Virtual Assistants and Retirement

People are living longer, and unless you’ve been living under a rock, this is hardly news to you. What is interesting, though -- and what some people may not realize -- is that many oldsters are no longer content to just retire and putter about on the golf course, the shuffleboard court, or sit idly on the front porch watching the world go by. They may have retired from the corporate world, but they are starting new businesses, and they are just as busy as ever, if not more so.

These are people called “entrepreneurs.” This is a French word, and the definition is, “A person who organizes, operates and assumes the risk for a business venture.” (Definition provided by Merriam-Webster online dictionary).

Seasoned citizens -- many of them used to being in charge of companies, being on various boards, reading and understanding financial papers, and directing the future of the company that once employed them – find that retirement, as most of us know it, offers nothing but long hours idly spent in pursuits that hold no interest or challenge for them. Instead, they’re still physically and mentally fit, and want to be in charge of something that brings deep satisfaction to each day. So, what do they do? They start a new business from the ground up. While it’s a lot of work, there is a deep degree of satisfaction derived from creating something out of nothing. With Americans living longer and aging more gracefully, there are many people – men and women alike – who start businesses once they retire from corporate America. These new ventures can provide not only a monetary boost to the economy, but they often provide a better way of doing something, a more cost-effective way to deliver services, or they provide services that make the lives of others easier – and even more fun.

Many virtual assistants start their businesses for similar reasons. They want to be in charge of their own destiny, they need to work from home because they have a growing family and need to work non-traditional hours, or they feel they have more to offer than an 8-5 job in the business world can provide. They, too, are entrepreneurs.

Retirees who start their own businesses thrive on the long hours, the hard work, and the joy of seeing an idea come to fruition. However, they’re used to having a support staff in place to handle phones, faxes, paperwork, etc., etc. Many of them find out quickly they can’t do it all, and they feel as though they’re at loose ends when trying to figure out how to handle the problem.

Was there ever a better potential marriage than an entrepreneur starting his/her own business and an entrepreneur who is a virtual assistant? A VA, as they’re known in the business world, has only the best interests at heart of an entreprenurial business owner. After all, many of them have spent years in the business world doing the support work so necessary to making a business run. They’ve been well-trained in many areas: they’re computer literate and up-to-date on new software; they’ve been trained to give great customer service; they know how to answer phones in a pleasing manner and handle questions or complaints from callers; they’re terrific at multi-tasking because this is what a support staff person does nearly every day; they know how to budget their time effectively, and they know how to organize, schedule and stay on track.

A new entrepreneur can’t afford NOT to hire a virtual assistant. Starting a business from the ground up takes a lot of effort and many more hours than the standard 40 hours per week some people are used to working. Most importantly, by the time a person has reached retirement age, they have learned one of the most valuable lessons in life: YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL ALONE!

There are VA organizations whose membership comes from all over the world; they are great places to find a VA. You can also Google the term ‘virtual assistant’ and find a VA that way, or add additional parameters to narrow your choices and find a VA whose abilities are in sync with what you need. However you find a virtual assistant, it makes good sense to find one today if you are struggling to keep your growing business afloat. Whether you’re a small business owner, a real estate agent, a life coach, or a non-profit organization, there’s a virtual assistant out there just for you. Let them handle the day-to-day details so that you can do what you do best – grow that fledgling business! You’ll eliminate a lot of stress and sleepless nights once you find a VA who is right for you and your new business. With a VA at your side, you’ll be able to develop your business and make it run more smoothly. You’ll be in charge of what you know best, and your VA will handle the follow-through that is so important if a business is to succeed. It’s not letting go of the reins. It’s delegating – and that is one thing company leaders excel at doing. After all, what is YOUR time worth to YOU?

Virtual Assistants and Feng Shui

My name is Dona Pearce, and I am a business-to-business support specialist, also called a virtual assistant. I live in the state of Iowa, in the heart of the Midwest, but because my business is virtual, I can work for anyone in any state in this great country of ours.

I market myself to real estate agents and small business owners. Why? Because agents and business owners rarely have enough time to do everything that is needed to grow their business. Yet they are supposed to wear several hats and keep on top of everything. If you’ve ever had any kind of a job, you know that doing everything and performing flawlessly, especially day after day, just can’t be done, especially when you’re working in a setting where you’re expected to continually expand your business. Something has got to give. No one is Superman or Superwoman.

Think of hiring a virtual assistant, or business-to-business support specialist, as incorporating the art of Feng Shui (the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment) to harmonize your business environment. I’m not just talking about where in your office to place your desk, although it couldn’t hurt to use the ancient principles for that purpose – I’m talking about allowing yourself some breathing room, a chance to collect your thoughts throughout the day and focus on what you do best. And how can you do that if your mind is constantly racing ahead and thinking of all of the things you aren’t getting done? Why, for instance, would you stay at your desk and input your latest listing into the MLS and your website when you could delegate that task to a virtual assistant and then attend the latest ‘Meet & Greet,’ using that venue to network and make valuable contacts. Small business owners could free up several hours of their time by having a virtual assistant handle their general correspondence (typing, proofreading, editing), mass mailings (promotional, seasonal), or database updates.

It’s sometimes tough for people who are self-starters to let go of some duties and assume someone else will be able to perform those duties satisfactorily. But, letting go is a valuable tool, especially if you’re letting go of tasks that need to be done, but aren’t things that will enable you to find clients and secure new listings, or, if you’re a small business owner, focus on growing your business.

It always comes down to choices. The choices you make today will impact your business tomorrow. Be smart and realize you can’t do it all. Relax, hand over the reins of some of the tasks you’re now trying to complete, and see how your quality of life steps up a notch. You’ll find having time to step back, take a deep breath and contemplate your next move will energize you and enable you to move forward, all the while growing your business.