The Fast Track to Business Success

I love to putter around my house on Saturday mornings. I walk from room to room, putting things back in place, watering my plants, and organizing our belongings. It’s all about doing whatever I am drawn to at the moment.

Spending hours without an agenda is relaxing, especially after a busy week. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment. And while I’m “getting things done” during this time, there is no goal other than enjoyment.

When Virtual Assistants start out, they are often enamored with the idea of being their own boss and taking charge of their day. They naturally take the puttering approach, doing what they are drawn to and following their interests.

While that might feel like a relief after having a job where someone always directs how you spend your time, it’s not how you build a successful business.

Owning a business allows many freedoms. You get to choose who you work with, when you’ll work, and where, but for your business to succeed, you need a deliberate plan with goals and deadlines.

Here’s how to craft your plan:

1. Set a measurable goal. To make a goal achievable, it must be clear. For example, by October, I will consistently make $3K monthly as a Virtual Assistant.
   
   Some VAs fall into the trap of creating goals about the number of clients they want. Yes, that’s measurable, but it’s not meaningful. You can have three clients with $200 worth of billable hours a month or $2,000. (Read more about that here). Choose a goal that’s not reliant on the behavior of others to make happen, like the number of billable hours a client will consistently give you.
    
2. Break your goal into actionable steps. This makes your goals more manageable and increases the likelihood of achieving them. For example, if your goal is to make $3K a month, you might include actions like attending three networking events monthly, writing a monthly email newsletter, and raising your hourly rate.
    
3. Create deadlines. Have you ever heard the saying a dream without a deadline is just a wish?  No truer words were ever spoken. When we’re not driven by a deadline, we’re driven by our feelings. As a business owner, there are things you’ll need to do to be successful that are outside of your comfort zone and that you won’t feel like doing. By putting them off, you’re delaying your success. Choosing realistic deadlines and promising that you’ll stick to them will help you get it done.
    
4. Track your progress. This is the single most important part of achieving goals. Often, people set goals and then lose track of them. Before you know it, they’ve forgotten all about it. By tracking your progress, you’re keeping your eye on the end result you want and are able to make mid-course corrections based on what you learn along the way. An added benefit of tracking is that you can celebrate the milestones as you achieve them.

Establishing a successful business as a Virtual Assistant requires thoughtful planning. Take the time to think about why a successful business is important to you and what you want to accomplish. Sketch out your action steps and jump in.

The sooner you get started, the sooner you can move into the lifestyle that will make life work for you and your family.

If you’re not already a member of our Facebook Group, The Virtual Assistant Connection, and would like to join, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com