I'm a VA - The First Six Months
Even when you're prepared, you may not be.
My last day at the bank was August 31, 2012. The first few weeks after I left the bank were spent working around the house doing things I hadn't been able to do in more than six years. You know, things like hanging curtains that were bought five years ago, cleaning out the closets, and other household chores that were put off because I was just too tired after a long commute and a full day of work. I think my house was finally clean for the first time in years! It felt really good to be home.
In all the cleaning, rearranging, sorting, and hauling to the local charity, I began to get an idea of how I was going to start my Virtual Assistance business. Yes, I had been going through a mentoring program for most of the last year, but I still wasn't entirely prepared when it came down to it. I still needed a place to work at home, and I needed some software to get started. I also needed to file legal paperwork and find the local networking groups. First things first.
We have an office in our home. It's relatively small and not one that my husband wanted to share, after all, he is the major breadwinner. I certainly understood. His work, when at home, requires him to have a quiet place while he's talking with people around the world. Neither of us wanted to have our work scattered throughout the house. Neither of us wanted to share a desk, either, and at times that wouldn't be possible. So, throughout my nesting process, I put my thinking cap on and decided I could create my own desk and workspace in the closet of our office. It isn't high-end, but I'm happy with it.
I do have a chair, but if I had left it in the picture, you wouldn't be able to see my desk. Remember, this is the closet. It works for me, at least for now.
I took the time to polish my resume a little more, updated my status on all social media outlets, and bought the necessary software. And when I was settling into a routine that was a bit more than that of a homemaker, a former co-worker and friend called one afternoon. She had a referral for me! I was elated! And, it was for the kind of work that I enjoy doing. Was I interested? Well, yes!
The potential client called shortly thereafter and interviewed me over the phone. We agreed on my rate, and I was on my way! I was given the task of taking their existing forms and re-creating them in an interactive .pdf format. I love this work. It is challenging and tedious, requiring a lot of attention. It felt so good to be working again!
Early in December, I received a message via LinkedIn from someone I was acquainted with before. Was I serious about this VA business? Yes, of course I was. He came on board shortly thereafter, and again, I love this kind of work. For this client, I never know what I will be doing from one moment to the next. I may be arranging travel, updating his CV, or checking his LinkedIn messages. I've renewed licenses, made calls on his behalf to schedule appointments and interviews, researched contact information for top executives he wanted to reach, and much more. I was making progress on being a Virtual Assistant, and both of my clients were local! What next?
I finally found a local networking group in February. I am so happy
to have found this group! It's called WOAMTEC - Women on a mission to earn a commission. They're about family, faith, and career in that order. It was evident from the beginning that this would take time and effort. It takes building relationships for them to come to fruition. (I'll tell you more about WOAMTEC in another post.) I got lucky pretty much right off the bat with a referral from a member. She had a friend who was a local schoolteacher, an author, and a radio host, and was soon to retire, in need of some help. Was this someone I could assist? Well, of course! And so I gained another client.
The first six months were slow, but I had gained three clients, and I felt I was on my way. I am a Virtual Assistant!
To learn more about WOAMTEC, visit
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