It would be an understatement to say that you want more clients, more stability, fewer expenses and more money in your business. Let’s not start there because that is what business is all about. If you focus on three simple activities, you will see your business improve in all of the aforementioned areas.

PLAN ~ You likely have your sources for information gathering. In fact, the list of resources that are available to you grows daily. In some way, you have mentors who teach you tactics and skills that will help you to accomplish your business objectives. How you obtain that information is not as important as how quickly you will put it into action. BEFORE taking action, however, step back and get the “blimp perspective“. Blimps, such as the Goodyear Blimp, provide a perspective of a city or a venue like the Super Bowl, that you otherwise would not see. It’s the full scope. If you apply the blimp view to your business it will give you a broad perspective that includes:

1. Where you have come from.
2. Where you are now.
3. Where you want to go in the future.

Planning allows you to achieve such a view of your business. Therefore, it is imperative that you take all of the knowledge that you have gained about running a successful virtual assistance company and map out the future course of your business. The blimp perspective gives you the freedom to see many potential roadblocks, opportunities and sterling possibilities. Then you will have to …

DO ~ This is the step that moves you from the drawing board to the playing field. The plans that you drew up for your business are now “LIVE”. Now it is time to ‘do or die’, ‘sink or swim’, where the ‘rubber meets the road’,  or whatever cliche you can think of that helps you to get things done!  There is no substitute for taking action on the plan that you have created. Many entrepreneurs habitually purchase programs but fail to implement what they have learned. It is as if the mere purchase would increase their business. I often wonder if they reason this way, “since I have invested in my business, I should be successful.” That is so far from the truth. Investing in a program, a seminar, a software or a service is tantamount to picking up a tool. Something has to be done after picking up that tool. Oh yeah, they call that WORK. Action is the key that unlocks the door to business success. But, do not be satisfied with planning and acting on your plan. Next, you will want to …

REVIEW ~ That’s right! Consider the results of your hard work. Did you reach your goals? How far off were you from your targets. What did you omit from the planning or action steps? What would you adjust, cut out or include?  Reviewing and measuring your results will enable you to start this 3 step process with what I like to call Success Data. This data is the stepping stone for your next round of planning, action and reviewing.

These 3 activities, when applied to your marketing, client work and back office duties will set you up for business growth and success. You cannot go wrong with this process. You will never have all of the knowledge you need at one time. Most of the important things you learn comes from the action that you take. So, do not be paralyzed by perfectionism. As long as you take confident imperfect actions, you will step closer to the goals and dreams that you have established for your virtual company.

Until next time be sure to Plan, Do and Review.

Let me know how this works for you by commenting below.

• How will I manage my time and clients? Time is our number one resource. We all enjoy the same portion of it each day. You, as a part-time VA will have to determine how you will use your allotment of 24 hours. First, be mindful that you do not need to tell your clients that you only work part time. Every day, you treat your employer as your biggest client, right?

  When you enroll a client on a part-time basis, they only need to know that the agreement that the two of you made will be honored. Therefore, even in a part-time situation, make only commitments that you can keep. This means not over-committing yourself or making promises you can't keep. Be honest about what you can do and you'll quickly build trust with your clients, that will likely lead to more work and referrals to others in their network.

Is pursuing a part-time VA business the right goal for you? It can be if you honestly assess your current circumstances. Decide whether or not you have the time to commit to building your business. You also need to determine if you have the financial means to support your business. It is also important for you to be realistic in your commitments to clients.  Many are getting this accomplished. By reviewing the points mentioned in this article, creating a plan and taking action, you can start a successful part-time Virtual Assistance business too!

When you are in start-up mode, it's important to pay close attention to the numbers in your business. You will absolutely need to invest money into your new enterprise in order to set it up properly and build a strong foundation. However, there are three categories that could prove to be money-pits if you are not careful. I am an expert in the field of making mistakes and learning from them. Thus, I'd like you to learn from where I went wrong in the early days and avoid making the same mistakes.

