I should probably have anticipated that being a freelance virtual assistant was in the stars for me. It may sound like a cliché, but I’ve always really loved being on top of things – imposing order on chaos, developing my own organisation systems, being a girl Friday behind the scenes. Wherever I’ve worked I’ve made sure the office is running smoothly, in a structured and methodical way. Even as a child, my sister and I played ‘banks’, involving the laborious creation of detailed paycheque books – or ‘libraries’, where we would develop complex procedures including barcodes and filing systems based around genre and alphabetical order.
I’d already started to think about becoming a freelance virtual assistant even before I left my last full-time job – AI was on the increase, streamlining and downsizing were hot topics within most business organisations and I couldn’t help but see the opportunities on the horizon. Using my organisation skills to reach out to businesses or busy individuals and help free up their time back seemed like the perfect fit.
The thought of setting up my own business was appealing. While having a full-time employer comes with a security net, being your own boss, defining your own hours and managing your own workload has benefits too; not least as a mother of two young children. The work-life balance afforded by setting up as a freelance virtual assistant was very tempting.
But despite knowing that setting up as a freelance virtual assistant was something I had both passion and aptitude for, and that the working model would suit my lifestyle, I have to admit that initially the concept of striking out independently was intimidating. The prospect of setting up on my own, with no network or connections, whilst also contemplating the uncertainty of not receiving guaranteed pay every month was daunting. Never mind the small matter of planning how much investment I’d need to plan for, and what kind of infrastructure that would require. The number of questions and thoughts I had was overwhelming, but – in spite of any doubts – I knew it was something I needed to do for myself.
I began by developing short-, medium- and long-term plans listing the things that were critical to achieve right away, and those tasks that could be delayed until my business was more established. And that was how it all started!
Over the last few years, my confidence has grown in everything from networking to pushing myself forward for opportunities. I’ve become more professional with my approach to targeting my ideal clients and focussed my services and proposition to make my offering really clear.
I should probably have anticipated that being a freelance virtual assistant was in the stars for me. It may sound like a cliché, but I’ve always really loved being on top of things – imposing order on chaos, developing my own organisation systems, being a girl Friday behind the scenes. Wherever I’ve worked I’ve made sure the office is running smoothly, in a structured and methodical way. Even as a child, my sister and I played ‘banks’, involving the laborious creation of detailed paycheque books – or ‘libraries’, where we would develop complex procedures including barcodes and filing systems based around genre and alphabetical order.
For anyone starting out, my key lesson is that there is never ‘the right time’ to start a business, but if you have the motivation, courage and support, you really can achieve anything. Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life – so just go for it!
To this day I love being a freelance virtual assistant: I’m so lucky that I get to do what I love, which also happens to be something I excel at.
If you’d like to find out how I can make a difference to you or your business, why not get in touch at martha@mnvirtualassistant.co.uk. I’d love to hear from you.
