Overcoming Self Doubt – Virtual Assistant Success Strategies

Wil Hart on December 17, 2013

#007 VA Success Cafe: How To Be Inspired By Your Goals Daily

Wil Hart on December 3, 2013

Discover Your Fears And 3 Ways To Overcome Them

One of the best definitions I have ever heard for the word FEAR is False Expectations Appearing Real.

It goes without saying that starting and running your own business can appear to be a scary undertaking. For some it is horrifying. For many others, it is a thrilling prospect of creativity and opportunity.

Fear can sap your energy and hold you back from making progress in your business. How though, can you discover whether or not fear has a grip on you?

Start by analyzing your habits. When you have an important task to complete, do you have the habit of diving into the work and completing it as soon as possible? Or, do you put the task off for later because you want to make sure that everything you need is in the right order and perfect.

If you tend to put things off by allowing ‘busy work’ and distractions to overwhelm you, it may be that you have the fear of completing tasks. Just thinking about the work that it will take to get a new client, write a few blog posts, or attend a networking event seems exhausting and complicated. This is a prime case of “ready… aim… wait“! Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on November 8, 2013

5 Steps To Starting A Virtual Assistance Business

You are likely reading this article because you have a vast array of skills as an administrative professional. In a previous time, you may have been an executive assistant for a large company. Or, you developed your skills supporting a wide range of professionals who needed help with their administrative tasks.

Now, you are looking for another option. The possibility of using your admin support skills to start your own business has become very appealing to you. There are probably 100 reasons why you are interested in started your own Virtual Assistance business.

To name a few, you may desire to:

1. Dictate your own schedule and income
2. Work for the best boss in the world – YOU!
3. Spend more time with family and friends
4. Take better care of an aging relative
5. Retire with grace

The list can go on for miles. The important thing to keep in mind is the motivating force for you. Why are you driven to learn more about building your own business? Your reason is important to me as well. It is so important that I want to share with you 5 keys to keep in mind when starting your VA business from scratch!

The fun part about the steps that I am going to share with you is that you can do them in any order. You have to take the lead and decide which is the next best step for your current circumstances. Heck! You can even do two steps at the same time!

Step 1: Set Up Your Infrastructure Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on October 25, 2013

4 Reasons You Are Hiding From Your Goals

You have 70 days left before the start of 2014!

Are you thinking the same thing that many other Virtual Assistants are thinking; ‘Where did the time go?’ The year 2013 is almost gone, a wrap, over, FINITO! How do you feel about your goals for this year? Are you beaming with excitement because you have accomplished a large portion of them? Or, are you avoiding the area where you have posted those goals. You know the feeling of being afraid to review your goals because you think that they will fully understand how you have ignored them for so long.

That is understandable. We all have been there before! So, instead of being scared of those goals, we will discuss 4 reasons why you are hiding from them. Let’s put it out there. Recognize and acknowledge the reasons so that you can overcome them in the future

Reason #1 Procrastination

For some presumably good reason, you decided to delay getting started on a particular objective. Maybe in your mind it was a bit too overwhelming to tackle. Or, you thought that the goal was so easy to reach, that you could start on it at any time and finish it at your leisure. However, there are fewer than 70 days left in the year and you haven’t even started working toward the goal.

Reason #2 They Got Lost and Forgotten Continue Reading>>

Wil Hart on January 7, 2013

3 Reasons To Ask Yourself “Why?”

Let’s be honest! If you look back at the previous 12 months of your life, do you find things that are noteworthy or humdrum?

Noteworthy – (adjective) Significant or unusual.

Examples of things that are noteworthy:

Accomplishing meaningful goals.
Building or repairing important relationships.
Breaking through a paralyzing limiting belief.

Humdrum – (adjective) Lacking excitement or variety; dull; monotonous.

Examples of things that are humdrum:

Allowing hours, days and months to pass you by without making quality contributions to your life or that of others.
Embracing a life that is stuck in a rut.
Empowering others to dictate how your life will turn out.