1. Start-up Costs

   The first mistake I see many new VAs making is not calculating an accurate amount for start up costs. (I actually made the opposite mistake and spent too much money!) Starting a successful Virtual Assistant business doesn't require tens of thousands of dollars in capital, but you will HAVE to invest money to get started. So resist the urge to think you can build this business on a shoestring budget.  If you miscalculate the start-up costs of your business, this may lead to you owing a lot more money than you begin to earn.

   Consider what technology you will need to purchase. What are the monthly operating expenses? How long will it take to turn a profit? Knowing this will give you an idea of how much money you should have saved for the first six to twelve months after you open your doors for business. Not counting the costs may in turn cost you a lot of money and  unnecessary frustration.

2. Taxes

   Please do not start your business thinking all of your money will go directly into your wallet. When you had a corporate job, your company happily deducted taxes for you. Who is going to do that for you now? You guessed it. YOU.

   It is YOUR job to make sure that your company is set up so that you will receive the best tax advantage. With that said, you are also responsible for setting aside the proper taxes so that you do not get caught in a whirlwind of back taxes and trouble with the state and Federal authorities.

   Hiring a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is one of the best investments that you can make as a new entrepreneur. She will help you to avoid many tax pitfalls, keep you updated on your local and federal tax law and help you to file your taxes appropriately and on time. Even if you decide not to hire a CPA on a permanent basis, I highly recommend meeting with one once or twice to setup the financial structure of your business correctly. You don't want to tackle this on your own, rather you want to create the best possible situation for you and your family.

3. Marketing Costs

   "But, I can't afford a marketing budget." Have you said this before? If so, I only have one question for you, 'How can you stay in business if you do not grow your business?' I say this with so much care and warmth for you: You can't expect to hide behind your computer, hoping clients will show up at your door payment in hand. It simply WON'T happen.

   The whole point of going into business for yourself is for you to help other people while being the source of your own income.

   But, if you do not invest in prospecting, how will you earn money? Anyone can start a business. Smart entrepreneurs know the importance of investing in their marketing. Marketing creates awareness for the solutions you provide and attracts prospects. Having conversations with prospects is what converts them to clients. It's service clients that generates revenue and builds your reputation. None of this will happen if you don't market what you have to offer.  It would be useless to open the doors of your brand new business only to have zero customers walk through them. Plan to set aside funds to learn how to market your business, create your materials and implement your marketing plan. You'll need to focus on marketing almost daily, especially in the beginning.

Take the time that is needed to get your business off to a great start. Do the proper research so that you can have a realistic number for your start-up costs. Get a CPA involved in your business as soon as you get started to avoid a 'tax mess'. Understand that you will need to do marketing for your business and that will cost money as well. Be ready for this expense by setting up a marketing budget. Avoid these pitfalls and you will find your new business is profitable, successful and debt free!

Remember this simple yet profound notion: If you are not where you want to be, you have not done what you need to do.

When you entertained the idea of running your own Virtual Assistance company, you likely enjoyed the dream of firing your boss, making your own schedule and getting paid what you actually deserve. You, of course had even grander hopes than the few things mentioned. My question to you is, have you reached your potential. As you reflect on the time that has passed from whence you entertained the thought of creating your own definition of success until TODAY, what type of results have you developed?

If you are not where you want to be, you have not done what you need to do.  There are not enough excuses in the world that can negate that fact. Some roadblocks may have come up. But a roadblock does not have to be a deal breaker unless you allow it to crush your dreams. Track back to when you first began to dream big about starting your own successful Virtual Assistance company. If you have already created your business but have not yet reached your definition of success, do not give up.

Figure out the steps that you have not yet taken, and go to work on accomplishing those tasks.  Armed with your goals, never stop pursuing them until you have reached them.

GO GET'EM!

