You’ve got to have your sh*t together
If you’re the type of person who loves To Do lists, colour-coded Post It Notes and can maintain a certain level of self discipline, then this game is for you. If you’re scatty, forgetful and a frequent procrastinator, stay in the traditional workforce for your own sake!
Outsourcing is still a new concept for some business owners
In 2016, we saw the freelance industry BOOM, as outsourcing is becoming the norm. However, from my experience, the holistic health industry tends to be less business savvy than other industries. But have no fear, I’ve already done a lot of the ground work in educating the wellness space on the true value outsourcing. So, your job will be to show them how YOU personally can provide fantastic value to their business.
You don’t have to be an influencer to attract clients
The Healthy VA is now a recognised online brand, and that certainly helps bring awareness to the business. But did you know, during my first year of creating THVA I spent ZERO on online advertising as all my clients came through recommendations.
There are many avenues freelancers can take to attract clients and you don’t necessarily need to be an 'influencer' or share your personal life on social media to do so. Firstly, being fabulous at what you do can create a stream of referral clients. There are also enough freelancing platforms to position yourself, especially if you’d prefer to keep a less public profile.
You’ll be able to smell ‘Free Wifi’ a mile away!
As a freelancer, excessive computer use will become the norm, so managing your ‘offline’ time will need to become a priority. Good thing you’ll be in the health & wellness industry, so a constant reminder to prioritise your wellbeing!
You can create any type of business you want
There are really no strict ‘rules’ on how to create a freelance business. So long as you play to your strengths, are coming from an authentic place and are solving a problem/need for your target audience, you can create your own job description.
You will start drinking Green Smoothies everyday!
If you want to specialise in supporting health businesses, you need to educate yourself on all things health and wellness. The holistic space is a minefield of information, sometimes contradictory, but ever so interesting. From my experience, taking a personal interest in leading a healthy lifestyle has been a huge benefit when supporting business owners in this space. Also, I only work with businesses whose health mission I’m aligned with, which makes working with them way more fun! (Note: I studied health coaching at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition which many of my clients saw as a huge benefit as I understood, and was aligned, to their holistic health values.)
You will laugh and cry (but probably cry more!)
Just because you know how to use Microsoft Office doesn’t mean you can make it as a business owner. Freelancing is bloody hard work! There’ll be times where you’ll consider going back to an easy, stable 9-5 job. But all the ups and downs are so valuable in becoming a better person. With every high and low I experienced creating The Healthy VA, came gratitude, and the kind of personal growth I would have never experienced if I was still under the fluorescent lights of a city office.
And you will love it!
It’s not all ‘sitting in cafes, drinking organic coffee in yoga pants’. But sometimes it is! The freedom that comes with being your own boss is truly liberating. Several months ago, I reached the same monthly income I had made when working in corporate and I was so overwhelmed with emotion. Knowing that I had created this level of abundance all by myself, from people who believed in me and in the value I could bring to their health business was just beautiful.
We all have so much potential and by freelancing, we have the opportunity to create a career and lifestyle on our own terms.