Out with the old…definitely!
Most of us will all be happy to see the back of 2020 and usher in 2021 with hesitant hope. I’ve been lucky business wise that I have continued to have work throughout the year. It was a little quieter but generally not bad. I know it has not been the same for other businesses, small or otherwise. For a lot of people there has been more time to dwell, reflect and consider what is important. For me I decided it was time for a Take A Letter Relaunch.
Sometime over the past few months, and not before time considering I have been a virtual assistant for a few years now, I finally decided on my niche. When I considered starting up Take A Letter I researched it thoroughly. Over and over I kept reading how it was vital to specialise but, as someone with nearly 30 years’ experience in administration, I found it difficult to pin myself down. Wouldn’t I be limiting my earning potential if I didn’t offer social media or diary management? Wouldn’t it be better to offer a little of everything in the hope of catching at least one client-shaped fish? And so I did.
However, over this past year one of my clients needed regular typing work and then another came along. Of course most people can use a keyboard but typing pages and pages is tiring on one or two fingers and I realised that an area of expertise I had, but thought was perhaps a little old-fashioned (I learnt to type with the keys and my hands covered), was still very much needed.
When I learned to type we were also taught how to lay out letters correctly, open and closed punctuation, the difference between yours faithfully and yours sincerely. This was also how I chose my business name. When I re-trained after a break I learned how to ‘word process’ – how to format, layout bullets, headings, insert tables. There is a huge difference between this and ‘keyboard skills’.
Over the years I have typed all kinds of documents; building tenders, legal contracts, correspondence, research papers, publications, medico-legal reports and more. Why would I not offer this is my main service? It was where I started, I’ve been doing it for years. I’ve typed on a manual typewriter, electronic typewriter, word processor, PC and now laptop. I’m good at it and, just as important, I enjoy it. Every piece of work is different, I may be typing a subject I am familiar with or I may be learning something new along the way.
And there it was – my ‘Duh’ moment!
And in with the new…
I have spent the last few weeks planning, writing and developing my new typing and document admin services. My logo and colour scheme have been freshened up and the website updated. There was only one question left to ask myself really – why on earth had it taken me so long to figure this out?