Winter can be hard for freelancers. You could slip on ice and break your wrist, spend months freezing your butt off or end up sobbing over a massive heating bill. But there’s no need to worry about staying safe and warm this winter because I have some fail-proof ways to get through it without succumbing to frostbite or fractures.
This is a Virtual Assistant case study and interview with Toks Coyle (née Adebanjo) from TAVA Services. Winner and runner-up of a number of VA awards, Toks lives with her husband in East Lothian, Scotland and set up her business in the Autumn of 2016 after struggling to find a career path she was truly passionate about.
I know from experience that when you first discover Virtual Assistants exist and you suspect you might want to be one, you research the subject to death and then quickly become overwhelmed with information. So, here are the most frequently asked questions about becoming a Virtual Assistant to help you decide if it’s the right career for you.
This is a Virtual Assistant case study and interview with Michelle Dowsett from Discovery PA Solutions. Specialising in providing a bespoke personal service, Michelle lives with her family in Kent in the UK and set up her VA business in August 2018 so she could ditch her long commute and spend more time with her children.
Being a Virtual Assistant is awesome. I have a fantastic lifestyle and have worked in countries all around the world. But the life of a freelancer isn’t all unicorns and fairies, it’s definitely not a “side hustle” or a way of making easy money. Let me tell you what’s actually involved in setting up and running a VA business so you can decide if it’s for you.
As I write this post in response to the global Coronavirus pandemic, I feel lucky that the VA industry is so robust. Virtual Assistants have numerous transferable skills; we can work with any type of business, in any location, in any timezone and in any currency. Virtual Assistance is a highly agile business model that withstands turbulent times.
I’m sorry to tell you this, but some unpleasant and unexpected events are likely to take place during your freelance career. To help you anticipate what these events could be and to prevent them from impacting your business, I’ve created a disaster recovery exercise so you can implement steps and future-proof your business against every eventuality.
After you set up your Virtual Assistant business, you may struggle to effectively manage your time. It’s actually quite tricky to complete the work of multiple clients as well as undertake your own business activities and family responsibilities. But don’t worry, I know a multitude of tricks to help you juggle the lot, without losing your sanity.
Whenever the world experiences a period of economic and political uncertainty, people who work for themselves aren’t as worried about their options. In fact, historically, freelancers usually do quite well during these periods because they are more in control of the situation and can use their flexible business model to create opportunities for themselves.
This is a Virtual Assistant case study and interview with Amy Richards who trades under her own name of Amy Richards VA. With a background in the teaching profession, Amy now specialises in providing techie services to coaches and solopreneurs. She has been working as a VA since February 2015 and lives with her wife in Cardiff, Wales.
