I can’t pinpoint the exact moment I decided I didn’t want a boss.  But I can tell you that once it was in my head, there was no getting rid of it.

I was taking charge of my life. I would have a job that I loved and I wouldn’t have to answer to a boss every time my child was ill or I fancied the afternoon off last minute. I would only work with people I liked and I’d be able to say No whenever I wanted.

Back in 2005, when I started, this vision was inconceivable to most people I shared it with. They were amused by it. But I was determined it was possible.

Fast forward a few years and I’ve proved those people wrong. 

So I’m now on a mission to help you achieve a lifestyle you love. One that you spring out of bed for in the morning.  Imagine being able to sack clients who were rude to you?  Oh yes.

Let’s get on and design your new lifestyle then, shall we…

First, what tasks do you absolutely love doing?

Get writing them down and you’ll begin to create a list of the services you can offer as a Virtual Assistant. What makes you happy… what do you enjoy… what interests you.  It may be tech, finding better ways of doing things, writing, numbers…

Next – important – who do you not want to work with?

Start making a list of the traits of people that you don’t enjoy working with. These people will fall into the ‘Don’t Touch with a Bargepole’ category when they contact you to express interest in using your VA services.  No thanks, jog on.

What type of people really excite you?

You know the ones – you get a real buzz and thrive off spending time with them. They intrigue you. You just gel and you enjoy and appreciate the time you spend with them. They are really exciting to work with. This will become your potential client list.

What days would you like to have off?

It may be just weekends or you may decide you only want to work a 3 day week. You may want Wednesday afternoons off.  You can do what you like. What type of week is the most appealing to you?

How much do you want as an hourly rate?

Again, purely your decision. Clearly you have to be realistic, but as a guide, for basic administration services as a VA you can charge on average £27 per hour. For any specialisms in addition to this, you can often charge more.  Think clients won’t pay this?  Think again.

What are your priorities outside of work?

How can you fit them into your working day? For example, I won’t miss Pilates on a Friday for love nor money!  And try to get a meeting in with me on a Thursday morning, you’ve no chance. Thursday morning is pottering time, Friday is Pilates and reading.  And my weekends are precious family time. How about you?

What boundaries would you like to set?

When do you not want to be contactable?  Do you fancy spending time face-to-face with clients in their office or would you rather do virtual only?  What would you like your payment terms to be?  All these things – and more – are totally up to you.  Remember you call the shots.

How does it feel to build that vision?  I bet getting up in the morning would be easier for that.

If you’d like to make it a reality… why not watch my free webinar training session where I spend an hour giving you valuable hints and tips to help and I’ll walk you through my FAB-VA programme so you can see how it can help you save, time and money.

Sarah x  

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Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance

We are in compliance with the requirements of COPPA (Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act), we do not collect any information from anyone under 13 years of age. Our website, products and services are all directed to people who are at least 13 years old or older.

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We offer a ‘My details’ page (also known as Dashboard), where you can update your personal information at any time, and change your marketing preferences. You can get to this page from most pages on the site – simply click on the ‘My details’ link at the top of the screen when you are signed in.

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