2020: Lessons learned and the start of my self-employed journey

Hi everyone,

Can you believe that we finally reached the end of 2020?! 

I think we can all agree that 2020 was …interesting, and challenging in many ways.

In honour of ending this crazy year, I'm breaking down a few of my favourite lessons I learned from this past year and what 2021 will look like for my business, Golden Branch VA. 

??LESSONS I LEARNED

Ask for help!

I am a very independent person by nature and it's hard for me to ask for help, but this year showed me that it was more important than ever. If I wanted to successfully start and build my small business, I needed guidance and support.

Help in my business

The first training I had while I was figuring out what to focus my skills and energy on during COVID unemployment was social media training from TechPixies which massively helped with my mindset and confidence in realising the potential I had for supporting others with social media.

Two months later, I attended an online startup course from PopUp Business School that changed everything and kickstarted my small business idea and Golden Branch VA was officially online and on social media. Plus, I made amazing, lifelong friendships with a group of female business owners, and the company ended up asking for my business services 5 months later in December this year.

I then joined a sales bootcamp that I couldn't technically afford at the time, but I knew I needed it to give me insights from an impact-focused business coach. That investment alone allowed me to confidently approach my client work and to be eager to continue to invest in my business. I also joined a marketing membership in November that helped me stay connected to fellow business owners and help with accountability, and a Wordpress coding course that I plan to use extensively in 2021 to smash my web design skills.

Be consistent

I've been in the business support space for more than 7 years and this was the first year that I was TRULY dedicated to my work projects and boy, did it pay off!

I used to constantly start a new job because I didn't see traction quickly enough, but after I zoned in on what I was great at and enjoyed doing (helping women start and scale impact-driven businesses), I focused only on that!

Not only did my business see a ton of success but my clients were really successful too, which is so important for the longevity of their own businesses!

Less is more

This goes along with being consistent, but I realized toward the end of this year that I can have way more impact on my clients by offering fewer services. Not only does this allow the backend of my business to be much more streamlined, it also helps to keep me focused on my clients and helping them surpass their goals.

We'll talk more about this in the looking ahead section.

Self-care is a strategy

One of the biggest lessons that I learned was that it was ok for me to take a step back and focus on myself. I used to drive validation and self-affirmation from work, so when my last contract job ended early April this year mid-lockdown, and the job market was at a standstill, not having a paid job made me feel unproductive and unfulfilled, and it took a lot of adjusting to.

After having the amazing support of my life partner throughout this transition, who reminded me that my worth doesn’t come from a job, I continued to develop my skills online and I did a lot of inner work to work through feelings of self-worth and resilience.

I realized that these feelings were translating into my work life and creativity so after I finally faced them and focused on understanding myself, my business was launched and personal relationships flourished!

??LOOKING AHEAD TO 2021

As we look ahead to 2021, the word that I'm most focused on is simplification! I am focused on working smarter, not harder so my business can have a true impact!

Because of this new, simplified model, there will be 2 main ways to work with me in 2021.

#1 - Packages

These are my packages for service providers who want to reach consistent in their business, from social media management, email marketing, website management, and more. If you’re impact-driven and want to run your business more smoothly with a VA, these monthly packages are perfect for you!

Feel free to book a call with me in the New Year if you're not sure which package would be best for you or how extensive you expect the work to be.

#2 - Platforms set up + training. SOPs

I am a quick learner when it comes to digital platforms and tools, and use lots of them regularly for my business and my clients. If there is a platform you need setting up for your business, let me know and I’m happy to provide that.

I’m also happy to offer you an hour of training on the respective platform/tool (or alternatively, record a training video for you and you can access it in your own time), and/or to set up a guidance document/SOP in using that platform/tool.

Get in touch if you have any questions about any of this and I’ll make magic happen for you!

#3 - 1-1 Intensive Support

I know that I said that there are two main ways to work with me, but I am also making my 1-1 support available. However, the price will be increasing since spaces are so limited. 

Want fully customized support in just 90 mins? Message me with '1-1 Intensive Support' or email me at [email protected] and let me know if you want to snag one of the few spots available.

My biggest takeaway from 2020? SO much more is possible!!!

At the beginning of 2020, being self-employed wasn’t even in my pipeline; still, since I launched in June earlier this year, I have had 6 different projects and clients in my first 6 months of being in business.

This not only showed me that it was ALWAYS possible for me to work for myself and to do it well, but that so much more is possible for me in 2021. As of today, I already have 3 clients secured for January 2021 and the goal I’m working toward is to double the projects and scale my business with an associate/partner (it's terrifying to put that out in the world but there it is!).

Not only does that mean more freedom for my family (my 2021 goal is to have our growing family live in financial comfort) but also for my clients.

Not only will I be able to serve them even BETTER because I can outsource more, but I will also be able to give back more too through different donations and the continued social investment to causes and charities I care about in the area of social impact. 

I've always been insanely passionate about giving back and helping others in need so the more that my company makes, the more impact I can have on the world!

Now I want to hear from YOU! What lessons have you learned this year?