Welcome to another episode of the podcast that teaches you how to be a ridiculously good virtual assistant.
Today I want to talk about how to significantly grow your VA business every month.
Today’s Quote: You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. – Jim Rohn
Click the play button above to tune in, or choose your favourite podcast player below:
Connect with Tracey D’Aviero, VA Coach and Trainer
Episode Notes:
Growing your VA business is something that we talk a lot about but not all VAs do it well.
It takes strategy and planning, and I think it also takes support.
When we work alone all the time, it is really easy to let ourselves off the hook to do things that we know we are supposed to do.
We might have the best intentions but then when it comes down to it, we can put something off when something else comes along.
A lot of VAs I know actually put client work above their own business work – and while that does make sense – I mean the client is paying for your time – it’s also really important to prioritize your own business so that you succeed.
Growing your VA business is important to consider.
Who doesn’t want to make more money? Raising your rates is essential when you are in business, so that you can take trainings and systems to automate your business and even bring on team members if you want to. After I doubled my rates while working with my first business coach, i was able to bring on subcontractors to help me with client work because my rates actually supported paying them – they sure didn’t before.
Who doesn’t want to grow their services into something that you have learned and love to do? My business changed so much over the years, and I was really happy to be able to take training to change what I was doing for clients as my knowledge and experience grew too. I started doing client care which lots of people think is a lower value VA task (it’s not). I progressed to being an online event manager. I set up and ran all of my clients’ online events like meetings, conferences, group coaching programs and more.
So how can you make sure you are doing this … growing thing?
My best advice to do this is to join a mastermind group.
That’s what I did, and it’s the reason that I run a VA mastermind group.
When I joined my first group coaching mastermind, I was amazed to see how the people in the group were excited to support me and help me build my business. And I did the same thing for them.
It was a safe space to talk about the things I was struggling with in my business. I got solid advice, resources and more from my colleagues.
But because it was run by a business coach, we also had training and coaching support as well. So where my colleagues could offer advice, my coach could also do so – many times from his experience. And we also did a training call every month – which helped all of us grow in one area each month.
And that’s what I do for my masterminders. It’s a great mix of both.
A VA business is no different from any other business. When you treat it like a business, you stand head and shoulders above a lot of VAs who are just remote admin workers.
It’s okay if that’s what you want to do, but for the VAs that want more freedom, growth is the key.
So you can raise your rates. You can take more time off, or invest in training, or go on vacation.
You can start offering services that don’t tie you to your computer every day all day.
You can change your specialty any time you want, or who you work with.
You can do anything. You GET to do anything. It’s your business, they are your decisions to make.
Clients don’t get to tell you how much you charge or when you need to work (deadlines aside), or when you are available. You are not their employee.
You are a business owner. A VA is a business owner.
So how do we focus on us, as well as our clients?
We create a support system for ourselves that allows us to set goals, choose strategies, set plans, and we work towards what WE want our business to look like.
One amazing way to do that is to join a mastermind group like I did.
You will grow exponentially as a business owner when you show up for yourself.
Obviously I run a mastermind group – The Virtual Circle – and I think it’s a great place for VAs to connect and get the support they need to grow their business.
This IS the way that I want to talk about how to significantly grow your VA business every month.
So let’s first talk about what a mastermind is, what you need to do in it to get the most out of it, and how it can help you significantly grow your VA business.
Goal Setting
When you invest in professional development, you need to set a goal. You will actually set many goals, but you always need to be working towards something.
it doesn’t have to be a big goal – I like to help VAs set goals that fit in with their schedule and availability. You can’t overload yourself and expect to get things done.
So we set reasonable goals. And we work towards them.
And then we celebrate. And then we set another goal. And we work towards it.
I’m a big fan of doing things in small doses or batches. You can get more done with baby steps than big steps sometimes.
And what that does is helps you create a habit, helps you celebrate your goals more often, and helps you get better at getting what you want.
If you set a goal to get clients, we help you set up daily actions that will help you get those clients. And we make sure you do those actions.
Building Connections
Of course when you are in a group with other colleagues who have the same intention as you – growing your VA business – it’s fun.
We are connecting with people who understand us. What we do every day, what clients do – good and bad.
Building connections with other VAs can help you collaborate, and it can also help you commiserate! Being able to vent and hear how other VAs have handled similar situations is so important.
