Dana Fortier wrote about Milestones in her life at LegalVAs (blog) recently. Her milestones have often been on the same date in this October season of harvest and planning. In the post, Dana asks readers to consider Milestone facets for their virtual assistant business in particular and share them with her.
I see professional virtual assistance often being the result of being ‘painted into a corner’; unemployment, lack of employment, necessities of family care, desire to be more mobile at peak times of life yet earn. These and other ‘conditions’ stimulate professionals to figure out how to utilize their present skill set with some hope of profitability.
These conditions were all strong in my decisions and response to the first information I ever read about virtual assistance in November 2003. That day was my “aha moment”…here was something I could do and I jumped right in with the skill set I had at that time.
My progress in terms of being steadily profitable and busy has been spotty. But the lure of being able to work in my own office, on my own equipment and the Internet has never faded. Steady development, expansion of skills, interests and contacts have all been part of the progressive plan. It all could have happened faster, I’ve sometimes thought. But, remaining in that painted corner has given me the drive and time to learn more about systems that I want to work with.
In August, 2005, I found an internet based network of Virtual Assistants, VAnetworking.com, that has been invaluable to my progress and survival. In the time since that first summer day, I’ve been intrigued to view the evolution of my virtual practice and those of others who began to participate in the network at VAnetworking.com at about the same time.
Of all the things a person could be doing, I feel working virtually is my ‘working’ destiny beyond family care that has been a major part of my life, in response to Dana’s question because it meets the criteria for my lifestyle. I would crave an office environment as a pleasure no matter what type of employment I might take on for money. Maintaining a virtual business permits me to justify the equipment as ‘way more than toys. I enjoy mastering new equipment and software–time and energy spent in my own business permits me to indulge in those pleasures beyond the toy phase. I believe I can provide a useful, valuable service beyond my typical ‘working days’ because my own office doesn’t push ‘retirement.’ I truly enjoy the mobility…there have been many times when I’ve been working for clients in a location away from the physical office. The service was still what the client needed, but when the task was completed, I was in a pleasant location visiting family or learning more history. The potential for that mobility has been mirrored in the times I have had to leave employment when other family duties called louder or when I moved to a different part of the country. Working virtually part time during those instances meant that the virtual productivity went with me.
At Particularly Virtual and on @ Bar JD Virtual Professionals I encourage virtual working. I congratulate Dana in her accomplishments and realization of the milestones in her life. I encourage you to visit her blog at LegalVAs to read her story.
