Working from home carries special risks of isolation. It can
be hard if you don’t know others in your shoes, who to go to when you have
questions about something. It can be difficult to be aware of new technologies,
different ways of doing things, and what the norm is when working with clients
on a variety of situations that arise. When you network with other virtual
assistants you’ll gain so many benefits.
You will Build Relationships with Potential JV
Partners
One of the ways that you can earn more money as a VA is to
join forces with other VAs as joint venture partners. You can plan to host
events together, do a course together, start a membership site together and so
many more things that you may not have ever seen yourself doing. The best way
to find JV partners is to network with other virtual assistants so
that you can meet the people who may be your future JV partner.
You will Have
Someone with Whom to Commiserate
In a normal job, you usually form close friendships with
co-workers. The reason is, you’re there 8 or more hours a day five days a week.
There is little time outside of that time to make friends. But, when you work
at home it’s harder, you must seek out the friendships. You’ll have more in
common with other VAs and you can commiserate with them just like you would at
work in a way that you both understand. This will help you be happier when
working than not having that.
You will Feel Less Isolated
One reason cited by many who try to start a VA career is
that they feel isolated and lonely. Even if you’re slightly introverted, you
may have a time where you just need people to talk to. Finding other VAs online
to talk to is a great way to avoid this feeling. You can join Facebook
Groups, VA Forums, and other types of online communities and if you
participate you’ll always have them when you need them.
You will Learn
About New Tools & Techniques
An awesome part of networking with other virtual assistants
is that it helps you stay on top of the best technology. One thing that helps a
VA become successful is the ability to set up systems and procedures. The
successful VAs who started before you, already have it worked out. You can
learn from them if you realize you don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
They will Send Referrals
You might think that networking with VAs is networking with
your competitors and in some cases, that is correct. But not all VAs are in the
same niche. That means many people can be sources of referrals for you and vice
versa. To get more referrals give more referrals.
You will Be More Motivated in Your Business
When you see other people experiencing success and problems
you’ll realize you are just a human being like everyone else and it’ll help you
become more motivated. You’ll realize if they can do it by following these
steps, then you can do it too.
They will Help You Reach Your Goals
People, for the most part, do like helping each other and
seeing others succeed. This is especially true in the VA community. We’re a
small knit group and we do like it when people succeed and make their business
what they want it to be. When you share your goals, you’ll get accountability
plus practical help and ideas that will help you reach your goals faster.
You Can Build Your Expertise Status
If you’ve been around the VA world long enough; younger and
less experienced VAs will look up to you. You can build a real reputation as an
expert within your niche among VAs who will pass that information onto people
they know when your particular expertise is needed.