Are you enjoying your business every day? Do you feel like a success?
A lot of Virtual Assistants – no matter what stage of their business they are in – just fly by the seat of their pants, and then they wonder why they are not successful.
I hear from them every day.
When I ask them how their business is going, I get a lot of the same responses
- I don’t know where to find clients.
- I am not making enough money.
- I’m stuck on a business name.
- I can’t start marketing until my website is ready.
- I’m still working on my logo.
- I’m no good at networking in person.
Some of these problems are just excuses to not start (that happens very often with new VAs!)
Some of them are simply decisions you have to make – be brave!
And some of them are valid issues that you need to get help with, if you can’t move forward yourself.
I often challenge the excuses that VAs use to not start their business. It’s my job as a coach to help push you through the fear that you have around being a business owner and experiencing success.
I ask them what their plan is. Often they don’t have a plan, and that’s the whole problem.
Are you making excuses? or do you just need a little help?
If any of those protests above sound like you, here is my advice:
I don’t know where to find clients. Who are your clients? If you have not chosen a target market or industry yet, that’s your first step. Once you decide who you are looking for, you can figure out where to find them. Ask your colleagues if you don’t know. Getting clients means getting in front of the people who need your services, so they can see you. Reach out. Connect.
I am not making enough money. How much money are you making? Where is it coming from? Do you need to raise your rates? Or do you need more clients? Get specific about what the issue is, so you can put the right plan in place to fix it. If you need to raise your rates, figure out how to tell your current clients. And any new clients you bring in, start them at the new rate. If you need to find new clients, make a plan to do that.
I’m stuck on a business name. You have a name. Your personal name. Don’t let branding or a business name stop you from starting your business. It’s an excuse, and a bad one at that. If you are ready to serve clients – you have your services chosen, your rates set, a contract to have them fill in, and a means for them to pay you, you can get going. Don’t hang yourself up on this. Get moving.
I can’t start marketing until my website is ready. This is the same as your business name. You don’t need a website to start having conversations with people. Your website will always be a work in progress. You do need an online presence when you get started but not necessarily a website. Update your LinkedIn profile so it’s current and describes what you do. Start a Facebook page for your business. There you go. You’re online and visible.
I’m still working on my logo. Most clients will never even notice your logo. I know that’s probably upsetting if that’s your main focus right now but it is so true. Clients want to know two things: what you can do for them, and how much it will cost them. Branding is important, sure, but it should not be a stopping point to getting your business off the ground. Bring in some clients and revenue, and then you can brand to your heart’s content!
I’m no good at networking in person. Many VAs are introverts. It’s part of our nature, being support professionals. But networking is really just about asking questions and assessing whether you can help someone. That’s not as hard as you think. If you really get paralyzed by networking, you might need to seek help to get better at it. If you really can’t connect with people, you will have difficulty getting clients. Maybe being a subcontractor is a better plan for you.
If you are using any of these reasons (excuses!) to stay stuck in your business, start moving through the issue. Check out the links in this article to get more info.
Success takes planning, and consistent efforts to implement those plans. And it’s great when you can crush those excuses!!
If you just need a little help, reach out for a complimentary Cut to the Chase call with me: www.yourvamentor.com/15-