This is a really tough question to answer since it depends on a lot of different factors, but here are some of the things I learned from experience that help bring in money faster.
1. Marketing is the most important activity in your business. Making money does not happen automatically – even if you are excellent in what you do, have the nicest personality and deliver the best services possible. It also doesn’t help much to sit behind a computer and wonder where your next clients or your income will come from. You need to step out and market your business daily.
Marketing is one of the areas that take most people out of their comfort zones – but it is necessary – because marketing enables you to share your talents and skills with the world. Don’t be afraid to talk to people or to meet new people regularly. Become comfortable telling them about your business and what you offer. Do it in such a way that they understand how you can help them. I’ve learned that marketing and earning more money becomes much easier when (1) you have a target market; (2) when you understand exactly what your market needs and (3) when you know how you can help them.
2. Don’t re-invent the wheel. I’m someone who likes to do things myself and I want to understand stuff in great detail. Now, it is not necessarily a bad quality, but the downside of this quality is you are prone to re-invent the wheel. You waste loads of valuable time by doing everything yourself and by trying to figure out how things work. It is a much better strategy to get help and rather invest your time into strategies that enhances your revenue. I’ve learned in my business that the quickest way to progress is to have a coach or someone to show you the shortcuts. When you model and implement their processes, you reduce the long and tire-some learning curve dramatically and financially leaps forward much quicker.
3. Be crystal clear on what you want. For as long as I can remember, I always had goals of some sort. The problem was, I just didn’t always achieve them. However, since I got real clarity on my dreams – getting really clear on exactly what I want – and started to put that on my goal cards, things dramatically changed. The reason for this is: when you are crystal clear on what you want from your business, what services you want to offer, what to focus on, what clients you want to work with, how much money you want to earn etc. you can make specific plans to get what you want. Clarity goes a long way. If you do not have clarity, your plans will be woo-hoo and it will take much longer to reap financial success.
4. Align decisions with your goals. In business, you are always confronted with decisions and some are not really straight forward or simple. For me decision-making is like a ride on a roller coaster – you’ve really got two choices. You can jump on the ride, hold on and have fun in spite of the fear OR you don’t get on the ride because of the fear. The truth is, sometimes lucrative opportunities can be hidden behind difficult decisions, but you won’t know about it unless you’ve made the decision. To help me make better decisions I always refer to the previous point on having clarity about what I want. When I have big decisions to make, I whip out my goal cards and take inventory. Does this decision align with where I want to be in several years? Yes? Then I jump on the ride, hold on and take action in spite of…!
5. Nothing happens without ACTION. OK, I know this sounds obvious, but it is scary how we can delay our own success and progress by procrastination. A great idea, plan, suggestion or opportunity means nothing and generates no income if you do not take ACTION. Bottom line: You have to take personal responsibility for the outcome of your business. Financial security and business success are only for those who are willing to do what others aren’t willing to do. You cannot complain about something you’re not willing to change. So if you struggle to get clients or a better income, then be willing to change how you do things and take action to change it.
So, can a Virtual Assistant make money?
In my personal opinion and from experience, the answer is “yes” – a virtual Assistant can make money, but not every virtual assistant will make money.
Making money depends on your commitment to your business and how you do things. It depends on the actions you take and the actions you don’t take. It often boils down to careful planning, knowing what you want and your willingness to step outside your comfort zone to do what it takes.
So, regardless where you are – in a corporate career, starting up or in an established VA business – you need to understand that you are ultimately responsible for creating the life and career you want. Make the decision today and take action on creating the financial destiny you want.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share it in the comment box below… 🙂
