5 things I Wish I’d Have Known When I Started My VA Business!

August 15th 2019 marks exactly 11 years since I officially started my Virtual Assistance business, The Virtual Peacock.

Sometimes I can hardly believe it’s been that long and other times it feels like I have been doing this forever!

This 11 year anniversary has me thinking back to when I first started my business and how I really didn’t know exactly what I would be getting into *or* that I would end up loving it so much!

So below I’m sharing a few things I didn’t know then that I wish I had. I hope these will inspire and encourage my fellow VAs who are still in the early years of running their VA business.

5 things I Wish I’d Have Known When I Started My VA Business!

1 - You’ll meet & work with the most amazing people through your business. As a VA, I’ve worked with some of the most amazing people over the years. My clients are all heart-centered entrepreneurs who are super passionate about the work they are doing in the world to change people’s lives and businesses, and I’m so grateful I get to support them in this work. If you’re a VA and reading this and don’t absolutely love your clients, get some new ones who you do love working with. You deserve to work everyday with clients you like!

2 - You might struggle a little (maybe a lot sometimes). In my business, especially in those early years when I was not working with many clients and not making much money, I couldn’t afford to travel and often, could barely afford my rent (thanks mom for the loans! ;) ) It was such a struggle sometimes to make ends meet. But once I learned how to actually market my business, things got so much better, including my finances! :) So if you’re a VA and your struggling, hang in there - it won’t last forever! (And check out my resources

3 - Being a Virtual Assistant can be so much fun… but running your business is not all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes you’ll have to work late hours if you’ve got a lot of client work going on with firm deadlines. Sometimes clients will test your boundaries and it’ll be uncomfortable to enforce them. Sometimes you’ll have to let a client go and sometimes a client might let you go. Being a VA and running your business is not fun times, all the time. That’s why it’s so important to set good boundaries from the beginning and to do regular check ins with yourself to make sure you are building a business you truly enjoy. And when you run into those tough times, know that they won’t last forever!

4 - You’ll need support. Being an entrepreneur is hard sometimes, and it’s good to have support. This can be your loved ones, your friends, your family, your spouse or partner. Make sure your inner circle is supportive of your business goals. And if they’re not, work with a coach or join a VA community to help you feel supported along your journey. Having people in my life who support, ask and care about my business has made such a huge difference!

5 - You’ll love the freedom more than the money. When I started my VA business, I wanted to make ALL.THE.MONEY. I was so excited that starting out I could charge $30 per hour which was a ton of money to me at the time. But what I’ve come to realize over the last 11 years is that while making money is great, what I really value most as a Virtual Assistant is the *freedom* I have. I can go on vacation when I want. I can help out at my niece and nephew’s school when I want. I can run errands during the day if I want. I can take a nap if and when I want (wish I did this more - LOL). I can work from the coffee shop or from a hotel or from my mom’s kitchen table. I get to call the shots on *when* and *where* I work and to me, that type of freedom is just as exciting as the money to me now!

No matter where you are in your VA journey, if you are just starting out or you’ve been at it for years, I hope my blog serves as inspiration that it is possible to create a VA business and life you love.

Come follow me on instagram at @TheEmpoweredVA if you are ever in need an encouraging word or some weekly inspiration!