, and drives away the fear of failure. It is the best antidote against lashing out at yourself, which can turn several talented persons into under-achievers. It gives business owners the confidence that they have nothing to loose. On the contrary, they realize that they have everything to gain by asking a question, even if it happens to be a silly one.
Abraham Lincoln is a fine example of a man who believed in himself. He lost every election until he went to the Senate and stood for the post of the President. He did not allow his failures in professional and personal life to erode his self-belief. Had he done so, the history of the US would have been different.
Belief in self gives us the confidence to accept failure. It teaches us the importance of positive thinking. Those who have high self-esteem don’t talk about failures; instead, they try to find out why they did not succeed. They look for lessons that can be learnt from their experience. This is not a simple issue of semantics. It is the power of positive thinking, and it is available to only those who have self-esteem.
Once again it is self-esteem that gives us the confidence to enter a new group, and become a part of it. Those who lack self-esteem are very reluctant to approach a new group. They don’t want to expose themselves to the ridicule of being seen as shy, nervous or ignorant. They would instead prefer to stay in their corners.
In fact, lack of self-esteem stands out like a sore thumb at parties, meetings, conferences and social or official functions. Individuals with low self-esteem avoid introducing themselves to others. They prefer to stay in the shadows, away from the sights of others. However, their colleagues who enjoy high self-esteem dominate the discussions. They are sought after by others for information. They are also invited to other meetings and parties — all because their self-esteem gives them the confidence to open up before a group of strangers. It is the same student syndrome that is reflected in an individual’s working life too.
Lack of self-esteem is one of the greatest myths of introversion. Typically the business owner will blame their introverted personality on the fact that they just “can’t get out there.” This couldn’t be further from the truth. Introversion is just that, a personality trait. It is not the deciding factor in who we are and what we offer the world. If this describes you, then you most definitely need a self-confidence boost.
Nothing will change in your business life until you have self-respect, and the self-belief that you are as good as others. You must realize that you are not the only one who has strong and weak points; others too suffer from the same defects. The only difference is that the others project their strong points whereas you may project your weak points. All that you need to do is refocus your priorities. If you do this, you will find the elusive self-confidence.
Are you struggling with self-confidence or introversion issues in your VA business? Is your business where you always dreamt it would be? If your VA business is suffering in any way, we are here to help you make it into the “im-possible” dream. The Virtual Assistant Revolution is just that a REVOLUTION. We want to help you change the way you think about yourself and your business. Our goal is to show you that there is more to the current state of your VA business. If you want to introduce a new product, gain the skills to offer a new service or if you want that six-figure VA business, it’s yours for the taking and we want to give you the tools to make it happen.
Be Creative and Ingenious
“Are there still original ideas in the world?”
“They beat me to that bright idea; what else can I do?”
“I’ve failed many times before that I can’t think of anything else to solve this problem anymore.”
These statements reflect the thought of an individual who has given up on creativity. Sadly, a lot of people share this way of thinking. They never viewed creativity as a very useful tool to improve or improvise in life in all its diversity.
A situation that requires a solution can be approached in a variety of ways. There isn’t a single way fix to a problem. Being creative opens new horizons and can deliver many benefits. Creativity can sometimes be mistakenly interpreted as an obstinate attitude. Some people think that insisting on doing things in a different way is a sign of stubbornness.
Never hold back a good idea. Everyone is free to interpret his own unique way. Any interpretation by itself is creativity at work. A person who enjoys creative thinking can easily come up with innovative solutions for situations that require a quick fix.
For instance, your car got stalled on a deserted highway due to a leaky rubber hose on the cooling system. Tough luck! Of all places, it had to happen in the remotest places.
If you have some chewing gum in your pocket, it just might be a handy fix. Start chewing the gum and patch it on the leak. To keep the gum in place, tie it with a piece of rag. This quick fix might do the trick so you can drive several miles without an overheated engine, until you get to a service station to have the leaky hose replaced.
There used to be a television series entitled “MacGyver.” The main character is an extremely creative and crafty guy. Whenever he finds himself in a tight fix, he tries to find a way out of it with his quick fixes utilizing available materials around him.