Do you recall the day when you planted the idea in your mind to start your own Virtual Assistance business? Has that seed sprouted and begun to flourish? Did the idea motivate you to take some action in order to create a vision for yourself, set some goals and act on those goals?

If your seed of a thought has not yet sprouted, I can tell you exactly the reason it lays dormant in your mind. Your ‘WHY’ is not BIG enough! I cannot stress the importance of having a tremendous motivating factor. I know the feeling of setting a goal and shortly forgetting about it because it wasn’t strong enough to move me to action. Have you ever felt that way?

Here are 3 reasons you need to have a compelling ‘WHY’ in order to become a successful Virtual Assistant. This will force that implanted mental seed to germinate. Knowing your BIG WHY will do the following:

Force you to be relentless. Have you ever been in a financial bind? It is amazing the resources that become available to you when you need money fast. (Just to be clear, I do imply legal resources.) During that time, when your mortgage is due, you won’t stop searching until you have a solution to the problem. The same is true when you are seeking to build your own business. You will find the resources and the mentors who can help you to be successful in business. You will not allow anything to stop you from doing so.
Compel you to complete projects. A successful business is the result of completing a series of projects. When you have a vision of the type of business that you want to create, you will then need to map out the action steps that will enable you to accomplish your goals. Completing those action steps fulfills your goals.
Empower you to create a life-enhancing business. We all have to work in order to provide for our families. If that isn’t a BIG WHY for showing up at a place of employment (that you may detest), I don’t know what is. I have spent the majority of my career as an employee. If you were to ask me why I worked for the companies that I’ve worked for, I would’ve stated, “I have to eat and pay bills!” That was my BIG WHY. If you’d like to know why I am now self-employed, send me an email and I will gladly share with you my new BIG WHY.

If you look back at 2012, do you find that experienced a year that was noteworthy or humdrum? If you were aiming for noteworthy and accomplished it, then CONGRATS! If you have just realizes you were living a humdrum year and want to make a change, I invite you to start where you stand and strive for something more. If you are now an employed administrative professional, think of ways that you can make your 2013 year-end review remarkable! Make a list of trainings that you can take. Look for daily tasks that you can complete quicker so as to improve your productivity.

If you are already working full-time as a Virtual Assistant, focus on how you can make 2013 a noteworthy year. Define what success means for you. It may be enrolling a certain number of clients or earning a specific income. Whatever the case, clarify your vision for success so that you can invest outstanding contributions to the fulfillment of your goals. Start taking the appropriate action today. Would you like a copy of the formula that I use to help me stay focused on my vision and take the right action to completing my vision? Email me (Wil@EAtoVA.com)!

Wil Hart on

3 Reasons To Ask Yourself “Why?”

Let’s be honest! If you look back at the previous 12 months of your life, do you find things that are noteworthy or humdrum?

Noteworthy – (adjective) Significant or unusual.

Examples of things that are noteworthy:

Accomplishing meaningful goals.
Building or repairing important relationships.
Breaking through a paralyzing limiting belief.

Humdrum – (adjective) Lacking excitement or variety; dull; monotonous.

Examples of things that are humdrum:

Allowing hours, days and months to pass you by without making quality contributions to your life or that of others.
Embracing a life that is stuck in a rut.
Empowering others to dictate how your life will turn out.

Force you to be relentless. Have you ever been in a financial bind? It is amazing the resources that become available to you when you need money fast. (Just to be clear, I do imply legal resources.) During that time, when your mortgage is due, you won’t stop searching until you have a solution to the problem. The same is true when you are seeking to build your own business. You will find the resources and the mentors who can help you to be successful in business. You will not allow anything to stop you from doing so.
Compel you to complete projects. A successful business is the result of completing a series of projects. When you have a vision of the type of business that you want to create, you will then need to map out the action steps that will enable you to accomplish your goals. Completing those action steps fulfills your goals.
Empower you to create a life-enhancing business. We all have to work in order to provide for our families. If that isn’t a BIG WHY for showing up at a place of employment (that you may detest), I don’t know what is. I have spent the majority of my career as an employee. If you were to ask me why I worked for the companies that I’ve worked for, I would’ve stated, “I have to eat and pay bills!” That was my BIG WHY. If you’d like to know why I am now self-employed, send me an email and I will gladly share with you my new BIG WHY.

