Marsha, I took a look at your blog and I can see its niche developing into an offshoot business. Consumer alerts, scam warnings, and all kinds of tips can serve to protect the small business community from fraud and deceptive practices of all kinds.

Growing a blog and developing it into a revenue source is a lot of work, but I think your blog holds a lot of promise.

I’m going to add a new post this afternoon.

As to “chance” in starting my VA Practice??? When I started Executive Secretarial Services in August of 1998 I had no idea that what I was doing was called virtual assistance. I was a partner in an alarm company that we sold. My partner was hired by the acquiring company and I was “put out to pasture”. I knew I didn’t want to return to corporate life and the acquiring company didn’t purchase any of my office assets or my talents.

I offered to be the Executive Director of the WB&FAA as I knew they were unhappy with their current provider and I had been an officer for over 10 years. So, I had my first client. I joined IVAA in December of 1998 when we were only 50 members. IVAA has come a long way in 10 years.

Everyone, one of my original questions on this post was wondering what role chance played in your business’s evolution. It seems as though that is a big part of EVERYone’s history.

I have an idea in my head for the new blog that, as I said earlier has been inspired by Dave Lieber but my tendency is to ruminate on ideas for a few days before I put them to “paper”.

While I’m ruminating I’ll need to find a place to actually do the blog.

Have a great weekend!

Jeannine, double LOL!

I hope all of those folks stop by and share their stories, too. I’m sure they’re equally as compelling as mine!

As you know, I could have gone on for much longer and mentioned my past presidency at IVAA, I was trying to be brief! (LOL) Not one of my traits, as you know.

As far as starting my business, in late 2000 I moved a couple hours from my previous job and maintained contact with my former boss. I started to support him and thought, hey this is cool. My husband found an article about the IVAA so I joined. That was in 2001. I maintain, but I can always use more work. I am amazed at some of our members who have 6 figure incomes and a network of VAs who make it seem like big business.

I’ve spent time involved in IVAA, kept it at arms length, and occasionally actually have had something to contribute. IVAA has changed my life. I’ve made great friends, and I look forward to making more.

That is one powerful story. You deserve to feel tremendous pride in all you have accomplished and contributed. And, I see your modesty pevented you from mentioning that you are also a past president of IVAA.

Thank you for the shoutout/endorsement, too. Let’s get some of your mentors over here talking!

While we were both unhappy in our corporate jobs (I was a purchasing agent for a local fresh seafood distributor), I was the main breadwinner with all the benefits, so initially I was surfing the Web trying to find something my husband could do.

Everything I came up with he nixed, and the more I read, the more I realized that if he wanted his own business, HE needed to be doing the research. About that time I stumbled across Staffcentrix.com and IVAA.org – even though I had spent 15-years in sales, management, and purchasing, I had always been the person to handle the database, do the newsletters, and train the customer service staff, so it seemed logical, that I might fit into the VA industry by doing admin support, part-time from home.

Well, that was the thought anyway. As I continued to research this option, I was planning to start this part-time adventure in early 1999, but my corporate situation became unbearable, and one day after I got berated by one of the sales reps in front of a manager who did nothing to stop the situation, the words, “I QUIT” came out of my mouth before I knew who really said it…fortunately, my husband and daughter were very supportive, and within about 60-days of having quit, I opened Accurate Business Services. My husband quit his job and changed to something that provided us benefits (can you believe my luck?) allowing me to develop a full-time VA practice.

It has certainly been a heck of a ride. After 10-years I’m pretty proud of who I’ve become, the business I’ve developed, the industry I support, and even found the time to write a book and self-publish.

Quite a leap from where I came from. I didn’t have any family background in entrepreneurship, but am thrilled to be a part of an industry that is so welcoming and supportive. I wouldn’t be where I am today had it not been for people like…Nina Feldman, Heather Lee, Beth Quick Andrews, Kay Young, Sue Kramer, Katie Baird, Candy Beauchamps, Amber Drake, Kimberley Thomas Catanzaro, Linda Seldon, Kim Hughes, Electra Ford, and Kathie Thomas, just to mention a few, and the literally hundreds of VA entrepreneurs I’ve met along the journey.

I can’t thank you all enough for your insights and support in helping me to stay afloat these past 10-years. It has truly been an incredible journey, one I hope to continue for years and years to come.

I might even start a blog on another topic but will get my feet wet with my thoughts spurred by Dave.

I’ll have to look around for a place to post my blog.

It’s really interesting to read about your odyssey and realize that so much of where you are and what you are doing happened almost before you knew it. Do you know what I mean?? I think of you as a one woman dynamo and industrial captain and am quite amazed at what all you have been able to accomplish.

1994 must be some kind of magical, mystical year as I am continually bowled over by how many things started that year.

Tana,

Marketing professionals will be able to argue for measurements of success obtained via their blog traffic reports, but, personally, I don’t spend that much time quantifying the results. I view blogging as just another tool in the networking arsenal, and love meeting people this way. OTOH, I do NOT believe blogging is a good match for every person who has or wants a web presence.

Thank you for dropping by; I left a comment for you on YOUR blog as well.

Have a good day!