How Long Does It Take To Run A Successful Virtual Assistant Business? 1 Month, 1 Year…Or More?

There is so much that goes into building a successful Virtual Assistant business. I know that you may want a specific answer, but here’s the thing there is NO one size fits all “standard” answer. The VA Industry is NOT a cookie-cutter industry. How long it takes depends on several factors. The most important factor is TIME.

How long does it take to:

• Set up my successful Virtual Assistant business?
• Earn X amount of money?
• Land my first or next client?
• Master a new skill?
• Fill in the blank…

Well, let me ask you, how much time do you have to dedicate to your VA business? For instance, if you’re currently working full time you don’t have as much time to dedicate as someone who is working part-time. There is so much that goes into building a sustainable, profitable, and successful Virtual Assistant business. Especially if your business is going to replace your JOB.

#1 – Take The Time To Do It Right

There are so many moving parts when it comes to building a business. And I think sometimes that gets overlooked because of all the hype and fluff people are promising. You know, the pie in the sky results. Like you can make $10,000 in 10 days with no experience and you don’t even need to have a business. It’s just fluff. It’s not true. Especially if you’re in this for the long haul.

If you’re like me and you’re looking for this to replace a soul-sucking job, then you need to make sure you understand that it takes time to build a solid business. It takes time to lay the foundation. When you build a home, it’s the same concept. You don’t put up the walls before you pour the foundation. Your key business systems are the foundation of your business – focus on getting them done FIRST.

Make sure to have a look at my Ultimate VA Success Guide: How To Start A VA Business. It walks you through all of the tools and systems you should be aware of and set up if you want to set the foundation for a successful Virtual Assistant business.

#2 – Don’t Compare Yourself To Others

One other thing is, don’t compare yourself to others. You don’t know their back story and if what they’re sharing is fact or hype. If you ask “how long will it take to X” on social media, you will get a variety of answers. Because once again, there is no standard answer and there’s no wrong answer. Your journey may be different than someone else’s. Some people may do it in six months, others do it in three months, and some need more time.

My journey took 18 months before I could quit my soul-sucking job and go full-time in my business. Then I had to learn how to focus on my business full-time because I’d been doing it part-time for so long. I had to replace a six-figure income before I could quit my job. I had to make sure that I had all my ducks in a row before I left my job.

So just realize you may see those stories of people that get it done in a heartbeat, and you may get discouraged, because you’re like, geez, I’ve been doing this for 16 months and I’m still not where I need to be. But the key here is not to focus on other people’s journeys because you don’t know their story and they don’t know yours. Focus on yourself because success is in your hands.

#3 – Take Action + Move Forward

How long it takes is how long it takes. The common theme here is, is action. Consistent action equals success. It’s up to you to take that action because nobody else is going to do it for you. Focus on what’s next, not the entire VA journey.

There is that old quote “how do you eat an elephant?” One bite at a time. How do you build a successful Virtual Assistant business? Same answer – one step at a time. Try not to focus on everything you have to do just focus on the next step, whether it’s a decision or an actual task. Be realistic in your timeframes and your deadlines because you know your journey and your goals.

The best way to guarantee success is to take consistent action on a daily basis. If you, for example, purchased training that is sitting on the shelf, collecting dust (and I have done this myself), take the training and implement what you learn. This is where most people stumble is they take the training, but they don’t actually do the work. They don’t implement what they’re learning.

You have to show up for yourself. You have to show up for your life. In order to do that, you have to take the action, put on the blinders and focus on yourself and not what everybody else is doing. The bottom line is there is NO standard answer to how long it takes to run a successful Virtual Assistant business or any other goal you’re pursuing.

What’s your next step? I’d love to know! All comments and questions are welcome.

Thanks for listening and reading – Susan