People that know me, know that I take my job and reputation very seriously. 

 

What happened? 

A client found me by doing their research and finding out that I won the 2019 London & South East VA of the Year award and made contact. As per my on boarding procedure we had a telephone consultation and we agreed to meet at their office to review their needs and current processes, in order to agree if and how we would work together. 

 

I spent couple of hours on site going through various areas of work and we agreed on our next steps. There was no issue with my rates. There was no issue with how we both worked, and I was to be their “first” Virtual Assistant. 

 

 A few days passed… 

 

We were due to have our follow-up telephone consultation and I received an email informing me that we will not be working together as we were not “the perfect fit” and they needed someone “in-house” to be there for them 9am-5pm. 

 

The Ups and Downs of Freelancing 

Freelancing is all about the ups and the downs and some businesses and people are set up with an in house option or they just don’t want to give the virtual support a go.  

 

This client did not fully understand how a Virtual Assistant works and how this would enable them “let go” of things and sadly, they were not willing to find out. The lesson is that we all work differently and there is no right or wrong answer. 

 

The best answer is that you both need to get out what you put into the relationship and only then will your business benefit.

 

If you are someone that needs someone physically at their desk from 9-5 and whilst being told what to do and when, then you need an Executive Assistant who sits by you and works for you. 

 

If you want someone to support you, help drive your business by being a sounding board and take on extra work when required, then you can work with a Virtual Assistant.

 

Some companies work better in teams on site and some understand how the shape of the workforce is changing. After all, if James Caan CBE can work with a Virtual Assistant then hopefully many more business owners can do so too! 

 

I wish my ‘almost’ client every success. 

 

If you would like to find out more about working with a Virtual Assistant please contact me at info@janedevos.com. 

 

Update: After drafting this blog, I have received two further enquiries from new clients. Sometimes clients are like buses too!