In a way, creativity is a never-ending learning process. From learning, you gain untold benefits, which you can use in real life situations.
Being creative might require you to think out-of-the-box, venturing your mind into the uncommon. You can never be sure of your ideas until you try them. As long as there is no perceived danger involved, it is always worth a try.
Inventions are products of creative minds. The field of science, in whatever branch you may touch on, is invention itself. Without creative minds, science would have been a forlorn field of knowledge.
It must be noted that most adaptations to improve or improvise are aimed at improving current conditions. Upon analyzing honest applications of creativity, the ultimate intention is to achieve good for all and the will to build lasting peace. After all, this intention is what counts most.
Erich Fromm spelled it out clearly, “The conditions for creativity are: to be puzzled, to concentrate, to accept conflict and tension, to be born everyday, and to feel a sense of self.”
I’ve Got Spirit…How ‘Bout You?
I was asked a while ago why I wanted to be a Virtual Assistant and if being a VA is truly where my passion lies. While I have interests in many areas, I reflected on why, when looking for ways to work from home, I settled on the daunting task of opening my own business rather than going to the work-from-home Web sites to look for a “job.” Why would I go out on such a big limb and take a huge chance when I could easily do the same thing for someone else for a steady paycheck?
My answer? I’ve got spirit.
Entrepreneurial spirit, that is. I didn’t really know it though until that conversation. When I was working in the corporate world, I always felt as if there was something more for me. I enjoyed what I was doing, but never felt completely settled and, therefore, I moved around quite a bit. I used to think that I was hurting myself because employers would not see longevity on my resume. I now realize, however, that I was merely setting myself up to own my own VA business. By working in many different environments and industries, I gained a lot of experience that helps me offer varying services and adapt to numerous industries. What a positive spin on something the corporate world considers negative!
I know there are others of you out there that were like me and countless other VAs out there. You’re at your desk each day, wondering why you’re doing what you’re doing…besides that it’s a steady paycheck. You want something more for yourself. You’ve got the spirit, too. I can’t lie to you, there will be resistance, either from your own fear or others telling you it can’t be done. Don’t let fear or others get in your way. Part of the spirit is knowing not to listen to them but to listen to yourself. You know you can do it, so give yourself a chance.
I’ve got spirit. Yes, I do! I’ve got spirit…how ’bout you?
Know No Fear…
“If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can’t accomplish it. You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be tough enough to follow through.” Rosalynn Carter
If you are in the process of just starting your Virtual Assistant business, have been in your business for a while, are changing your business in some way or another, are making the choice to go back and work for someone else, or are going to go back to school, have the confidence to do it.
We’re all afraid to take that first ride on a bicycle with no training wheels, but we do it. As a child, we know fear but have that “we know no fear” attitude. Our parents assisted us by building up our confidence levels high enough to get on that bike and follow through. We showed our parents, our family, our friends, and ourselves that we could get on that bike and ride like the wind.
That’s the same thing for our business. The only thing is we aren’t children. We have a different kind of mindset. As adults, we become afraid to try new and different things. Most of us have that “I’ll try but I don’t see it really working out” kind of attitude. We’re not as carefree as we were when we were children. But, if you want to succeed, have the mentality of a child.
Have that “We Know No Fear” attitude and you will soon see that you can accomplish the things you set out to. You just have to have that confidence and follow through.
Anything you can do…I can do better!
Notwithstanding their bent toward grandiosity, these words (from an Irving Berlin 1946 tune for the “Annie Get Your Gun” Broadway musical) easily set the stage for the argument that as a Virtual Assistant (VA) you really can do many if not all of the things (just as good as or) better than those performed by an “in-house” administrative assistant, executive secretary or similar personnel.
No, you can’t.
Yes, I can!
Of course, there are many factors, occurrences and mechanisms that must be in place in order for this to be achieved. However, if you have the skills, the knowledge, the experience, the technology, the wherewithal, and especially the sticktuitiveness, there’s really no reason why you can’t accomplish a good many of the tasks like those of your “brick and mortar” counterparts.
No, you can’t.
Yes, I can!
If given half a chance.
Yes, I can! Yes, I can!
In fact, in many ways a VA can surpass the accomplishments of her onsite equivalent.
