“Mommy, can I sit on your lap while you work?” asked my young pre-school son. It’s a question many working mothers often don’t hear and can seldom reply “yes.” But I can. I am a virtual assistant, an entrepreneur, an empowered mother making a difference in the business world and my son’s life. The virtual assistant (or VA) industry is an empowering career choice that allows a woman to do it all and be it all – entrepreneur, wife, mother, PTA member, and bible study group leader.
How does one make the leap from working in a traditional office setting to the independence of running your own business? With the support of your family, the support of virtual assisting associations (such as VAnetworking, IVAA, Virtual Assistant Forums, and VA League to name just a few), the knowledge of your skills and experience gained over the years, a business plan in hand, a vision of what your business will be, and an attitude of “I can do this!” in your heart.
The virtual assistant profession is a viable career that allows me to “have my cake and eat it, too.” I can be with my family when needed and witness my son’s milestones without hearing about these precious moments secondhand. I can be available to chaperone a class trip when asked. Additionally, I have a meaningful and fulfilling career. Imagine working with clients that you enjoy, share similar business styles, and consider you their partner in their business success. I truly have the best of both worlds.
As an entrepreneur I have control over my schedule, workload, and my office style and decor like never before. Having my own business has been hard work but when doing something you love the time worked is trivial. How many people can say they can’t wait to get to work each day? Virtual assistants are among the lucky few. As a VA, I work in a broad arena with endless technological boundaries. Networking and client contact for virtual assistants can happen while in line at the grocery store, at a cafe, at the dry cleaners, after a committee meeting, on the phone, or via the internet. Many executives meet with clients for networking and deal making on the golf course or in the boardroom. I know VAs who meet prospective clients in the park on the park bench near the slides and on the bleachers at their child’s sporting game.
I am a mother who has created choices for my family and myself. Choices that determine the number of hours spent working each week, the level of income contributed to our household, and the type of work or niche area of service I offer. I am showing my son, by example, that with determination and hard work you can achieve your dreams and “have your cake and eat it, too.”
Fast forward 13 years, our son now shares my office space. His desk and computer are against the opposite wall mirroring mine. While you’re likely to hear music and Twitter beeps coming from my computer, his has sounds of Mindcraft and Lego games. (Imagine dueling tweets and beeps.) His keen observations over the years at my knee and that of his father (who also has his own computer business) have influenced how he sees his world and the choices open to him. Many times he’s demonstrated a keen eye for marketing while we wait for meals to be served at a restaurant or read promotional pieces coming in the mail. He has a knack for negotiations; leaning towards full equality for both sides in the end. (Fairness is good.)
In particular, I take pride when he picks up on the importance of customer service and when we’ve experienced a less than 4-star service moment. Often entry level jobs touch on customer service in some fashion so when his time of serving others comes around I’m hoping these observations and lessons stick. Everyone deserves to be treated with hospitality. It seems that my inspiration (our son) has truly influenced my focus and choices over the years. Which aspects of development I could squeeze in during work hours, how much client work was reasonable and would still keep things in balance, and when I actually worked. As a toddler his early bedtime meant I could work late. I’m a night owl so this was perfect. When the bus stop time was so early that we were up before the sunrise my own productivity time needed to shift. It hasn’t always been easy and rarely perfectly balanced. But, it has been fulfilling and I wouldn’t change a thing.
So, whether proofreading on my sunny porch, networking at an event or baking from scratch for the bake sale, I can do it all – virtual assistant, entrepreneur, wife, and Mother. Today’s women have so many more choices for which I am glad. Children grow up too quickly these days. Not to be available when the question, “Mommy, can I sit on your lap while you work?” is asked is absolutely a viable option. In many ways, becoming a virtual assistant has been the ideal career choice for me – and my family.
Interested in becoming a virtual assistant but feeling like you need someone to guide you along? Check out the mentoring plans I offer. It would be an honor to be your tour guide for this next chapter in your professional career.