And of course when you get comfortable talking business with your VA colleagues, it becomes easier to have business conversations with others as well – maybe even clients!
I love this week’s quote too You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. – Jim Rohn is absolutely right.
When you surround yourself with VAs who are looking to grow their business like you are, the vibe is amazing. We are all pulling each other forward together.
Don’t hang in the Facebook groups where everyone complains about the lack of success they are experiencing (sorry!) – go where VAs are taking action and focusing on positivity.
Setting Expectations
When we invest in ourselves, we have to set the expectation of what will happen when pay for support and training.
In a mastermind group, you are expected to get support AND give support. It’s kind of the cool thing about masterminds is that it’s not a lecture hall.
The mastermind host knows that you are amazing and valuable experience that you bring to the table too – and the group grows when you also share advice with others.
It’s important for you to show up for the group – for the sessions of course, but also for your colleagues. And you can expect them to do the same thing for you. It’s a very collaborative experience.
Preparing for Meetings
Naturally there is a regular schedule of meetings in a mastermind group.
The Virtual Circle meets live twice a month.
You need to make sure that you come to the meetings prepared. It’s how you will get the most out of the group.
If you show up and say ‘not much going on this week’, that’s no bueno.
We don’t need you to be doing 100 sales calls or attending live events, or launching a new product or service every month, but we do need you to be focusing on growing your business in some way.
For instance, if you are working on getting clients, let us know what you have done – what worked, what you are struggling with, and any other updates that you have.
Coming to the meeting prepared helps you – and it helps us. But it is how you put yourself and your business first.
You will be expected to actively participate. And that’s a good thing! Even if you are shy, or introverted, you will get comfortable by showing up. I remember the first time someone helped me in my mastermind group, it felt amazing. The only way to get help with things that you aren’t doing particularly well is to share them and get some input and advice.
The VA community is amazing at being support, helpful, collaborative and community minded.
Preparation is key, and very easy to help you monitor your growth every month too!
Sharing Your Expertise and Insights
One of the other things that you get out of a mastermind group is confidence.
For some reason we all think that when we know how to do something, so does everyone else in the world. Especially those things that come really easily to us. But that’s not true!
When you start sharing your expertise with the group – whether it’s in the form of advice, or just conversation, you will realize how smart you are. I already know how smart you are! 🙂
Being able to contribute really boost your confidence. VAs seem to struggle with confidence in business fairly often, so anywhere you can boost yours is amazing.
Creating Action Plans and Implementing Them
Masterminds are obviously about taking action. Not just to join the group, but to have a plan that you can take and do.
Baby steps towards our goals means action plans. We can help you with creating an action plan for your goal that fits into your schedule. Like I always say, a daily habit of 15 minutes a day to work towards your goal is a great way to keep tabs on it and make sure you get it done.
In The Virtual Circle, I’ll teach you how to set a goal and create an action plan that won’t overwhelm you. It’s an effective system that you need to have in your business, even if you goal is just to get your inbox to zero!
And of course all masterminds incorporate accountability. When you tell us you want to do something, we keep on you to make sure you get it done. If you set a goal it’s because you want that thing. Your VA colleagues can help you get there.
Continuous Learning
Not all mastermind groups have a teaching element – sometimes they are just coaching groups for action and accountability.
But one thing I know about VAs is that they, we, love to learn. I love it!
So I do also teach in my mastermind group. I am a VA coach and trainer.
The cool thing about learning something new is that IT can be the thing that becomes your goal for the month.
You don’t have to come up with a goal every month – you can take the training and then implement that.
Being able to learn something new is a great benefit. When we learn, we grow. And it keeps the group fresh from month to month.
Measuring and Adjusting Actions for Success
One thing that can be a challenge to VAs is measuring success, or making adjustment for things that don’t exactly go according to plan.
I remember really needing my business coach to figure out why my plans didn’t work.
We can’t be expected to know everything – especially if we are working with a strategy that someone else taught us. So we need to be able to check in, analyze what we are doing, what is going right, what is going wrong, and figure out what adjustments we need to make to keep our forward momentum going.
Like if you are networking in a group where you want to become a part of that community.
You post, you hear crickets. You reach out to people, they don’t respond.