In addition, as a VA you have the “luxury” of performing the work from home on your schedule. You also have the opportunity to work for many different factions, learning new things and keeping abreast of cutting edge technology as a result. And, you can choose what work (or tasks) you want to do. You “set the rules” so they meet your needs and wants. And you can say how much.
Sooner or later…I can do anything
With opportunities like these, the end result is that you provide quality service to your current clients and those yet to be.
And, in the long run you really can do it for them–for less.
Anything you can do, I can do better…
Does it have to be perfect?
I spent the better part of this weekend working on science fair projects. Not mine, of course, but on those of my children.
Gone are the days of simple cut, paste and color activities. Yes, we’ve moved up to actual projects that require thought AND creativity in addition to the general knowledge of basic science concepts.
I don’t know about you, but it’s been a long time since I’ve needed to challenge my brain like that with a science application.
My daughter’s was easy. We simply had to determine how much salt needed to be added to a cup of water to make a fresh egg float. I say fresh because we also found out this weekend that bad eggs float regardless of what additives are in the cup of water.
My son’s on the other hand?
Well, he decided that he wanted to see what types of fruits and vegetables could power a clock. We found the instructions on the internet. We watched numerous YouTube videos of other children successfully completing this experiment. But do you think that we could do it?
And I say we, because after Matthew tried, unsuccessfully, I stepped in.
I’m not a dumb woman by any stretch of the means. I made numerous trips to the hardware store making sure that our nails really were galvanized and obtaining different types of alligator clips and various gages of copper wire.
To no avail, our clock still won’t power up. (Neither will the MP3 player or calculator we tried either.)
Matthew documented everything that he did. He took time to create his project board. Not once did he give up on this project and this morning when I dropped him off at school, project in hand, he was proud of what he did.
And so was I.
At any point in time this weekend, either of us could’ve given up, but we didn’t. We kept going. We exhausted every resource that we had, called every person in my phone book, made multiple trips to stores, tried various combinations until we were fresh out of ideas. Even this morning, we were fiddling with it, trying to make it work.
He completed his project and it was good. The effort he put into his project was leaps and bounds better than many of the projects that I saw on display this morning in the gym.
When I spoke to the teacher and explained to him that it just didn’t go right, his teacher told me that the grade is not in the outcome of the project itself, but in the actual work done to complete the project.
So for Matthew? His less than perfect clock powered by a spud will receive a good grade.
Because he didn’t give up.
Because he tried his hardest.
And for that? He will be rewarded.
So, I ask you today, what have you been struggling with in your business? What makes you want to give up? Have you exhausted all of your resources yet?
If you answered no, it’s time to go back to the drawing board and see how else you can attack this. What else can you do to try one more time?
Then ask yourself, does it have to be perfect? Is what you have right now the best that you’re going to get and what can you do with it?
Don’t give up. Find a different angle.
For that? You will truly be revolutionary.
The double edged sword…
As I tucked my 11-year-old into bed last night, he said to me, “Mom, now that summer is almost here, I’d like to start my own business.”
I was taken aback by this comment, not because he wanted to start a business (because he’s come up with several ideas on his own in the past few years) but because I couldn’t figure out where in the world he would find time to operate this business.
Matthew has the busiest schedule of all of us. He is currently very active at church, the equipment manager for his sister’s softball team, in the Reading Society and on the C-Team at school, and attends 4 hours of tutoring each week. He fits all of this in around his homework, PS2 time, and school.
I was also concerned that this business idea would be silly like some of the others he’s had in the past… like the lemonade stand that he wanted to start a few years ago.
Don’t get me wrong, a lemonade stand for an eight-year-old is a great idea, and the cuteness factor definitely helps fuel sales, but we live at the end of a dead end street. It took me weeks to convince him that when opening a business it’s all about location, location, location.
I asked him what sort of business he wanted to start and he responded with, “I want to mow lawns.”
Matthew is not scared of hard work; he’s a hard worker by nature in whatever he does. While his younger sister can breeze through anything that she’s confronted with, whether it be sports or school, he can’t. Surprisingly, he’s okay with this. When I told him that he’d be starting tutoring and devoting an additional four hours of his week to it, he embraced it. He knew that he needed the help.
