Do you need to do VA Training with VACT?
I am often asked whether someone needs to do a VA Training Course and why VACT over any of the other VA Training course providers. When asked this question, I like to reach out to the VACT family and ask them about the impact of the VA Mastery Course on their business. Sandra Storoni was one of my VIP clients, her company is called Paperweight PA and she is based in Luxembourg – I am going to hand over to her and let her share her experiences in this guest blog.
My experience of VA Training with VACT
As I prepare to blow out my first business birthday candle and reflect on the past year’s achievements, I have to attribute much of my success to date to the fabulous Virtual Assistant Training course that I completed with Amanda Johnson through her Virtual Assistant Coaching and Training Company (VACT).
I am therefore delighted to be able to write this guest blog for Amanda and share with you my experiences of training with VACT.
I started following Amanda and her VACT blog a few years back, when still in full time employment as an Office Manager/Executive Assistant. At the time I was curious to know more about how to become a Virtual Assistant. A seed of an idea was growing in my mind and I enjoyed reading the weekly blogs. To be honest they were often just as relevant for a Personal or Executive Assistant as they are for us Virtual ones too.
When the initial idea of setting up my own VA Business grew from a pipe dream to actually starting to become a reality, I had already decided that I needed to talk to Amanda.
One phone call was all that was necessary for me to decide that Amanda was the Coach and Mentor I wanted to work with, and the VA Mastery Course was the perfect Virtual Assistant training course to help me get my business off the ground.
I knew I had the skills and the experience to support potential clients from over 11 years working as an Executive Assistant to Senior Management, but I had serious big doubts in the beginning about how to go about launching a business and whether I could make a success of it.
So why did I opt for the VA Mastery Course with one to one coaching and mentoring?
Quite simply because it was perfectly formulated to take me step by step through all the stages of launching a VA business.
It was a large investment, but well worth every cent!
During the modules I covered all aspects of setting up my business from having the initial idea and testing that I was really committed, to deciding on my niche, creating a logo and branding all the way through to marketing my business, creating a website, how to calculate pricing, how to go about finding those all-important first clients and successfully on-boarding new clients.
By the end of the course I had my business plan in place and a clear vision of where I wanted to go with my business but more importantly, I was filled with so much more self-belief and confidence that I was actually capable of making a success of it. You can’t put a price on that!
Each module of the training course covered a different topic in depth and was supplemented by additional resources in the way of pdfs, podcasts and webinars all of which I still refer back to regularly today. My VA Mastery files have become my very own VA Bible!
At the end of each module there was an assignment to complete and submit which really enhanced the learning for me and was the key to my success. It’s easy to read, listen to a podcast or take part in a webinar, but it is only when you actually apply what you are learning that you really start to make progress and get results.
Amanda would always revert quickly with awesome comments and constructive feedback, supplemented with suggestions and ideas from her own experience of having worked as a VA. This all helped me to keep pushing forward, get clearer on my vision and goals for my business and helped keep me motivated when the doubts tried to resurface.
What I loved about the VA Mastery Course?
What I loved about the course was that you could work through it at your own pace. However, Amanda was always there giving support, or a gentle but firm push when required and kept me accountable.
The real icing on the cake for me though was having monthly 1:1 calls with Amanda, when I could really dive deep into the topics, discuss the various issues that were coming up as I prepared to launch my business. She was also there to answer all my questions and just generally dispel any doubts I might be having.
Additional Support
The other super valuable aspect of taking part in any VA Training Course with VACT are the various private Facebook groups which Amanda runs, and which give you the opportunity to build your VA network, share ideas, ask all your burning questions and learn from the experience of other VAs too who might be further on along in their journey. It is a super supportive and collaborative community which I love being a part of.
In addition, Amanda runs regular monthly webinars and the occasional weekend workshops. So, there are plenty of opportunities to continue learning and adding to your knowledge and skill set.
The weekend workshops are not to be missed. They are not only an opportunity to meet Amanda in person but are also a dynamic environment to get together with her and other Virtual Assistants to network, brainstorm ideas and get some hot seat coaching thrown in too!
In hindsight…
With the advantage of hindsight, I can honestly say that taking part in a virtual assistant training course with VACT was the best decision for both me and my new business. I attribute much of my success to date to the valuable coaching and mentoring I received from Amanda during the course and continue to benefit from today.
Whenever I am faced with a challenge or have a decision to make, I often stop and ask myself, what would Amanda advise me to do in this situation? Often the answer becomes clear and if not, I know that I can always ask in one of her Facebook groups or send her a personal message. She is always there supporting her VA community.
If you want to know more about how to become a Virtual Assistant, are about to launch a VA business or are looking for help to take your existing business to the next level, I would highly recommend you talk to Amanda about one of the Virtual Assistant training courses she runs at VACT.
Meet Sandra and Paperweight PA
Sandra is Scottish, but has been living in Luxembourg for over 13 years. After 11 years as an Executive Assistant, she decided to launch her VA business, Paperweight PA, in March 2018.
She is passionate about helping Coaches, Consultants and Small Business owners grow their businesses and is loving the challenge of enlightening the Luxembourg business community about the merits of working with a Virtual Assistant!
Follow Sandra on Social Media by clicking the following links: