Like it or not, you need to make certain mindset shifts to become a Virtual Assistant and be successful at it. If you have long-term plans for your Virtual Assistant business and you want to grow and profit from it, your mindset is one area you can’t ignore.
Having a successful business isn’t just about having the right skills, knowing how to sell, or being good at what you do, a greater part of the work is the mindset work. Let’s look at 5 powerful mindset shifts to become a virtual assistant.
Are there mindset shifts you need to make to succeed as a virtual assistant? Is your mindset getting in the way of your business?
“I’m not good enough,” “No one will ever hire me,” “Clients will never pay me such a high rate,” “what if my business fails?”
Have you ever said any of these things or more to yourself? We used to. And quite honestly, We STILL do occasionally. Negative self-talk and limiting beliefs are things that all business owners (including Virtual Assistants) struggle with. And unfortunately, they will seriously hold you back when you are trying to grow your business and reach that next level of success.
A successful VA business isn’t just about programs and tools. And it’s not about how many years you have been in business. OR what degree and certifications you have. Just a fun fact – I (Grace), was a baker and cake decorator for more than 5 years. My Bachelor’s is in Food Science and Technology. But I have built multiple successful 5-figure online businesses (both for myself and clients) – so it’s not about your background!
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links to products or services I use and recommend. I may make a small commission on any purchases you make using these links, at no extra cost to you. Read my Disclaimer for more information.
YOUR MINDSET IS 90% OF YOUR SUCCESS.
A negative mindset leads to negative results. How you respond or react to clients, in different situations will affect your success.
In our upcoming course, The Profitable VA, Mindset and limiting beliefs is one of the first steps we cover before we even dive into creating the business. Why? Because we want to make sure everyone that goes through the course has their mindset ready before they even think about starting a business!
4 Mindset Shifts To Become A Virtual Assistant — and suceed at it
1. Stop being an employee, and be a Business owner.
You teach people how to treat you (especially as a VA).
This was a lesson I learned the hard way.
When I got into the Virtual Assistant business, I didn’t know how to be a business person. I am guessing it was the same for you. I knew how to do whatever my ‘boss’ (client) needed to be done.
I am a core introvert who is recovering from perfectionism and people-pleasing. I wanted to do everything my clients wanted even when it wasn’t convenient— to avoid trouble (anger, displeasure, complaints, etc). I rarely shared my thoughts about anything with my clients and would just say yes to any and all of their demands/requests.
Plus, my clients always treated me as their employee or assistant (of course I taught them to treat me that way). Giving me orders, not wanting to shift grounds to accommodate my schedule, issuing deadlines, and expecting that I abandon other clients and focus only on their work, threatening to end our contracts or not pay me.
I was very good, though. They always said I was so good at what I did, but they all had a problem with communication, ‘yes-ness,’ and not meeting deadlines.
Thing is, I always ended up disappointing them by turning in their work late (I mean really past the deadline), and often avoid reading their emails (because I knew they’d be angry and stuff). So the people-pleasing thing did more harm than good to my business.
There are mindset shifts you need to make to succeed as a Virtual Assistant.
I had to too. I could no longer sit around waiting to be told what to do – I had to tell people what I could do, and then make sure they gave me what I needed to do it properly. I had to start delivering clients’ work on time and communicate effectively and deal with the people-pleaser in me.
I needed to put myself in charge of my business, and so do you.
Another area I struggled with, that needed a mindset shift was applying for jobs or responding to the jobopps.
Most of the time, clients do not ask what your major was in college, or for a resume. But I see lots of new VA’s in various Facebook groups respond to a job opp by submitting their resume or CV and then coming back later to complain about how they were treated and spoken to like employees and job seekers.
When you act like an employee, or as though the client is doing you a favor by hiring you, you will be treated as such. You need to up your mindset game.
Remember, you are a contractor, a business owner, not an employee, so you do not need a resume or respond to a job opp with one. All you need to do is drop the prospect an email with your website or portfolio. Everything they need to know about you or your business before hiring you should already be on your website. As a business owner, your website is your CV, resume, cover letter, and all.
2. Think of Selling as Helping.
When I started my virtual assistant business, one of the many areas I struggled with selling– finding clients and getting them to pay for my services.
I used to think “no one will ever pay me my rates” “I needed to offer ridiculously cheap or free services” (because I thought my clients wouldn’t be able to afford me) “selling is annoying and people hate being sold to all the time”
Needless to say, with this kind of beliefs and mindset, It was hard for me to find clients. And find those who would pay me my worth or even value my time.
If one of the areas you struggle with staying positive is selling — finding clients, you might second guess your value, your rates, your marketing strategy, your business, everything. Many people dread sales (even some salespeople!). I knew I wasn’t alone. And, You are not alone here.
Try reframing that thought and think of selling as helping. You are in business to help your clients. They need you to help them so they can do better in their business. Don’t think of getting clients as selling. Think ‘who can I help today?’ and then have conversations with people about exactly that.
3. Stop waiting for things to happen, Go out and make them happen
YOU NEED TO BE PROACTIVE.
Clients do not grow on trees (and money doesn’t either!) You need to be proactive. If you are constantly waiting for clients to reach out to you or send you work, you will never grow. You need to make sure you are pitching, prospecting, scheduling calls, or emailing them to get the next task. Stay ahead of trends in your niche industry, so you can offer new services to them before they even ask! Always think one step ahead of your clients.
For example, when Pinterest Idea pins started coming out, I made sure all of my clients tried them out and had branded templates to use. I created a job for myself, to make money, and offered a great service to my clients. To this day, we still help make Pinterest pins for clients.
Another example is to always be seeking new clients, even if you are booked. At AimUp Web Studio, our Web Design and Marketing Automation Agency, we tend to book up 3-4 months in advance. But since we have a waitlist, we are constantly looking for new clients. We have a waitlist for those looking to start our services down the road, and we email this list the minute we have an opening.
4. Stop Making Decisions and Start Taking Action.
As business owners, we have many things that need to get done – and almost everything we do needs us to make decisions. You can quickly get overwhelmed if you struggle with making decisions. You might even second guess yourself or change your mind.
Your business can not move forward if you don’t take action.
When you need to make a decision;
- you mostly spend time researching,
- seeking advice from whoever we feel ca help,
- assessing the information you collect
- and make a choice.
Somewhere in between all of this, we doubt ourselves, question our moves, wait for the perfect moment or become decision fatigued.
One mindset shift to become a virtual assistant and succeed at it is to move from decision-maker to action taker.
Instead of thinking about things over and over, or staying stuck in the decision making phase, try this:
- Learn by taking action.
- Then evaluate.
- Then act again.
- See how it feels,
- see how the results go,
- and your decision making will get faster and more confident over time.
Because thinking about it only brings so much clarity. Do the thing.
MINDSET IS KEY
By implementing these 4 mindset shifts, you are able to set your business up for success. Remember, you are the boss! The ideas, implementation, and decisions are all on you now.
But by being resilient, proactive, and an action taker, you will be able to grow a business with ease!
By shifting a few things every day you can move into a more positive frame of mind and your business will take an upturn too. Try it!
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