If you’re new to the VA business, or you’re an existing VA whose business plan hasn’t quite got the momentum you’d hoped for, you might be wondering what the next steps are when it comes to growing your business.
We’ve been amazed at just how hungry some VAs are for quicker growth and bigger profits. There’s a real wealth of entrepreneurial spirit in the VA industry but even if you’ve got the desire, it isn’t always easy to harness this and achieve the results you know you’re capable of.
As you think about growing your business, it’s natural to have concerns about how you’ll get there – from worries about how you’ll find those elusive retainer clients and maintain your confidence levels, to how to assemble the right team to underpin your goals and keep them happy and loyal to your business.
And we all know that mistakes can be costly so it’s easy to see how so many VAs fall into the trap of thinking it’s just too much of a risk to try and expand their business.
But if you do want to think bigger, create a business that doesn’t rely solely on you and have the freedom to step out of the business if needed, what’s the secret to making this happen?
You might be surprised to hear that a key factor in small business success is mentoring.
And while it’s something people have heard of, with research by Sage showing that 93% of small businesses acknowledge that mentoring can help them to succeed, it’s not widely used with only 25% actually having a mentor.
Yet the benefits speak for themselves, with the FSB finding double the rate of business survival for five years or more for those using a mentor. And it’s not just about surviving – we’re more interested in thriving!
Here the news is good too, with mentors, finding that 67% of businesses saw increased productivity and 55% stating that mentoring has a positive effect on their profits.
So why aren’t VAs seeking a mentor at the early stages of their business when there’s clearly so much potential?
One of the main barriers seems to be uncertainty about how to find one who has the right experience. There’s an overwhelming array of VA courses and mentors out there these days but it’s hard to know just who has the right experience and who doesn’t.
It’s easy enough for anyone to become a business mentor or coach without much experience, and many are no longer working themselves so it’s difficult to see how they can offer support for current issues.
Coupled with the worry about cost, this can make VAs reluctant to seek mentoring when it could be just the boost they need to accelerate their growth plans.
If you have ever watched Dragon’s Den, you’ll know that the small business owners rarely come for the money alone – it’s the experts’ knowledge, experience and contacts that can save time, money and stress when you’re aiming high. And it’s no different for VAs.
This is why the launch of VA Ultimate is so welcome – designed to fill a gap in the market for seriously ambitious VAs who want to go places, it’s offering unlimited mentoring with leading VA mentor Sarah Rugg who has been running her own business since 2005 and has helped hundreds of VAs get started. Find out what’s included in the VA Ultimate programme here: https://bit.ly/VAUltimateVAPro
With research by Sage finding that 97% of those with a mentor rate them as valuable, there’s never been a better time to get started and discover what expert guidance can do for your business. Book your place on VA Ultimate here: https://bit.ly/VAUVAProBuy
