Virtual Marketeers

(My Journey Part 5)

It’s funny how in the end I did end up owning my own business.  I am really glad that I do, as it has been a dream to own my own business since probably even before I got married to Paul.  Anyway, what I want to speak about in this last part about my journey is where I see my business into the future and to provide a snapshot of the day in the life of Rachel.

Where to from here?

As a Mum I have family to care for.  I have some creative juices that tend to flow through me, and an adventurous streak that screams out “there just has to be more, we’ve got to find out what it is” absolutely all the time, I just can’t seem to knock it, not that I would want to hey!  So, that being the case I have a couple of business ideas that I am working on at the moment, this being one of them.  I have a bigger picture idea and inspiration for this blog, but you never know it might change as time passes.  I would like to develop this blog in small bite sized pieces because it’s bound to taste even better in small bites, lol!!

My days are really busy, I would like to see this settle down a bit; a lot actually.  I take most of the day Tuesday and all day Sunday off at the moment, but even when I’m not working sometimes work finds its way in there.  I would really love to have more time to spend with Paul and the children and can’t see this happening unless I change my situation – so here I am trying out something different that might help me to develop and grow and maybe change the dynamics  of my business a bit even!

I think that “where to from here” for me can and should only be defined by saying “although I have a goal to work towards, it could change tomorrow” – this should be everyone’s motto I think.  This might seem like a bit of a cop-out, but what I keep remembering over and over again is that although I set myself long term goals, they might sometimes change the next day and before we know it our vision is completely different from what it originally was.  That is why some people are sometimes able to write a book from their blog, or their diary, because life in its raw form provides such rich and interesting content – the dynamics could change at any moment in life because of the experiences that we have.  I think that as long as we recognise that our vision has changed and that because of this we are now moving in a different direction, that way we can reevaluate our goals, and all is good.  So I firmly believe that the “where to from here,” for me will rely on the spontinaety of being my own person, of being me.

The Balancing Act?

My days are a bit of a mixed bag, interestingly this is absolutely what I love about being a Virtual Assistant.  When I am home with the kids they are usually quite preoccupied with things to do in the mornings, plus the youngest has a morning nap, and so I get through a bit of work where I can.  We often spend afternoons running errands, that is assuming that there are errands to run, and if we are out we try to find a playground to stop at for a bit.  In the evenings I cook dinner and then Paul baths the children and gets them into bed.  Sometimes I work and other times I take the night off and spend some time with Paul, but this is quite adhoc at the moment and relates to whatever is happening in my work life at the time.

On days that the children are cared for I work solid from about 9.30 to about 5pm, and get through as much as I can in this time.  When I have been working solid during the day I usually try to take the evening off and will only work if I feel inspired and have the energy, or if I really have to.  I love the fact that I can sleep in in, and the fact that I can sit in my pyjamas and work most mornings (actually that’s exactly what I am doing at the moment).  I also work better from home than I do in an office, as I am much more focussed on the task at hand when at home, plus I tend to make quick decisive decisions about things.  I still work well in an office environment, but I just don’t seem to be able to focus quite as well with other people around me.  I tend to block out times for specific tasks or clients.  I deal with the ‘5 minute’ tasks (emails, correspondence, phone calls) right away and all at once, and I put those tasks aside that will take a bit longer, I allocate them to an area of my business and I try to do them all in one go where I can.  The learning curve that I am heading into right now is to figure out how to be more effective at brainstorming for ideas.

On Tuesday’s I try to spend some time with our children, actually I don’t think we have missed a day going to the playground with them since I have started working other days of the week.  Sunday’s is my day off, always has been.  Because a lot of the people that I work with and for come together of a Sunday, some of the work related items and discussions tend to creep into my day – but that is okay, I have learned be more accepting of this, especially where the tasks are small and quick to do, and to speak up where a task is a bit bigger and is really going to take away from my day off.

The skills I have developed with balancing work and home, along with other business ideas and communications are just some of the things I would like to share with you here on Virtual Marketeers.  I myself are really interested in learning more about marketing strategies and so I am looking to bring together for you some really good information on marketing, and I have just the person in mind… that is assuming she says yes!

It’s been lovely sharing with you a bit about my journey.  There absolutely is more – hang out here a tad bit longer and you will start to see things happen and progress in that something more!

Oh, and before I head out for the day, if you have a business topic you would like to share on Virtual Marketeers please do let me know.  I am specifically looking for write ups on your own specialty area, or what many people in the business world might refer to as a ‘niche’ area.  We would like to help you get the word out there that the niche area does exist, and that you consider yourself an expert in this field!

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