So you decided to take the leap to become your own boss and start your virtual assistant business. Congratulations!
Starting a virtual assistant business can be very exciting; but also very overwhelming at first, especially if you are already working a 9-5 job. You are not alone, many successful virtual assistants started in the same boat as you - me included :)
Don’t worry, it is absolutely possible to manage both and build a successful VA business without burning out.
My Personal Experience
I first started freelancing as a virtual assistant while working a 9-5. At the time, I had 2 to 3 hours in the evenings, plus the weekends, to get my freelance work done. There was a lot to get done - getting my actual VA tasks done, sending out proposals to new clients, business tasks like creating my portfolio, AND finding time for myself so I didn’t burn out.
It was tricky at first, but I slowly figured out a few strategies that helped me get the most out of those hours.
Here are the tips that helped me launch my successful virtual assistant business, while I still had a 9-5, WITHOUT burning out.
1. Block Out Time on Your Calendar to Reset & Recharge
First of all, I didn’t try to squeeze every single minute of my free time into my virtual assistant business. The first thing I did was block out one or two afternoons a week in my calendar just for me. This included self-care, date nights, Netflix, whatever!
But I did this strategically. When I take time for myself, the more relaxed I feel. The more relaxed I feel, the more efficient I am when I sit down to get some work done. It sounds like common sense, but it’s easy to forget this simple tip.
Look at it this way.... When you’re tired and burnt out, it might take you 3 hours to get a simple task done. But if you take one of those 3 hours for a bubble bath, while reading your favorite book, your brain will feel more recharged, and might only take you 1 hour to get that same task done.
It is easy to feel like you need to work on your business round the clock to get it off the ground and have a successful VA business. I’m here to tell you that the more rested you feel, the more you can get done for your virtual assistant business.
If you're like me, you probably need to be told to take a break. So, schedule your playtime.
2. Plan, Prioritize, & Schedule Out Your To-Do List
The second tip is to plan out your tasks for the week, prioritize them, and then schedule them into your calendar.
For example, if I have 15 things to do for my VA business, I schedule the tasks that I have to do in my calendar, and I give myself a timer to get them done. I’ll get tasks 1-4 done on Monday evening, tasks 4-6 done on Tuesday evening, Wednesdays I take off, Thursdays are for tasks 7-9, and so on. With the more important tasks getting done first, and the rest later.
This creates a clear guideline of everything I need to accomplish within a certain timeframe and holds me accountable for completing these tasks promptly.
3. Split Up Your Days Depending on the TYPE of Tasks You Need To Do
As a virtual assistant, you have two main things that you usually have to do...
Getting work done for your clients like tasks and projects.
Managing your own VA business. This includes writing proposals to potential clients, reaching out to new clients, updating your portfolio, sending invoices, and creating content to promote and bring awareness to your business.
Believe it or not, it takes time for your brain to switch between different types of tasks. So on days when I’m doing client work, then I only do client work. On days when I’m doing VA business work, then I only do that.
This saves me a ton of time because I don’t have to wait for my brain to switch gears. I find that I can usually get a lot more work done when I focus on one type of activity, as opposed to jumping back and forth between different things.
4. Use “Deep Focus” and “Meeting” days
I don’t usually have a ton of meetings as a virtual assistant. In fact, it’s pretty rare for a client to ask for meetings, in my experience (this isn’t like your 9-5 where there are endless useless meetings that could have been an email).
The only time you’ll see more meetings than usual is at the beginning of your journey because you’ll have a lot of Discovery Calls with new potential clients.
Still, I like to split my meeting days from my work days. If I know I need to have 3 discovery calls or meetings this week, I try to schedule them all out on the same day - those are my “Meeting Days”.
That leaves my “Focus Days” free from distractions so I can get work done without a silly meeting taking me out of my focus. On my Focus Days, I get WAY more work done than days when I have meetings or other distractions.
If I could do it, so can you!
When I started freelancing as a virtual assistant, and I still had a 9-5 job, I was investing maybe 10-15 hours a week into my business. I still managed to grow to a point where I was able to quit my 9-5 job (and eventually scale my VA income to 3x that of my 9-5!).
You can still make tons of progress in your virtual assistant business with your limited time - if you know how to manage those hours.
Time management as a virtual assistant is one of THE most important skills you can have. Not just when you’re balancing a 9-5, but also when you’re a full-time virtual assistant. If you know how to manage your time and get your tasks done fast, the more clients you can take on, and the more money you can make!
If you want to become a VA...
If you have been thinking of becoming a Virtual Assistant, there truly hasn’t been a better time to start! More businesses than ever are turning to freelancers and virtual assistants today.
You can turn the skills you already have into a service-based business, work from the comfort of your own home, work with clients you genuinely enjoy working with, and have more freedom than a regular 9-5 job.
As someone who’s been in the game for 8 years, I can tell you - it’s a pretty fun gig!
If you want to learn how to become a virtual assistant, you CANNOT miss this free training I created for you. I deep dive into the world of freelancing, tell you how I started my virtual assistant business, and give you the absolute BEST tips for getting started and finding clients.
Want me as your coach? Join my online course, Virtual Freelancer Academy, where I teach you EVERYTHING you need to know and give you all the tools you need to succeed as a VA (just like I've done for hundreds of students just like you).
Have more questions? Message me here!
