LAVA Virtual Assistant

Why did I become a Virtual Assistant?

I have worked in both Corporate and small businesses, so why a Virtual Assistant?
I ran my late husband's small business for 23 years, and we fluctuated between having staff and only the two of us, depending on the financial situation at the time. Then, at the worst time of our business, just coming out of Covid, my husband suffered a heart aneurysm. Not only did I lose my husband, but my job as well. The life policy was just enough to get me debt-free and a little more.
The job search was heartbreaking. I was sending out up to 20 CVs a day without a response. This, while juggling the sale of my home, a flash flood and Insurance companies, but I survived and found a reception job.
This did not cover all my expenses, but it was a huge help. I then got another, more challenging job. After a couple of months, the boss called me in to tell me they could no longer afford me. I had a couple of choices: go through the heartbreak of sending out CVs again, which I did, or look for a small existing business to buy. At this stage, my mom, who lives in the US, paid for me to visit her for my 60th birthday.
It was then that I decided to look for something that I could be responsible for myself, dictate my hours and be able to travel and work wherever I was.
I did not realise how difficult it would be to find clients, but my first client, found by word of mouth, is still my most precious client. I do a lot of ad hoc work. I have had clients come and go, joined networking groups, spent money with no return, and I am still going.
I joined an amazing group of people, the Virtual Assistant Institute of South Africa, who continue to support me and teach this old dog new tricks in the process.

For those of you with Air Conditioning systems.

POPIA is a real concern. What happens to your data? Here at LAVA Virtual Assistant, we take it seriously. Lou-Ann has completed two courses on how to be POPIA compliant. Speak to us about your data protection needs.