Melissa Dery has been a full-time VA for the last five years. She focuses on supporting leaders in the direct sales industry. I met Melissa through a great group in NH called Women Inspiring Women. She was kind enough to talk to me about how to start a virtual assistant business when I was starting out. I love her fun personality which shines through online and I am sure keeps her clients very happy.
You can visit her website The Golden Rule VA for more information.
Describe your Business
I provide Virtual Administrative Support to leaders in Direct Sales/Home Party Plan
How do you work around your kids and their schedule?
My boys are older (14 and 16) but I started when they were 10 and 8, however, my work is very flexible, so I’m able to work around them.
Why have you chosen to do this work?
I’ve been an administrative professional all my career (over 25 years!) and I’ve always loved Direct Sales, I had tried my hand at several different Direct Sales opportunities, but kept finding I was more suited for the “behind the scenes” type of work. Then, when I became a Mom staying home became all the more important to me, so with the help of a wonderful coach I put my two passions together and The Golden Rule VA was born.
Does it help you financially or creatively or both?
Both! It feeds my need for organization, helping others and staying in touch with the Direct Sales industry I love. And it helps pay the mortgage too!
What are your favorite tools that you use to do business?
I love tools like TeamworkPM to keep my client tasks/projects organized, and vCita to keep my schedule in control, but I also simply love a good paper planner to keep track of my days.
What is your greatest challenge?
The hardest thing I’ve found is when you work from home, you are always at work. It helps that I have an office in my home so that when I leave my office I’m “home.” It’s very important to create down time and days off otherwise you’ll be working 24/7 and that can lead to burn out.
What has been your biggest win?
My clients, long-term amazing clients!
Would you suggest that other mothers do this type of business?
YES! If you have been feeling the pull to try it, go for it! It has very little overhead and risk, and can be super flexible and rewarding!
How hard is it to break into this business?
It all depends on who you know, but it’s not hard. I had my first few clients right away. What it takes is first being very clear on what you will and will not provide, and who do you want to serve. Once you know those two things you can look for those people who need your help. Trust me, whenever I go to a networking event everyone is so excited to hear what I do because everyone needs a little extra help and often the administrative parts of running a business are not what most people enjoy doing. T
Trust me, whenever I go to a networking event everyone is so excited to hear what I do because everyone needs a little extra help and often the administrative parts of running a business are not what most people enjoy doing. They want to spend time on the “creative” or “people” part not scheduling social media posts, or running reports.
What tips would you give to someone who wants to be in this business?
If you are interested in working for Direct Sales leaders and you are currently in Direct Sales, reach out to your upline or someone you know who has built a team and ask them if they could use some help, chances are great they would LOVE some help!
If you are really interested in breaking into supporting Direct Sales leaders, reach out to me, I’m working on creating a training program to help share what I’ve learned along the way and it can really help get you started on the right foot!
Final thoughts?
Working from home is not for everyone, it has it’s positive and negatives, and it’s not always easy. Be prepared for the ups/downs that come with anything, especially something new. But if you find this is your passion, start part-time.
I started with one client and then kept adding from there. Some were just projects and when I was done they left but then some started to stay on. When I found the business took more time than I could give it part-time I figured out the dollar amount I needed to replace my job and when I hit that number I made it my full-time business!
Don’t jump in blindly, ask questions, look at other people doing what you want to be doing, find a coach or mentor and learn, learn, learn!
Leave a Reply