Hard Work Doesn’t Mean Hard Time

Over the years I’ve seen a paradigm building in the Virtual Assistance industry. Many VAs have marketed themselves to provide 24/7 support to clients and it’s transitioned into an expectation. Even though many of us have shouted our business hours from the rooftops, the expectation has already been set.

Virtual Assistants are expected to be available at the client’s beck and call. Don’t get me wrong, I would be the first to acknowledge that I work some pretty odd hours, nights, weekends, etc., but they are under MY control. I have never published or marketed myself to provide 24/7, or even weekend support, although sometimes I do. I have weekend rates for such emergencies, but it’s not normally the way I do business.

A newer client gave me a project early Friday morning and asked if I could have it back to him by Sunday morning. I indicated that I could certainly have it by mid-day on Monday, but that I wasn’t working this particular weekend. If he really needed it by Sunday morning, I could accommodate him, but my weekend rate would apply.

While we did work the situation out, he really was under the impression that ALL VAs worked 24/7. He sort of left me with the impression that he didn’t think I was a very hard worker if I wasn’t on call. He was equally shocked when I told him I take at least 2-week’s vacation each year, whether I leave town, or not.

Being a hard worker doesn’t mean I need to work ALL THE TIME! I work very hard on client projects and my business. But I also want and need to have a balance between work, family, and play. I really couldn’t see myself operating my business in a 24/7 model, even if I would be interested in modeling my business in this way.

Without exception every single successful and profitable business person I know does NOT work all the time, and it certainly isn’t expected. I would feel like I was a prisoner to my business if I did; and it would certainly take the joy out of doing what I do. I think I’ll pass on working so hard I feel like I’m doing hard time!

Jeannine Clontz, owner of Accurate Business Services, a VA practice, is an author, writer, speaker and VA Business Coach specializing in providing professional business coaching to established and start-up virtual assistants (VA’s). For her FREE audio CD “What’s Holding Back my Business Success?” or a 2-month trial in her group coaching program visit: http://www.VAbizcoach.com; or contact her at: coach@VAbizcoach.com.

Recent Entries

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 at 3:30 pm and is filed under Business Coach, Business Coaching, Business Start up, Business Tips, Entrepreneur, Goals, growing a business, Growing your business, Starting a business, VA, VA Classes, VA Coach, VA Coaching, VA Training, Virtual Assistance, Virtual Assistant, Virtual Assistant Classes, Virtual Assistant Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “Hard Work Doesn’t Mean Hard Time”

Sharon Anderson Says:
September 15th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
The 24/7 on-call expectation is a bit scary! I always just remember a sign posted outside the office door of one of the most serene and busy secretaries I have ever met. It said “A failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” With that in mind, I can better approach the “emergency” calls and negotiate some realistic deadlines with clients.
Jeannine Clontz Says:
September 16th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Thanks, Sharon – I’ve actually used that statement several times over the years when clients THOUGHT they had an emergency. There are some who always proceed as if the sky is falling! (LOL)