Day 2: Ultimate Blog Challenge

Today’s theme and suggestion for my Day 2 blog post is to share my story on how I got started as an entrepreneur. I LOVE to tell my story of when and how I got started as a small business owner! I hope I can inspire others that have had the desire to start their own business and just haven’t made that leap yet. My story is a bit scary…a bit tedious…a lot of sweat and tears, but it has a great ending! Read on.

Back in late 2004, I happened to be sitting in a cubicle at a corporate office and I was super-bored with my admin position and really wanted something more exciting. It was time for a career move. As I was searching thru Monster.com, looking for available positions in my industry, I came across the term called “Virtual Assistant”. Well this was interesting. I had never heard of what a Virtual Assistant or VA was until that day. So I did some digging and researched what was still a brand new term for administrative assistants that worked from home, specifically running their own business in this kind of role. It really intrigued me. So what did I do? I started formulating a plan to start my own VA business, setting my “shingle” out in December 2004. Now I will tell you that I had applied for some upper administrative positions, in hopes of landing a better corporate job, but I would get past the first or second interview stage, only to be turned down. I told myself that if I don’t land a new job somewhere, I’m going to attempt my hand at starting my own VA business. Well…I never was offered a new position anywhere else. I stayed where I was for at least two more years, working full-time during the day and working nights and weekends to build up my VA practice. Mind you, I was working all the time around my schedule as a wife with two young kids. It was hard, tiring and I didn’t get much sleep during those months of learning and taking on small and tedious projects to build up my reputation. I had to learn the hard way, not receiving any type of business coaching or mentoring to help me succeed. I admit it. I made mistakes along the way, but I also learned who I could work with and you was not a good fit for me.

It was when I got this prospect call on a Saturday morning that allowed me to set myself free from my full-time position! Boy, I was so excited when I let my husband know I was ready to quit my day job! I wanted to move forward and being a biz owner full-time! When I had turned in my notice that following Monday, my stomach was in knots…I was elated, but nervous and scared all at the same time. Boy, I had just taken a HUGE leap of faith! Well, fast-forward to today…I recently celebrated being in business for 14 years! It just seems like yesterday I stepped into the entrepreneurial world. And you wonder why I was never offered another job! I know why. It was meant for me to start my own business! I have worked with many different small business clients, mostly in the area of coaching and consulting, assisting clients with website design and maintenance, email marketing, product launches and a slew of general administrative tasks along the way. I’ve also designed and managed my own website (using WordPress) programs and products, so I’ve been in the shoes of my clients, knowing exactly what their needs are in the ever-changing area of online marketing.

So what does the future of my business hold? The possibilities are endless! My goal for this year is to bring back WordPress training and consulting as a value-add program. I do enjoy training others in something I am very passionate about. So be on the lookout. Would love to have you follow me on one of my social media accounts. Or sign up for future marketing tips on my home page.

Until tomorrow! 

 

Aletha McManama is a “Digital Marketing Maven” who specializes in online marketing using WordPress, social media and digital marketing to assist her clients in marketing their business. She is a WordPress pro that designs websites and blogs. Plus, she trains business owners to create and maintain their own WP site and blog.

Please keep in mind that I may receive commissions when you click my links and make purchases. However, this does not impact my reviews and comparisons. I try my best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you.

 

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