VA Spotlight: Bethany Loginow
Are you thinking about becoming a virtual assistant? Well, I have something new I’m starting here on the blog.
This is a project that I’m SUPER excited about.
Go ahead… you can get excited too.
Starting today – we will be doing a monthly spotlight on one virtual assistant who is ROCKING her biz.
These are real women, just like you who started their virtual assistant businesses from scratch.
We are asking the tough questions, and digging in to find out what made these VA’s businesses successful.
So, without further ado…
Table of Contents
Bethany is a virtual assistant and Squarespace extraordinaire from Madison Height’s, Michigan.
(That’s about here for anyone who was wondering…)
Bethany started her virtual assistant business(BSquare Studios) in August of 2016.
She helps small business owners create fresh & modern websites so that they can fall in love with their business all over again!
She also creates branding boards, which she includes with every design.
I sat down with Bethany to ask her a few questions about her business, what made her get started, and how she finds clients.
Let’s take a look at what she had to say:
How did you find out about virtual assistance?
I actually found out about virtual assistance through finding The Virtual Savvy on a Facebook group!
I researched thesite and immediately decided to take the leap and invest in her VA Bootcamp. I consider it the best career & business decision I have ever made. She offers a ton of great value, assistance, and is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
Wow – so you had never heard of virtual assistance before that point? What made you jump into it so quickly?
I have been a Stay at Home Mom for the past five years and I have supported my husband in ministry during that time. While those are still my primary objectives and priorities in life, I also wanted to start doing something for myself after having our (probably) last baby.
Our family didn’tnecessarily need the income, but the freedom and flexibility of being my own boss, creating my own schedule on my own terms, and answering to nobody but myself has been extremely liberating and motivating for me. It was enough to make me want to jump in right away!
The freedom and flexibility of being my own boss, creating my own schedule on my own terms, and answering to nobody but myself has been extremely liberating and motivating for me.
What has been the most challenging part of being a business owner?
Impatience is the most challenging part for me; it is the hands down the biggest challenge for me.
As a brand new business owner, I have discovered my passion and excitement for helping others has me chomping at the bit to run out and pitch to everyone I can.
Needing to slow down to secure my own business foundation and business systems and processes in place first has been hard. I wanted clients the first day I had the idea to start my business 😉
While the front-end work for starting a VA business is minimal, it still exists.
The challenge for me is creating the balance between getting my systems finished (Portfolio, Welcome Packet, Contract, Invoices, My Processes), but then wanting to spend a ton of time refining them until they are perfect and completely representative of me, my brand, and my business. I am a bit of a perfectionist 😉
That’s totally understandable. I think most people find themselves wanting to make everything “perfect”!
Yep… that is definitely my weakness!!!
So- on the flip side,What has been the most rewarding part of being a business owner?
There are countless rewarding parts of being a business owner!
Seriously, too many to count.
The freedom to stay at home with my four kids and not have to pay for daycare is probably the biggest one for me.
The scheduling freedom and flexibility has to be my biggest reward. I can work when I want (at 5:30 am or midnight), all in the comfort of my own home.
A runner up reward is the pride I can take in my work and the fact that I have built my own business. To know that I have started and created something, and that I am good at what I do, makes me proud to tell people about my work and my business.
Showcasing my initiative, helpfulness, and creativity in a setting that I created and that I can call all my own is honestly a dream come true.
To know that I have started and created something, and that I am good at what I do, makes me proud to tell people about my work and my business.
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. What is the top way that you find clients as a virtual assistant?
I have three places I love for getting clients!
My number one place is actually Craigslist! I am constantly searching various cities and sending out proposals to ads for Virtual Assistants and for Squarespace (since I am primarily a website designer).
I actually got two clients from Craigslist ads within 24 hours of sending out the proposals!
My number two place is Facebook Groups. I love working on a per-project basis, and have responded to several requests for minor projects.
My third place is, as a website designer, placing my logo with a link back to my site on the bottom of every website I design.
I also get word-of-mouth referrals from my clients…. I guess that is a fourth : )
Awesome! That’s cool about the Craigslist strategy… so smart to look in several different cities!
It has seriously been the TOP way I have found clients. I recommend it!
Can you tell me a little bit about your daily schedule?
My daily schedule is a little wonky since I have four children ages 5 and under.
Insert cute picture of me and my kids:
(Seriously, if I can do this, anyone can.)
I wake up at 5:30 am every single day to work. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I work 6 am – 8 am and as needed during nap time/evenings after the kids are in bed.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I work 6 am – noon. I work as needed on Saturdays, and I take Sundays completely off.
My “business hours” where clients can expect to get ahold of me are Monday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pm.
What is a big “win” you had recently in your business?
Recently, I sent a proposal to a Craigslist ad for a website design. The client saw my Virtual Assistant title in my email signature, and the client signed a contract for both a website design AND ongoing VA services!
That’s awesome!!! So, any future plans for your business?
I would eventually like to branch out to the businesses in my local community to offer website design, administrative assistance and social media help.
I would also love to hire stay at home moms in my local community to give them legitimate opportunities to make money from home.
What advice would you give to other Virtual Assistants just starting out?
Putting yourself out there at first seems incredibly daunting. However, nobody will care about your business as much as you do, so you need to be its biggest advocate.
Share value first.
Show up.
Be engaged.
Be helpful.
Celebrate Community over Competition by genuinely celebrating the success of your peers.
Lastly, but most importantly, find a group of engaged peers in a very tiny Facebook group called a Mastermind.
This was the best thing I ever did for my business – I have a tiny group of close-knit sisters who are entrepreneurs and they get who I am and what I do. They share my hopes, fears, and struggles, and they pray for me and support me. I would be lost without them, truly!
This is incredible advice. Seriously. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Starting my own business was honestly the best thing I have ever done career-wise.
It gives me energy, and I am enthusiastic to wake up in the mornings (yes, even in those wee early morning hours!).
The community I have found in entrepreneurial circles has been so close-knit and fantastic, and I am just honored to get to share this journey with The Virtual savvyand countless others who I am lucky to call friends.
Interested in starting your own virtual assistant business?
It’s my goal to help other women change their lives and use their skill by startingtheir own virtual assistant business.
If you’re ready to start getting serious about your business, download the Launch Checklist and Starter Kit!
It’s designed to help you get your VA Business off the ground and land your very first client for your Virtual Assistant business.