Wil Hart on

3 Reasons To Ask Yourself “Why?”

Let’s be honest! If you look back at the previous 12 months of your life, do you find things that are noteworthy or humdrum?

Noteworthy – (adjective) Significant or unusual.

Examples of things that are noteworthy:

Accomplishing meaningful goals.
Building or repairing important relationships.
Breaking through a paralyzing limiting belief.

Humdrum – (adjective) Lacking excitement or variety; dull; monotonous.

Examples of things that are humdrum:

Allowing hours, days and months to pass you by without making quality contributions to your life or that of others.
Embracing a life that is stuck in a rut.
Empowering others to dictate how your life will turn out.

Force you to be relentless. Have you ever been in a financial bind? It is amazing the resources that become available to you when you need money fast. (Just to be clear, I do imply legal resources.) During that time, when your mortgage is due, you won’t stop searching until you have a solution to the problem. The same is true when you are seeking to build your own business. You will find the resources and the mentors who can help you to be successful in business. You will not allow anything to stop you from doing so.
Compel you to complete projects. A successful business is the result of completing a series of projects. When you have a vision of the type of business that you want to create, you will then need to map out the action steps that will enable you to accomplish your goals. Completing those action steps fulfills your goals.
Empower you to create a life-enhancing business. We all have to work in order to provide for our families. If that isn’t a BIG WHY for showing up at a place of employment (that you may detest), I don’t know what is. I have spent the majority of my career as an employee. If you were to ask me why I worked for the companies that I’ve worked for, I would’ve stated, “I have to eat and pay bills!” That was my BIG WHY. If you’d like to know why I am now self-employed, send me an email and I will gladly share with you my new BIG WHY.

Wil Hart on November 19, 2012

How to Face Your Fears and Defeat Them

Fear is a natural part of our emotional make up. It is even helpful at times. For without fear, we’d certainly walk into many unnecessary dangers. When it comes to being successful in your Virtual Assistance business, you may have many fears that hold you back from making the progress that you deserve.

Do you find yourself ignoring your fears in hopes that they will go away and never return? That is one method of feeding your fears so that they will never be eliminated.

So, what are some of the fears that you have? Is it the fear of failure? Could it be the fear of rejection? Some fears actually stem from the fear of success. Imagine that!

Here is a formula for facing your fears and dealing with them appropriately.

Acknowledge the fear that you have. Say out loud, “Yes, I’m afraid.”
Isolate the fear. Determine exactly what that fear is.
Take some action to eliminate the fear.

Now, we are going to make this practical and applicable.

You are trying to build a successful business. However, one of the obstacles that holds you back is a fear of meeting people. Do you remember what step one is? Say to yourself, “Yes, I’m afraid.” Next, you want to pinpoint the fear. The fear is meeting new people. The last step is to take some action towards eliminating the fear.

There are several things that you can do in this regard and they don’t all need to be business related. It could be something as simple as introducing yourself to a neighbor that you have never met before. Meet someone at the grocery store or at your child’s daycare. The more people you put forth effort to meet, the easier it will become. That particular fear will become a thing of the past.

If you face each of your business fears with this process, you will soon become a habitual ‘fear crusher’. Remember this, indecision and procrastination fertilizes fear. Action cures fear.

Do you believe that these steps will help you in your business?

Wil Hart on May 22, 2012

5 Keys To Becoming A Successful Virtual Assistant

In 2009, there were 27.5 million businesses in the United States, according to Office of Advocacy estimates (per a report published in January 2011). What does that mean for you?

