* What was the inspiration, or the catalyst for, the creation of your business endeavor?
Terror. No, really. Since childhood I suffered from anxiety disorder that by 2001 got so severe I had trouble leaving my condo. I could go to work and back if I could follow the same route every day to and from work. At work, I stayed in my office, requiring everyone to come to me. Watching a Paxil commercial one day (the one with the bouncing balls) I realized that my terrors were not normal. With medical attention my whole life opened up.
My husband and his father talked me into starting a Virtual Assistance service and within three months I quite my "regular" job and went full time. Since I had 15+ years in business, from receptionist up to Controller, Virtual Assistance allowed me to help other small businesses get their admin work done. However, once I got out of my comfort zone I realized that my skills were really far more valuable and more technical that just administrative work. I started VA Journal with the idea of assisting and mentoring other Virtual Assistants and recently re-designed my business to reflect the tech world that challenges me and that so many people need help with.
* What steps did you follow to build your business? Are you still in the process of planning your endeavor?
I start with a simple business plan for every business-related endeavor I take up – even the professional blogging I do. While the plan constantly changes, it keeps me on track and reminds me not to stray too far from what I am really trying to accomplish.
With Beyond Paper and my tech column I am building more extensive business plans, following the eMyth Books.
* Please tell us about the resources you’ve used thus far and would recommend to others (or steer them away from). Take a moment to share your educational background (both academic and work-based) and point out things that have helped or hindered you along the way from that education.
Great question! I come from a liberal arts background, which you can’t beat for teaching you to think and how to analyze things for yourself. Discovering how you learn is vital – are you visual or oral? Hands on? I’ve taught myself all of my computer skills from books, just by reading them and messing around on the computer. I’m not much for structured classrooms, myself, although having a mentor or someone to brainstorm helps a lot.
I recommend E-Myth by Michael Gerber, Rich Dad’s Cash Flow Quadrant and Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich as the very basic for entrepreneurs.
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