I’ve always been in awe of people who take the plunge and set up their own business, I would often tell myself “they are so courageous and brave” “I don’t think I’d have the guts” and “I wouldn’t have a clue where to start” but here I am, me, Kellie Simpson doing just that, being courageous and brave and I have made a start.
Leaving the Corporate World
I decided to become a Virtual Assistant in January this year. I was working as a Senior PA on a fixed term contract which was due to finish in October, I knew it was unlikely there would be another position for me within the firm. I have worked in the corporate world for around 17 years, and I was really starting to feel like I wanted to do something for myself and have more flexibility, and also I wanted to increase my knowledge and get my brain working again and explore new opportunities.
I also really really want a dog. My husband and I have wanted a dog for years but it’s never been the right time, but with me now working at home it’s the perfect opportunity (and suffice to say, we’ve found a breeder and a puppy is due to arrive next year).
Light Bulb Moment
This time last year I’d never heard of the term “Virtual Assistant”, I stumbled upon it when I was looking for PA roles in Bristol. It was definitely a ‘light bulb’ moment for me and I remember thinking “this is it”, “this is what I want to do”, “I’m going to be a Virtual Assistant” and it was from then on that the seed was planted and I knew I had to make it work.
I signed up for Joanne Munro’s The VA Handbook course, read every article and blog I could find, watched podcasts and started following other VA sites to gather as much information as I could. This also made me realise how many Virtual Assistants there were out there (how had I never come across this before!)
I pondered on a company name for ages but ended up going with my name, as I want my business to be about me providing a personalised service. I created some boards on Pinterest and enthusiastically started pinning away; colour schemes, branding boards, logos, fonts and website layouts. I found a web/brand designer who worked wonders on creating my brand, this was really happening, my business was now starting to take shape and it’s all going well so far.
Gearing up for my new life as a Virtual Assistant has brought with it many emotions – I’ve felt excited, enthusiastic, scared, nervous, curious and worried but through all of that I’ve been so fortunate to have all my friends, family and old work colleagues behind me, who know I’ll make a brilliant VA and this has kept me driven to become a success. Who knows where I’ll be this time next year!
