Keeping Momentum

I haven't written in a while because I've been so busy. It was time for the end of the year celebrations and field trips at my kids school.

And to be honest, I have wondered if this new business is for me. I want it so bad, I can visualize it. And I think I can do it. But doubt and timidity do creep in.

I worry about my skills, even though another person in the field told me that I come across as very professional, she couldn't even tell I was a newer VA.

I know that in business, image is everything. It is the customers perception of your quality that will make them want to pay you, not because you are really "Number 1". Being "Number 1" is subjective. I mean, you must be competent, but perfection is not required-and by nature, I try to be a perfectionist. I know that in order to accomplish my goal of creating a new business, I need to get away from this, but it has been hard, because of my insecurity because this wasn't my original career area of expertise, but rather something I've learned along the way.

But I just have to tell myself that I can do it, (I believe that we all must believe that anyone can achieve their goals) if I try and remain dedicated. One of my my biggest concerns is that this is not what I really want. You know how we think we want something until we have it, but then we realize the truth. The grass is always greener on the other side. I want to really know the other grass, the good and bad of the job and its negative aspects to my family.

My business plan has turned into a binder and that's ok. I have sections for every area I need to work on. This has really helped me not to have a big mess of miscellaneous papers. Everything goes into 1 of the following areas so that I can refer to it.
*Description of Business
*Marketing
-free and quick
-free and time intensive
-low cost
*Systems to Implement/Things I have to Do
*Income/Expense
*Web/Internet (my site)
*Associations
*Training/Certificates (I want)
*Transition from old business to new career
*Rates/Pricing
*Receipts

One major challenge has been finding time to work on everything related to my business since I work full time and have a family. But the binder helps. I've also made a schedule of times I will work once the business is up and running as well as I've made a schedule for the right now planning stage.

I've been submitting proposals for VA work to get practice doing that. So far, 1 place has had me sign a contract-yeah!!!! My main focus now is business system develop,emnt. I read a book about how important effective systems are to sole-proprietorships called "the e-myth..."

I plan on hiding the ground running with my systems in place November 1 (or at the latest by January 1). That's my personal deadline to begin!!

I also have signed up for my business phone line, but haven't hooked it up yet and have reserved another domain name.
I have also purchased several VA books-"The 2 Second Commute", "VA the Series" and "VA Manual" I go onto websites for networking as well. I get so much information-some beneficial, some discouraging and I have to remember that I don't need all of these opinions in order to start a business. I managed to create other successful businesses without this much information. But I'm older and wiser now. But I think being older and wiser sometimes makes me a bigger worrier and has the potential to stop me from doing great things. I've done some great things in my life that I wouldn't have done if I knew then what I know now. (; Like become a single mom and buying my 1st home at such a young age while single with very little reserves leftover. I didn't know all of the repercussions of these decisions and if I had known, I probably wouldn't have made the same decision at the time, but these were some of the the best decisions I have ever made. (: I love my children!!! They are great!!! And the equity from that 1st home has provided well for my family.

And you know what else, I'm tired. I am trying to start this business during a few minute time periods every day (while I work on my other job -with staff-and tend to my own children) I plan each day to work in the evenings, but every evening I get tired. ): I am not at my best this late in the day-it's only 5:30pm. Oh, how I wanted this morning at 5:30am to jump out of bed and work on my new business, but I couldn't, I had to go to work at my current business and it made me sooo sad. I've been on vacation and last night-I couldn't even sleep, I was so anxious about returning this this job I hate that stifles me and makes me feel claustrophobic. That is my motivation for creating this new business. It is also why I must set a deadline, becuase my other business stops me from working on this one like I need to. I owne it to myself to try -to give 100% effort to the new business once I've done all I can while the other one remains open.

So I guess I should try to work on the tasks in my binder-completing additional training being near the top of the list. I also want to price some of the certificates I want. I hope I'm not too tired to learn. If so, I need to find something to do for my business that is easy on my mind.