|
Bonnie Taylor Wachowicz thrives on challenge. In 1999 she was laid off from a corporate job she’d had for eight or nine years and wasn’t sure what to do until she came across AssistU, a Virtual Assistant training program. She contacted them to enroll in the program only to be told they weren’t accepting Canadian students.
“So I wrote back,” she says with a laugh. “I told them I wanted to set up a similar program in Canada. When I finally heard back from them, they had changed their minds and said they’d take me after all, along with one other Canadian student, and they wanted us to provide the Canadian content.”
Recalling the twenty week training program, Bonnie describes it as being very intensive. “There were a lot of things I needed to research about myself, even. A lot of it is about setting up a business unique to me. Since high school I knew I wanted my own business, but didn’t know what. Now I’ve been able to make a business out of my experience.”
That experience includes a secretarial certificate, a business administration diploma, and many years working in an administrative capacity for various employers.
Today, Bonnie provides a range of administrative support for small business owners. In a nutshell, she gives small business owners more time to focus on doing what they love to do by taking on some of their administrative tasks. The specific services vary from one client to the next depending on their particular needs at the time.
Some may need assistance with Word or Power Point or Excel, others need help with writing and others want her to check their voice mail. She also compiles business plans and procedure manuals, and helps clients with tasks such as strategic planning and marketing.
“It’s a very personal service,” she explains. “I get to know my clients very well and have a good knowledge of their goals and working styles. No two support businesses or situations are the same, and I really look for the right fit with clients”
Bonnie also points out that the relationship a business owner has with a virtual assistant is very different to what one would have with an employee. With an employee, the boss provides the space and usually sets out very defined tasks for the assistant.
With a virtual assistant, there’s a more equal relationship. Both sides are business owners and consequently the virtual assistant has a much better idea of what running a business entails and is able to anticipate needs.
But more than simply providing administrative support to other entrepreneurs, Bonnie sees her business as a creative outlet and an extension of herself. “It’s a way to connect with the world, a way to build relationships I wouldn’t have opportunities for in a corporate environment. And it gives me the freedom to be who I am rather than it being just a job, or me being ‘just a secretary’, which is a term I really hate.”
Working as a virtual assistant allows Bonnie’s supportive nature to shine. “I like to see people succeed and if I can help them do that it’s pretty exciting, whether it’s a family member or a client. I think it’s important not just to help people get things done, but also to be able to help them be able to do it on their own, to give them tools.
It’s like the saying goes, you can give a man a fish and feed him for a day, or you can teach him to fish and feed him for a lifetime. I like to help people become more efficient. I’m supporting people to be successful.”
Another vital quality that Bonnie brings to her work is her creativity. “I have a good imagination, and that’s a key thing. I see problems as opportunities and like to come up with unique solutions. I like to go beyond the expected. In the corporate world, roles are very narrowly defined and if you step outside that you can get into trouble. You can’t just go off in an innovative direction. With small businesses, there’s more opportunity for creativity, and I think small businesses can react to market changes much more quickly”
Like many creative people, Bonnie values her independence and looks for variety in her work life. “I don’t fit well into strongly defined roles. I like having my own work hours and my own work space. And I like working with different clients, with speakers, entrepreneurs, and various kinds of businesses. Besides, small business owners are so much fun, especially in the first five to ten years of business. They have so much enthusiasm and excitement and it’s great to be part of that.”
Bonnie’s creativity, need for variety, and love of challenge mean that her own business is always a work in progress. “My website changes often. My tagline changes often. My business changes often. But there’s always something consistent. It’s that foundation piece; if you have something solid under you, you know you can jump and you’ll land safely. Right now what’s emerging is that I’m doing more writing, and I’m beginning to offer that as a stand-alone service. I like writing because I can get information to more people at once. It’s also a product I can sell later.”
As her business continues to evolve, so too does Bonnie as a person. In fact, some of the tasks she’s been called upon to perform have resulted in significant personal growth.
Part of being a virtual assistant is spreading the word about the profession by speaking in public. “That was a horrifying thought at first,” Bonnie admits “I used to not even be able to go out in public and eat at a restaurant because I was worried about who was looking at me. I still don’t like public speaking and I do lots of prep beforehand, but I can do it. You have to just jump in and keep doing it until you get better and then move on to something else.”
On to the next challenge.
Written by: Marie Sedivy
|
| |
|