It’s so discouraging. You’re doing what you think is right, but it’s not working for you. You need to tweak your actions. But how?
Enter your coach and colleagues. We will look at where you are networking. Who the people are. What you are saying. What they are saying.
And then suggest adjustments. Don’t keep doing what isn’t working.
Right now, if you are struggling in your business because you don’t have a plan to follow and you aren’t getting guidance and support – stop doing that.
You have the opportunity to join a mastermind right now – The Virtual Circle. It might be time!
Celebrating Successes
And of course last but certainly not least, celebrating success.
It’s so cool to share your successes with your colleagues and coach. Everyone is SO proud of you when you do something that you set a goal to do.
Celebrating is also how we keep motivated. There are many things to celebrate. Every week in my Facebook groups I ask about what you are celebrating this week and I love what people post.
Every celebration is worthy and awesome, and I encourage you to share every little thing, but YAY YOU – and because it feel really darn good!
Positive reinforcement helps everyone. Make celebration part of your meeting prep when you are in a mastermind, and you will be excited to show up for each session!
There you go – that was 9 benefits of mastermind group. There are probably a hundred more.
So to the point of this episode, how can you significantly grow your VA business every month?
By joining a group that you can commit to. You are committing to yourself as much as the others. You are focusing on taking action and showing up. You are having conversations about business. You are setting goals and achieving them.
You can grow your business a lot every month by making it a priority.
In a month you can find new clients. You can revise your rates. You can find your people online. You can brin on subcontractors. You can attend networking events. You can be a guest on a podcast. You can uplevel your social media marketing. You can get comfortable doing video and boost your visibility. You can master time management.
The choice is yours.
I invite you to join us in The Virtual Circle.
Remember what Jim Rohn says – You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. We are your people.
You know what you want to do. Let us help you do it!
Do You Need Help?
If you need help doing any of the things I mentioned today – finding new clients, revising your rates, finding your community, networking, marketing, speaking, mastering time management, get in touch with me. I’m here to help.
It’s the only reason I’m here at all, as you know. To help you become a ridiculously good VA.
I have helped hundreds of VAs who are stuck get moving through private coaching, group coaching, and live and self study trainings. If you want to talk about how we can work together, let’s connect on a Cut to the Chase call. You can book yours at YourVAMentor.com/chase
Thanks for tuning in this week! I’ll see you next time!
What You Need to Do Next:
PRIVATE COACHING: Let’s work together privately to get you to your really big goal. It’s the fastest way to get results and we can start right away. Learn more about private coaching here.
GROUP COACHING MASTERMIND: The Virtual Circle is a group coaching mastermind option that costs less than private coaching, and can help you achieve the goals you set for yourself. We have one group training call and one group coaching call each month that will help you set goals and plan and implement the action steps to achieve them. There is also a VIP level of TVC that includes a monthly private coaching call, if you want a little extra personal attention. Check it out here: https://yourvamentor.com/TVC. We’d love to have you join us!
MONTHLY EMAIL MEMBERSHIP: I also have a brand new low-cost monthly membership program that will help you build your VA business – and it doesn’t require you to be on social media! It’s an email membership that I call The Virtual Toolkit! Every Monday morning you’ll receive a lesson and a downloadable resource in your inbox, that you can use to take a step further in your VA business. I’ve created TONS of amazing resources for you – from business foundations and building resources (financial stuff, calculators, productivity, tech tips and tools, website planning guide) to marketing tools (branding worksheet, blogging templates, content calendar, client acquisition, marketing campaign planner) to advanced business skills (package planning, branding tools, onboarding checklist, seo checklist, client management) and personal growth stuff (goal setting worksheet, networking, speaking tips and tools, conflict resolution tips). All of this is available to you for just $9 a month!! You get your first resource as soon as you register, and every Monday morning after that you’ll get a fresh new one. Get more details and sign up here now!
SELF STUDY PROGRAM: My self study program Getting Started as a VA can help you get your VA business started easily and quickly too. You can sign up right away and be on your way to getting clients by the end of the program, with all the right foundations in place. Check out the program here.
COMPLIMENTARY CONSULT: Reach out to me if you need to talk about where you are stuck and what the right option might be to get you moving. It’s literally all I’m here to do is help you get to where you want to go. Book a complimentary Cut to the Chase call with me here.