The Virtual Assistant Industry has grown tremendously over the years. The industry is becoming more recognized in small business and more entrepreneurs are taking advantage of this awesome new support option.

When I began my virtual support firm, I was a one woman show. I wore every single hat in my business. I took care of the marketing, website design, sales, customer support, administrative work and performing the actual work. Fortunately, I now have a team of wonderful virtual assistants, designers and marketers. I get asked a lot what I did to grow my business.

It’s always hard to answer that question because there are so many things that took place in order for my business to grow. I had to decide what I really wanted and how bad I wanted it. I think it’s important to have a goal and an ultimate plan outlined because without these things, it’s like driving in the dark with no lights. You’re moving but it’s slow and you have no idea where you headed or even how to get there.

Here of 3 important steps that I took that helped me develop my Virtual Assistant business.

True Clarity

One of the most important components of being a successful small business owner is gaining true clarity. Sometimes it’s hard for us to see the truth when we’re so heavily involved in our business. It can be difficult taking constructive criticism on something you have put your all into. In order to be successful you need to make a realistic assessment of whether or not you are equipped to work for yourself. Being good at something doesn’t always equal great business owner. It is okay not to be a jack of all trades, a smart business owner knows how to delegate the tasks that he/she can’t do or ones that take him/her away from true revenue generating projects.

Grind It Out

Everyone won’t be an overnight success story so you have to decide if this is really something you want to take on. Some of us have to work a bit harder than others. Sleeping and eating often become secondary when you’re trying to rise to the top. One of my favorite YouTube videos is a motivational speech given by Eric Thomas. He talks about wanting to be successful just as bad as wanting to breathe. That’s strong!

Are you willing to do what it takes to be a success in your industry? Will you keep knocking when countless doors are slammed in your face? Trust me, it’s easy to say you want it but putting your foot on the gas is a whole “nother” story.

Know When to Fold

You have to know when it’s time to throw in the towel. Not every idea will be a good idea and the quicker you realize which ones are dead end, the easier it will be to bounce back. I have had tons of ideas about new services to offer and new audiences to reach out to. Not all of my ideas were a hit, as a matter of fact, I have probably had more bad ideas than good.

My success came from knowing what I was good at and who I worked best with. I’ll be the first to say not every prospect is a good candidate for your business. I went through a lot of bad experiences before I truly understood my market. Now I have great clients that value my expertise.

There is a long list of tips that can be added to this list, so this is by no means the end. I just wanted to share with you some of my top tips. I hope that this article has been helpful or entertaining. I would love to hear some of your success stories and pitfalls to avoid. I wish you much success in your business!