Do you have the tools that you need in order to serve your clients at a high level? Take a look around at your office set up? It does not matter if you work out of your bedroom or in a living room nook. Your technology needs to support your peak performance.

Are you comfortable in your workspace? Is your computer screen large enough? Are you set up for mobilization if you travel often? Technology in this sense does not mean computer hardware and software. In this article, technology will pertain to tools that you need to deliver the solutions your clients are looking for.

Let’s take inventory of your workspace. What do you need in order to be comfortable, equipped and effective as a Virtual Assistant?

Comfort: Do you work from a laptop or a desktop? This will greatly affect your comfort level. If you are looking downward at a laptop screen all day, the strain on your neck, shoulders and back may become unbearable, undermining your efforts to serve your clients and grow your business. What can you do to improve this situation?

Acquire a large monitor to connect to your laptop. This will allow your work to be closer to eye level and relieve the stress that you currently place on your neck and shoulders.

Do you have a chair that properly supports your body while you work at your desk? If you have soreness in your lower back and or hips, it is not likely that you have an appropriate sitting position. An ergonomic chair may be all that you need to solve this problem.

Equipment: It is important for you to use tools that help you in accomplishing your work quickly and efficiently. For instance, do you do a lot of proofreading? Would having two computer monitors help you to get through your reading faster?

How fast is your Internet connection? Is it serving you well? (Please do NOT use Wi-Fi for your business. Your client and business info need to be kept safe at all times!) Do you need an upgrade in order to serve your clients better?

Do you have a business phone number that is separate from the family phone line? You want to show up in a BIG and professional way as a business owner.

Effectiveness: As you take inventory of your virtual tools and your comfort level, does your situation enable you to be the MOST effective business owner that you can be? If you are not proficient in actually working virtually, this needs to be addressed immediately. Consider what specific solutions your prospects and clients are looking for. Then research the tools you need to work with them and serve their needs. Invest in the training you need to become a top-notch Virtual Assistant.

As an entrepreneur, it should be your goal to grow your business. As your business grows, you will need to grow with it. That means upgrading your technology at every opportunity. Doing so will allow you to really make a difference in your client's lives and create a profitable, successful business for yourself.

How important is honesty to you?  I hope that you are not a person who would get involved with shady business dealings.  If honesty is not very important to you, then be sure to make it important to your business.  You want to have a great deal of integrity when dealing with clients, colleagues, vendors, strategic partners and everyone else with whom you come into contact.

An elementary topic?  Indeed.  Vital for long-term success?  Oh yeah!

Have you ever seen a dishonest person get away untarnished from underhanded activity?  At the very least, his conscience will be damaged.  How can you be honest in your business dealings?  The key is to avoid lying in any way.  If you have an interview with a prospective client who needs a skill that you do not have, would you say that you can accomplish that requested task in order to obtain the contract?  Maybe a person in that situation could reason, "I will simply learn the skill and then get the work done."  This is dangerous for her reputation and business.

How much better would it be to tell the prospect, "Well, I don't have any experience in that, but I am willing to learn it on my own time."  Your prospect will have a great deal of respect for you because of your honesty and straightforwardness.

Thinking long-term about your business has to include a mindfulness towards integrity in all of your work.  This is a sure way to build a lasting business.  One lie could lead to the downfall of a business!

You are unique mainly because you are a human. No other person in the past, present or future will ever duplicate your fingerprints or dental impressions.  I mean NO ONE!

But, what sets you apart as a Virtual Assistant.  Why should I partner with you instead of the seven other Virtual Assistants that I have interviewed?  Whew! I'm so glad that I don't have to answer that question.  I will, however, have to make a decision that is best for my business, my goals and my investment.

What skills, personality traits or knowledge do you have that sets you apart from the pack of client-hungry Virtual Assistants? If you make those points stand out to your prospective clients, you will have a full practice of clients.  Your competition will have not choice but to eat your dust!