Back to school: How you can make autumn the (new) start of your VA business
Have you noticed a real change in the air over the last few weeks? There’s something about autumn that feels really energising to me - even more so than spring!
It’s the last quarter of the year and the final sprint towards Christmas. It’s a time to give it one last burst of energy, and I see heaps of ‘I-need-a-VA’ types of clients on social media clearly thinking the same thing (which means they are in the perfect position to hire a VA).
I’ve always felt this way about this time of year and I noticed it in every PA, EA and VA role I’ve had too. My execs/clients hit the ground running after their summer hols and we collectively got loads of shit done!
But it wasn’t until I started my own VA biz that I realized that September was also an amazing opportunity for me to review my own progress (always the supporter, it took me a while to get my business owner hat on). A couple of years ago I began to use September and October to reflect on what I had achieved so far, if I was on track to hit my goals and what I could do to finish the year strong. It’s helped me to get way more things done, make faster decisions and just generally feel more positive.
Autumn’s the perfect time to reflect, rethink plans and get energised for the last few months of the year so if you haven’t done it already, it’s absolutely not too late.
Here are my top 3 pointers for making the most of the last few months of the year:
Review your goals
Take a look at the goals you set yourself earlier (or at the beginning) of the year. Are you on track to hit any of them or are you wildly off? Do those goals still feel good and in alignment with your values and ambitions, or do you need to rethink them altogether?
Whatever shape your goal-achievement is in, it’s definitely not too late to line yourself up to feel a huge sense of achievement at the end of the year. Now’s the time to do the work to get there.
Take an hour to review your goals and perhaps set new ones. Is there a revenue figure you’d like to hit? Do you want to master a new tool or sign up 3 new clients? Whatever it is, break down that goal into steps that you need to take each week and each day - make it super easy for yourself by laying everything out now.
Remember that often the things we need to do to achieve ambitious goals can feel uncomfortable - sometimes even a bit scary. But great things never come from comfort zones, so work out what it is you need to do each day and cross that thing off first thing in the morning.
learn something new
The more you learn, the more you can charge: it’s a really simple VA equation.
Spend a bit of time in Facebook groups and in your Instagram DMs to observe and ask what clients need help with. It might be a specific tool or piece of software that will have a big impact on their lives, or it might be a skill like customer service. Doing some market research now will give you the clearest indication of where you should spend your upskilling time.
Learning doesn’t always mean new skills though; it can also mean working on your mindset. Building your confidence is an absolute game changer for any VA and it can mean the difference between procrastination and taking massive action. Always set time aside each week to work on marketing AND your personal/business development.
Forge new relationships
Relationships are SO key to the VA business model. Clients aren’t hiring a machine - they’re hiring a person and that person is often the very first one they’ll bring into the business. So spend the last few months of the year building meaningful connections with potential clients AND other business owners. That could mean other VAs and people you admire - see if they’d like to connect over Zoom or perhaps feature you on their podcast if they have one! Join Facebook groups and be an active, helpful member.
And while you’re at it, reconnect with all your past clients and contacts too!
I hope these pointers have given you a bit of a push. Tell me, what are you planning to do in the last few months of the year?
