A reflection on 2017
As the new year dawns, it is a time to reflect on the year passed, and think ahead to what you want your 2018 to look like.
At a meeting of my personal development group at the end of last year, we took time to think about what we had achieved last year and whilst on first thought it didn’t feel like much, a lot happened in 2017.
Firstly, I had a baby in January – I can’t believe that my little girl will be one year old tomorrow! People kept saying to me to treasure every moment as it goes so fast, and they were so right. Being a mum has been exciting but also very challenging, maintaining my (still quite new) business in the few months after her birth, and returning to work after only 9 weeks was difficult – battling with the guilt of returning to work and also having to rebuild my customer base at the same time. I am incredibly grateful to the clients that stuck with me and continue to work with me a year on.
I also decided to rebrand in October, celebrating two years in business, I worked with some amazing businesses to revamp my online image and have had some fantastic feedback. Subsequent to this, I also was honoured to be awarded South West Virtual Assistant of the Year 2017, and was so pleased that the hard work I had put in for my clients had been recognised by the industry.
Last year I also invested in personal and business development, becoming a member of the FSB and Enterprise Nation and receiving personal and business coaching which has been so valuable in providing clarity of direction for the future of both my business and in my personal life too.
By the end of the year, I was working with over 15 amazing businesses and continue supporting them with a miriad of tasks from finding workmen for house repairs and booking theatre tickets to writing blog posts and supporting Board Meetings.
So what does 2018 hold?
This week I am super-excited to be interviewing some amazing Virtual Assistants who have applied to become a part of my team. As the business grows, I want to be able to offer my clients a greater range of services and also ensure that there is greater resilience. To this end, I will be interviewing 15 very talented ladies and gentlemen and look forward to introducing them to my clients over the next few months.
I will also be working hard to ensure that whilst clients receive the best possible support and service, that I better balance my work and life better! Once I have my team in place, this (hopefully) will enable me to get out and about networking more, as I have not done much of this in 2017. When we start our own businesses, we aspire to being able to flex our lives and I will be ensuring that I take time to meet up with clients and hear about their business challenges and work out how my team and I can better support them. A better work/life balance also means taking breaks and not spending all day shackled to my desk in my office – sound familiar?
I also plan to engage further with the FSB and Enterprise Nation and get along to more of their amazing events, as well as starting work with a new business coach who specifically coaches Virtual Assistants, to help take my business to the next level – both scary and exciting!
Whatever your personal and business goals for 2018, I would like to wish you every success and look forward to working with you.
For more details on how we can help you to find the space to grow your business, call us on 07814 218142 or email joanne@joannemanville.co.uk
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