That’s just the kind of kid he is.
But when he mentioned that he wanted to mow lawns, I just started at him. I wanted to scream at him and say “Mow? Lawns? That’s hard work! Eeeewwww.”
But I didn’t. In my best motherly, loving voice, I said, “I’ll allow you to mow lawns if you mow our yard. I’ll even pay you for it, but it’s late, so we’ll need to talk about your new business in the morning.”
I really never expected to hear anything more about it but when I woke up this morning, he caught me in between my bed and the coffee pot and said, “I’ve been thinking, Mom. I’m going to charge $4 an hour and if it takes me 30 minutes or less, then I’m going to charge $2.”
I stopped dead in my tracks.
My child was on the brink of making the most fatal business mistake that you could possibly make. He was devaluing his time. He was devaluing his efforts.
I tried very hard not to be condescending, I really did. However, I did attempt to explain to him, without caffeine coursing through my veins, that he needed to charge more, because he was worth more.
“But Mom…think about it. If I’m cheaper than the other guys, then I’ll get more business.”
I’m willing to bet this child dreamed of his new business and will continue to think about it until it comes to fruition. I know all too well of this feeling.
With only five minutes between now and the time that he was to board the school bus, I talked to him about valuing his time and his efforts and that if he didn’t, no one else would. It was pretty deep, and pretty good, considering I wasn’t yet awake and he was rushing out the door.
When I told him that I paid the kid down the street $20 to mow my lawn, his eyes got at big as saucers. “Mom, that’s a lot of money.”
“To you, Matthew, yes, it is. But to me, it’s not because the hour that it takes me to mow my lawn takes away from more important things that I can do. It’s worth me paying someone else to save me time.”
I don’t think he quite understood, but with 5 caffeine free minutes, I couldn’t go into my full spiel.
Are you guilty of either scenario in your business? Are you devaluing your worth or doing things yourself to “save a buck”?
If you’re charging a cheaper rate with the impression that you’ll gain more clients, you’re going to work yourself to death to make the same amount of money as someone charges more. You’re worth your rate and there are people out there who will pay it.
On the flip side, are you doing things in your business because you can and don’t want to spend money for someone else? How much is your time worth? Have you ever stopped to think about that?
This week, take some time to determine how much your time is worth. And if you need your lawn mowed, let me know. I have a referral. He’s a hard worker, cute and works for cheap.
Life is About Choices and the Decisions We Make
Life is like a road. There are long and short roads, smooth and rocky roads, crooked and straight paths. In our life many roads would come our way as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.
Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?
There are no guarantees.
You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent. There are too many possible outcomes, which your really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.
Wrong decisions are always at hindsight.
Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong.
Take the risk: decide.
Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveller or an accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:
Get as many information as you can about your situation.
You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.
Identify and create options.
What options do the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.
Weigh the pros and cons of every option.
Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.
Trust yourself and make that decision.
Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight. So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.
Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.
It’s not what you know, but who you know!
While trying to find something to write about in my blog post this time, I thought I’d look through some of the articles I’ve managed to collect over the last past few months about this “what to blog about” subject.
In my “reading materials” file, I ran across a download I’d recently saved by Debbie Weil, titled: “Top 7 Tips to Write an Effective Business Blog”. The whole ebook is exceptional—and full of great Tips. These two Tips are of particular interest:
Debbie writes, “Every time you post a new entry, remember that you are creating a public Web page, easily searchable by Google. That’s a key reason, BTW, that blogs come up high in search engine results.”
And,
“Writing for the Web means writing for scanners. Best practices are to use: sub-heads, bullets; short paragraphs; a graphic, if appropriate.
“In short, chunking and packaging your words makes them easier and more appealing to read. It also gives you an excuse to write less. ‘Shorter’ makes keeping your blog fresh and up to date and less intimidating when you’ve got 100 other things to do.”
Those are the teasers!
You can get the other five of the 7 Tips in Ms. Weil’s 17-page pdf download, “Top 7 Tips to Write an Effective Business Blog”,, and her bio here: www.debbieweil.com
Her Web site is: www.debbieweil.com.
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