In mid-March, I took a huge leap of faith and started my own virtual assistant business, The Wordsmith VA. What exactly is a virtual assistant? A virtual assistant (VA) is a highly-skilled, independent professional who provides administrative, technical or creative business support services. Virtual assistants are off-site administrative professionals.
Virtual assistants choose their niches based on their own skills and expertise. I am focused on providing writing, editing and administrative services for small business owners. I love grammar and writing, and I’m very detailed and organized. All of this translates well into the VA industry.
A few years ago, I began investigating what it means to be a VA. It was a very intriguing prospect, and it sounded like something I could do. But I wasn’t sure how to build a business while still working, even though I was working only 30 hours a week. Then I lost my job in December. When that happened, it felt like my world was caving in. I had no idea what the future held for me. And honestly, I’m still wondering what God is doing in my life! But losing my job was a blessing in disguise. It gave me the chance to dive in to the VA industry and owning my own business. I wouldn’t have had so much time to organize and create my business if I was still working full time. So thank you, God, for allowing me to get laid off! :o)
Building a new career from the ground up is challenging and time consuming. But so far, it’s been very rewarding. By simply reaching out to small business owners I know personally, I’ve already taken on a few short-term projects. On my list for the near future is networking to other small business owners and showing them how I can make their lives easier. I hope all of that will lead to some more clients. My ultimate goal is to have consistent projects with clients I love to work with!
If you’d like to see what The Wordsmith VA is all about, check out my website and subscribe to my blog. And follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Or contact me if you think I can help you with your own business!