Employer/Client – what’s the difference?

Well, I sincerely hope you do know the difference or perhaps you shouldn’t be going into business. But it does astound me how many (new) VAs will refer to a prospective client as an employer.  WRONG MINDSET and it’s not going to help you grow your business.

It is so very important to have the right mindset when going into business otherwise confusion can reign in your mind and it will make things difficult for you when establishing boundaries.

What’s the difference?

Employer – sets the rates, the hours, the working conditions and is also responsible for your taxes, work insurances, holiday pay and other items.

Client – you set the rates, your working hours, the conditions in which you work, where you work, how you work, what type of work you do. You are also responsible for your taxes, work insurance, holiday pay and so on.

One of the biggest difficulties I feel a new VA has in transitioning from a job and the ‘working world’ is that mindset of moving from being an employee to that of being a business owner.

Let’s face it. Some people are just not cut out to be business owner / operators.  There is a big learning curve ahead of them and the only way to conquer that is to spend a lot of time reading, learning, mixing and mingling with those others who have already made that transition and being prepared to make the changes required to fit into that new role.

If you are willing to learn from those who have already trodden that same path you will find a place for yourself in the industry and successfully grow a VA business. It won’t happen overnight and it won’t happen in just 3 or 4 months.  Your business will take time to grow with the right nurture and attention paid to it.  Just as it took you some years to gain the experience and skillset you have, it’s going to take some years to grow and develop a successful business as well.