A) That number has only increased since 2009.
B) EVERY single one of those businesses needs some type of administrative support to function and be profitable.
C) There is more opportunity for you to be successful than ever before.

Since you have expressed an interest in becoming a Successful Virtual Assistant, I want to share with you all the tips, short cuts and resources that were not available to me when I first got started. I had to figure out on my own most of the things that I learned. I hope that you will utilize the tools that I give you so as to make your journey a LOT less stressful than mine turned out.

Fortunately, I kept track of every step I took, every mistake I made and everything that worked along the way. I didn’t have a real reason for doing so at the time, but I’m SO glad I did because now I can share them with you. When I look back I see that there are 5 critical keys you need to start and build a successful Virtual Assistance company:

1. Mindset: You may not realize it now, but to be successful as an entrepreneur, you have to THINK like an entrepreneur. As employees, we are conditioned to do what others tell us. Someone else typically decides our schedule, how much we get paid, who we work with and what projects we work on. When you become self-employed, YOU call all the shots. This is probably one of the things that is most attractive to you about the opportunity to be a Virtual Assistant. However, you must understand that you will have to go through some growing pains to make-over your mindset. You cannot operate your business they way you function as an employee. It simply won’t work. If you avoid working through this transition it could be the ONE thing that can make or break your business.

2. Infrastructure: What makes up the infrastructure of your company? Here are a few things to consider: 1) Insurances – health, life, disability, dental etc. 2) Technology – computers, phones, an online presence etc. 3) Operations – you must have operational systems in place such as accounting, tax filing, setting up new customers, processes for working with customers, etc. 4) Structure – will you set up an LLC or a Sole Proprietorship? 5) Finances – it takes money to make money. Considering these important matters and making well-informed decisions about which situations will work best for you, will enable you to start and manage a successful company.

3. Marketing: Marketing your services and getting clients boils down to one thing, ‘Offering solutions to people who are already looking for them.’ You don’t have to “hawk your wares”, you don’t have to convince people to hire you and you don’t have to take any opportunity that comes along. Marketing at it’s best is simple, focused and consistent. Those who do not market their company tend to find themselves out of business very soon. The best thing that you can do for your business is to know how to generate leads and enroll new clients. You do not want to wait to figure this out. You can develop a marketing plan even before you have made your first dollar, taking advantage of the resources, relationships and opportunities already within your reach.

4. Transition: Having a PLAN around your transition from Executive Assistant to Virtual Assistant will help you to make the leap from employee to entrepreneur smoothly. Please do not quit your job and then ‘hope for the best’. That is NOT a plan that leads to success. You want to make sure that you have not only your infrastructure in tact, but also a step by step plan that has dates attached to keep you focused. This plan gives you time and space to make the transition. In your mind you may think you can “wave a wand” and make the changes you need to make overnight. But that is an unrealistic view. Mapping out a realistic plan will help you to make steady progress, avoid unnecessary stress and minimize wasted time and wasted money.

5. Building Your Business: When you work for someone else, that company does all of the heavy lifting for you as an employee. The company is responsible for building the business so that you will have a place to work each day. Now, YOU are responsible for whether you win or lose. Success or failure is 100% in YOUR hands! You, therefore, have to perform all of the needed tasks to REMAIN in business. This includes constantly upgrading your skill set, setting up systems, marketing consistently and more.

If you would like help with each of these 5 Keys, I invite you to join me for a FREE training call on Thursday, May 31st, entitled “How to Use the Skills You Already Have to Add An Additional $500 – $5,000 to Your Monthly Income…Working From Home”. Click HERE to get the dial-in details!

Wil Hart on June 3, 2011

How to Break Through Your Challenges and Get Back in Gear

If you have felt “stuck” with where you’re at in your VA business, especially as it relates to accomplishing the goals you’ve set for yourself, I want to assure you that it is possible to get “un-stuck,” break through the challenges you’re facing and get back in gear.

How? Continue Reading>>

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