I've been doing this for five years and have had many ups and downs. My best year I made 35,000 working part time but that was A LOT of work. I've had tons of clients some long term so not.

Anyway, I'm trying to regroup and work smarter than harder and I'm thinking of setting up a website and really working on my business.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to help do this? You'd think after five years, I'd be at the top, but this business is so unpredicitable you never know.

This might be an unpopular suggestion simply because it means potential lean months waiting for the potential clients but I'd start by reconsidering the types of clients you're taking on as well as looking at how much you're charging for what you do.

Also, developing and marketing a true specialty could make the difference - you charge X for general admin but XX for a high profile service...

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I too am re-vamping my business. I started in 2004 but for some reason I was working long hours for little money. Due to this and our financial situation, I was forced to return to work FT. I have hated it since I went back 2 years ago. In the meantime, I have kept 3 steady clients to keep the business a float but not really take a paycheck and then find myself working PT at night and on the weekends. I finally told myself that I wasn't happy and decided to take a leave of absence for awhile to get my business back up and running. I am now reading all of the books that were suggested on this site and trying to figure out my niche market and do some marketing. Thanks to another VA that only lives 30 miles from me, she has graciously taken me under her wing to do some of her projects. Thank goodness, because I could use a mentor and some work while I am off - did I say my leave of absence was unpaid? Yes, it has been rough but if I don't turn this around within a couple of months - I will be forced to return at least PT to work. I am taking it one day at a time...

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Michelle
Mid-Knight Business Solutions

Tammy and Michelle - I could be mistaken, but it looks like neither of you has a website. If I'm right about that, and if you really want to make it as a VA, my advice is to get your site together before you do anything else. Once you have a website, you can truly become virtual. You need that home, that calling card online.

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Mary H. Ruth/Virtual Writing & Communications
http://www.writingVA.com

I agree with Tess' suggestion of truly defining your target market and narrowing down your new clients to only those who meet that description. I must say that is the best advice that I have gotten.

Also, you might benefit from listening to/reading 4 hour work week. I'm in the middle of this book now and have implemented some (not all) of the philosophies for keeping my sanity and am finding it quite relevant for my business.

All the best as you grow.

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Tamika R. Johnson, MBA, Principal
administrative partners, llc
www.administrativepartners.net | http://adminpartners.blogspot.com

Thank both of you for the advice. No, I do not have a Website and have wondered if it would be worth it to get one. But it appears from most people it would be.

I get a lot of work off Guru but I want long term clients. I've had some in the past but this economy has been knocking on doors again and between trying to get my work done and bidding on jobs, I seem to be exhausted. It's all I can do most days to do all this typing, right now I'm writng about 75 articles a week to make ends meet. This is not how I want to continue so I joined this board for a reality check.

All of your advice is appreciated. I know it's time to stop running to make a dollar and come up with a valid plan to use more of my mind rather than my hands.

How would I begin to set up a Websit, that's one are I know little about.

Thanks!

I do have a website and it is up and running. I am actually in the midst of redoing it as it was a site that I had up when I first started back in 2004. I just have not "advertised" it until I put up the new one. But if you want to take a look, here it is www.midknightbusiness.com - again this is my old one.

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Michelle
Mid-Knight Business Solutions