How I became a Business Solutions Specialist

22 Apr

A step-by-step on how I surivived and thrived in my first year in business

It’s official! I survived my first year of being self-employed 🥳

More than that - I have just entered my busiest quarter yet, and it’s really made me reflect on how running a business is so much more than just doing the work. Sure, you could do that and clock out on most other things - like your marketing or lead generation - both of those can be forfeit (I don’t recommend it), which means all you’re left with is the client work you already have… and the hope that should those clients end their contracts, a word of mouth can provide you enough replacement income.

Doesn’t sound very promising though, does it?

There’s a simple reason for that - as you forfeit the dreaded business admin, with it your forfeit creative control of your business - your direction, potential for growth, everything that could be fulfilling, satisfying, and flex right alongside with you. If you don’t prioritise the time to reflect and goal-set, you lose the chance to explore what you could be, instead getting stuck in the small-picture, day-to-day what already is.

I don’t know about you, but to me that’s neither inspirational nor aspirational.

And so, I’ve been reflecting on my first year in self-employment and what it means to me to be intentional in my business, but ward off burnout - so if you’d like to know how I have so far walked that precarious line… Read on, as I list the month-by-month highlights on me becoming a Business Solutions Specialist - what did I prioritise each month? What hurdles did I come across, how did I tackle them and to what effect?

If you’re in your first year, I hope you find this reflection helpful and reassuring - self-employment isn’t easy, but it sure is worth it!

And if you’re much further down the businessowner road than I am, enjoy the trip down memory lane!

Step 1 - get made redundant with a 2 week notice…

And got an accountant - I know a lot of people handle their own tax return and business accounting, especially as a sole trader or small business… but I had come to a conclusion that being in my first days of self-employment I had enough to learn, enough to get my head around and get right - so I opted to outsource what I could, especially what I couldn’t afford to get wrong.
Also regarding the website - yes, it’s an advantage to have one, no, don’t overthink it - a clear and concise 1-pager is enough to start with!
P.S. Landed my first retainer client through my professional business network (still my client today!) and got my first small project (through the same network - let that sink in)
Not the biggest fan of the word ‘hustle’ but truth be told, that’s probably the only way to describe those early days - I told everyone and anyone about what I do, my offer and my availability. I read newsletters, articles and guides on useful tools, software, business support working trends. I was responsive on email, Facebook, LinkedIn, and I checked the group posts religiously every day for new job opportunities. I also reached out to my professional networks and shouted about my availability and what I can help with - also got my first client who wasn’t already in my network!
The hustle was paying off, because I started to make the same as I did in my employed job, before the redundancy, within 8 weeks. There seemed to be an abundance of jobs out there if I was willing to just take what I’m given, without much rate negotiation - I did, because making bills was the priority, plus I decided it was a good way to see what’s out there and whether it would suit me long-term.
As I land my first big associate project, I’m working flat out - my billable hours increase to about 9 a day - busy busy but also tired!
Starting to think this is not a sustainable way to run a business.
Catching my breath as August ends, and so does the big project. I put time aside to review my online presence, my business priorities, and set goals for the remainder of the year.
I trialled 3 nights away from home, working in an AirBnB by the seaside. Seeing as my entire business is on my laptop, and my hours have decreased a bit, I wanted to see if I can balance work and time away. Turns out, completely doable if you plan it right! Also one of the biggest upsides of this whole self-employed setup… I get to choose my hours and my location!
Attended my first VA conference - a great way to meet many other people within the industry, all with very different ideas on what growth and scaling means - made many good connections from it, met some people face to face that I have only seen on LinkedIn before - recommend!
I felt I had finally hit my stride and was ready to lay the groundwork for intentional growth in the future - so I carried out a proper business review and started brainstorming a rebrand for myself, with the help of a businessowner mentor and friend.
I invested some money and a lot of time back in myself -
- restructured my business, decided a new name and focus
- created a brand kit and redesigned my entire website
- got professional headshots
- refreshed my entire online presence and marketing in line
Launched as Business Solutions Specialist - no longer working on a purely hourly basis or as a VA, focusing instead on where my strengths lie - business strategy, growth, and optimising online presence. Upselling my skills as a Project Manager and strategist.
Also took my first real time off - 10 days for the holidays with no client or business admin work whatsoever.
I wasn’t ready for that. Other businessowners sort of mentioned January is hard, but I couldn’t quite get my head around it. Surely, it’s December that’s hard - right? Less working days, holiday madness coming up? How wrong I was. After December feeling like it was 2 weeks long, January felt at least 7,682 weeks long.
Everything that was benevolently let go of before the holidays came back with double pressure - meetings, project deadlines, this fizzing, chaotic energy took hold. Of course as the facilitator of so many results and projects, I had to work hard to not let that chaotic, exhausting energy stick to me and affect my efficiency. With my motto being ‘finding method in the madness’, the buck stops with me!
I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t challenging, and I made a mental note to keep some time off aside in February.
Cleaning up my website backend was on my goals list to action as soon as the rebrand was completed.
Now it was time to improve my SEO to support my new brand in showing up online, with a clearer message, and play the algorithm game better. All to support lead-generation!
Took some time aside to set goals for beyond my 1st year in business.
Time to practice what I preach! I finally made the decision to outsource my social media presence and marketing ideas by working with a Digital Marketing Coach - of course I could have carried on just showing up myself, but I wanted my marketing to match my new brand - and I don’t always have enough creative juices left after being in charge of my client’s marketing, to do justice to my own.
Really don’t quite know where this year has gone!

Hopefully if one thing is clear from the above summary, is that it’s so easy to just fall in to business and go where the current takes you - that’s how I spent nearly the entire first 6 months, but quickly realised I can’t go on like this - I was getting frustrated, a little burned out, feeling adrift.

I know now that it’s those moments that have the potential to become real growth points - and the power in getting beyond growth points in business is reaching out to your network and leaning on them - trust me, they’re more than happy to oblige! Just don’t forget to pay it forward when they need to lean on you.

This feels like a good moment to thank all of those so closely involved in my successful first year - if I hadn’t consulted or heeded the advice of those more experienced than I (those outside of my tunnel-visioned early months of self-employment), I’d be nowhere near being a Business Solutions Specialist today! I’d instead just be doing whatever work would have fallen into my lap, doing purely VA work, forever chasing the ability to pay my bills and not having much control over my hours or duties. And what a frustrating existence that would have been!

I now can’t imagine not being in a position where I get to shape how my business fits into my life, and my life around my business - I’m the captain of my own ship, but as with any ship, it takes a crew. Never forget that sole-trader or not, business is not ran, grown, or enjoyed in a vacuum. Keep your community / network close, and the doubters at bay.

If I can do it - you can too - just make time to be intentional with where and why you are going.