From Front Desk to Virtual Desk: Why I Started My Own Business

 

A year and a half ago, if you'd asked me where I saw my career heading, I would have answered without hesitation.

Hospitality.

I'd spent almost a decade building my career, working my way up from switchboard operator and receptionist to concierge, reception supervisor and duty manager. I loved the fast pace, the people, the problem-solving and the satisfaction of making sure everything ran smoothly.

It was the career I'd worked hard to build.

Then life changed.

I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. It should have been one of the happiest times of my life.

Instead, with just five months left before my due date, the security I'd worked so hard for disappeared.

Anyone who has experienced uncertainty during pregnancy will understand the emotional toll it can take. Instead of focusing solely on preparing to become a mam, I was worrying about my future, my income and what would happen after my baby arrived.

Fast forward eighteen months.

Like many parents, I've been searching for part-time employment that allows me to continue building a career while also being present for my daughter.

I've submitted application after application.

Attended interviews.

Updated my CV more times than I can count.

Yet despite having nearly ten years of management and customer service experience, finding the right opportunity hasn't happened.

Eventually I realized something.

I could keep waiting for someone else to give me a chance...

Or I could create my own.

So that's exactly what I did.

I invested in myself and became certified in bookkeeping, adding another valuable service to my skillset.

Then I took a step back and looked at everything I'd learned over the past nine years.

Managing busy switchboards.

Handling demanding customers.

Diary management.

Email management.

Problem-solving under pressure.

Training staff.

Managing reception teams.

Supporting senior management.

Coordinating departments.

Cash handling and reporting.

Bookkeeping.

Organization.

Communication.

Attention to detail.

Time management.

The more I looked at my experience, the more I realized something surprising.

I'd already been doing the work of a Virtual Assistant for years.

The title was different.

The skills were exactly the same.

Hospitality teaches you to think on your feet, juggle ten things at once, stay calm under pressure and put people first.

Those are the qualities every business owner wants in someone supporting their business behind the scenes.

So I stopped seeing myself as someone "starting from scratch."

Instead, I realized I was bringing nearly a decade of transferable experience into a new industry.

Today, I'm building Best You Virtual Assistance to help busy business owners reclaim their time.

Whether that's managing emails and diaries, handling customer enquiries, bookkeeping, administration or providing reliable day-to-day support, my goal is simple:

To become the person business owners can rely on so they can focus on growing their business.

I'm not pretending it's easy.

Starting a business from nothing is one of the hardest things I've ever done.

At the moment, there's only one thing missing.

Clients.

Every successful business starts somewhere, and this is my beginning.

If you're a business owner who's overwhelmed by admin, struggling to stay on top of your inbox or simply wishing there were more hours in the day, I'd love to have a conversation.

And if you know someone who could benefit from the support of a reliable Virtual Assistant and Bookkeeper, I'd be incredibly grateful if you'd share this article with them.

Sometimes all it takes is one opportunity to change everything.

Maybe this is mine.

All the Best, 

Shauna