I know when I first came into the freelancing game as a Virtual Assistant, I was like there is no way I am going to be at the caliber of these veterans.
The information was overwhelming: business processes & systems, legal, clients, hardware, software, attending webinars on such a regular that it was becoming another full-time job.
Have you just ever been so overloaded with information that your brain is either a mumbled mess and/or you cannot recall one thing that was said to you?
That is where I was at – I was then further discouraged thinking about the moola I was going to need to start building my little empire.
Then one day, I ended up joining one of my first ever VA Facebook communities and I couldn’t believe the generosity of the VA-terans. That is what I call them. The ones that remember when they first started and wanted to pay it forward to the newbies coming on the scene.
From all the discussion back and forth, I quickly noticed recurring misconceptions coming up that was causing my own analysis paralysis.
It overwhelmed me to the point that I just wanted to say forget it, this is why I am going to share the
5 misconceptions that nearly killed the dream of becoming my own boss:
The information was overwhelming: business processes & systems, legal, clients, hardware, software, attending webinars on such a regular that it was becoming another full-time job.
Have you just ever been so overloaded with information that your brain is either a mumbled mess and/or you cannot recall one thing that was said to you?
That is where I was at – I was then further discouraged thinking about the moola I was going to need to start building my little empire.
Then one day, I ended up joining one of my first ever VA Facebook communities and I couldn’t believe the generosity of the VA-terans. That is what I call them. The ones that remember when they first started and wanted to pay it forward to the newbies coming on the scene.
From all the discussion back and forth, I quickly noticed recurring misconceptions coming up that was causing my own analysis paralysis.
It overwhelmed me to the point that I just wanted to say forget it, this is why I am going to share the
5 misconceptions that nearly killed the dream of becoming my own boss:
Misconception #1
I Need A Lot of Money to Invest in Training & Technology
I Need A Lot of Money to Invest in Training & Technology
Anyone that is usually pursuing a career has the primary piece of hardware to get started they need to get started: a laptop or desktop, tablet, or for some a mobile device (yep you can connect a keyboard to an iPhone or Android). As I started off at the beginning, initially a lot of my training came from Facebook groups, signing up for free webinars/workshops, doing Google searches for non-commercial templates, et al.
I was only able to officially start paying for official certification training through Freelance University (FreeU) (formerly known as VAClassroom) approximately 3 years into my business – it is the one investment to this day that I ensure is included in my budget every year for professional development.
And speaking of Google, they have comparable web-based applications to Microsoft through Google Suite and guess what they start at the best price: FREE with a Google account. You may just need to pay a small fee for having the business email features, and I mean small under $10.
I was only able to officially start paying for official certification training through Freelance University (FreeU) (formerly known as VAClassroom) approximately 3 years into my business – it is the one investment to this day that I ensure is included in my budget every year for professional development.
And speaking of Google, they have comparable web-based applications to Microsoft through Google Suite and guess what they start at the best price: FREE with a Google account. You may just need to pay a small fee for having the business email features, and I mean small under $10.
Misconception #2
I Need to Have a Specialized Skillse
I Need to Have a Specialized Skillse
When I came into this industry in 2015, my skillset was like jambalaya,
was a blend of administration, finance, and management from my learning and professional background.
Nothing special, but more than enough to get me started and that’s all you need as well.
Although frustrating, in hindsight I am happy that I didn’t come in with a specialized skillset because for someone that needs variety, this would have stifled my hunger to learn and grow.
The advantage for me not coming into the industry focused on a specific service allowed me to:
1. Figure out what I hated doing as an employee and not make it apart of my service offering. It definitely was trial and error, but when you have your own business you call the shots, its amazing #oprahvoice and;
2. Then mastered the skills that were imperative to doing the work I love.
Don’t get me wrong I am in a position now where I transitioning from a Virtual Assistant to an Online Business Manager (OBM), which is specialized, but the role entails me being able to serve my ideal client, be compensated fairly for my related experience, doing some different every day, and wake up feeling blessed and fulfilled to be able to help entrepreneurs and organizations to get focused on what they need to be in order to get the life they deiire.
was a blend of administration, finance, and management from my learning and professional background.
Nothing special, but more than enough to get me started and that’s all you need as well.
Although frustrating, in hindsight I am happy that I didn’t come in with a specialized skillset because for someone that needs variety, this would have stifled my hunger to learn and grow.
The advantage for me not coming into the industry focused on a specific service allowed me to:
1. Figure out what I hated doing as an employee and not make it apart of my service offering. It definitely was trial and error, but when you have your own business you call the shots, its amazing #oprahvoice and;
2. Then mastered the skills that were imperative to doing the work I love.
Don’t get me wrong I am in a position now where I transitioning from a Virtual Assistant to an Online Business Manager (OBM), which is specialized, but the role entails me being able to serve my ideal client, be compensated fairly for my related experience, doing some different every day, and wake up feeling blessed and fulfilled to be able to help entrepreneurs and organizations to get focused on what they need to be in order to get the life they deiire.
Read the the final set of misconceptions here.
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