It's All About You (... Or Is It?)

You can become a very successful Virtual Assistant if you focus on the right things at the right time. For example, if you are interested in becoming a virtual assistant but have not yet started your business, that is the perfect time to focus on YOU. Here are some things that you want to consider.

You Focus

Do you have:

1. The right mindset to become a business owner?

2. The ability to persevere through stress?

3. A strong desire to succeed?

4. Enough knowledge to make sure that starting a business is a good step for you?

5. Have the personality traits that are needed to build a business?

You can make yourself the focal point because you need to be clear about whether or not you should start a Virtual Assistance business. Believe me, you do not want to quit your job with great aspirations of business success only to be filled with doubt after you set up your company. Yes, it is ALL about you before you venture into becoming a business owner.

It is necessary to shift your focus at some point. Now, I am talking to YOU (the VA who has started your business). On what do you need to focus your attention and resources?

Think for a moment about why you have started your business. You likely said, "Yes, I have the necessary skills, ability and mindset to branch out on my own and use my administrative background to create my own success in life!" That is wonderful!

Now, it is time focus your energies on serving others. You can put yourself in the periphery view and keenly address the needs of your target market. At once you start your VA business, it is time to go out into the world and be a problem solver for other people. You are no longer the focal point. The business that you have created is about helping others to overcome their administrative overwhelm. How can you make sure that your business is customer-centric?

Customer Focus

The question that still reigns as #1 on the inquiry list that I receive is... (drum roll please), How do I get clients? In order to enroll new clients into your practice, you need to focus on the clients that you want. How can this be accomplished? Let me break this down into bit-sized steps:

1. Choose a target market. This is a specific group of people who share something in common so that you can find bunches of them in the same place.

2. Dedicate your brand to that market. When you talk about your business, you will focus on who your target market is, what problems they solve and how you help them to solve those problems.

3. Stress the benefits that your clients receive from working with you.

4. Share this core message (the 3 points above) in all of your marketing strategies. Use it on your website, your business cards/flyers, in social media and when networking in person.

Certainly, in the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey the focus is ALL about YOU. It has to be in order for you to make the right decisions. You need to answer affirmatively the question, "Do I have what it takes to succeed?" The next stage is getting your business started and then cultivating a Customer-centric business. When your target market views you as the resource that is capable of helping them to solve their problems, you will be able to accomplish the business goals that you have set for yourself. Consider the stage of your business today. Are you where you expected to be?