by Luisa Meistro, Systems and Operations Strategist, owner of Luisa Virtual Solutions
I’m Luisa, Systems and Operations Strategist based in Milan, Italy.
I have over eight years of experience in the luxury hospitality and travel industry. I support online service providers with tech and I help them streamline their operations and enhance their client experiences. By implementing efficient systems and processes, I help businesses all over the world increase productivity and customer loyalty.
The beginning of my Virtual Assistant journey
My experience as a VA started four years ago. At the time I was living in London, working for a big tour operator in Victoria, and having a busy commuting life, just like many other Londoners. Thinking back to those days feels like a thousand years ago. Was I happy? Was I satisfied with my life? Thinking about that now, I know I was just seeing my life passing by, not really living. Every day was the same, constantly living with stress, the busy tube, constantly running, not even sure for what, and I didn’t even have kids!
But then 2020 came and, like everyone in the world, I experimented working from home. In those difficult months, many times I found myself looking at the ceiling in my London room and thinking what am I doing??
My VA journey started like this. Started with the feeling of wanting something more. So I decided to pack my life up in four suitcases and book a one way ticket to Italy, my home country.
Don't be afraid to experiment
Fast forward to now, I have my own business that is thriving and I had the luck to work with dozens of business owners around the world. Of course it was not an easy journey, in fact it was much more like a rollercoaster.
In the early days I was doing a bit of everything (admin, social media, FB group management, podcast management, you name it) and these experiences were crucial for me. They gave me the opportunity to learn lots of things. I started out not knowing anything about this industry and having the possibility to experiment, learn and then choose what I enjoyed and what I was more capable of doing was absolutely important for me.
I slowly started to realise that I was good at the “techy stuff” so I decided to deep dive in that area and I became an expert in Systems and Operations.
Build strong client relationships from the very beginning
Word of mouth is very important in every business I think. With time I learned how to retain my clients, getting feedback, adjusting where necessary and making them come back to me.
If you are wondering… ok but how do you get clients? In my opinion, social media presence and networking are very important, but knowing how to nurture your existing clients, making them come back to you and making them refer you is even more important.
Do I make it sound super easy? Maybe, sometimes reading someone else's experience makes you think oh that’s easy! The reality is no, it wasn’t easy at all. Please do not trust who is saying otherwise! Launching a VA business is hard work, persistence, asking for help, constantly learning and being up to date with the always changing online world but, the good news is that it is doable.
If I did it, you can do it too
I am the perfect example. I did not know anything about it (I didn't even know what a hashtag was haha) but here I am today, I have my business, I can work from home, I can be here for my daughter and my family, and soon I’m launching a second business. Is it worth it? Hell yes!
The reason why I wrote this blog today is because if you are starting out, I hope my journey can be an inspiration to you, don’t give up, keep going and things will get better and your VA business will flourish.
If you want to have a chat about my experience, or about how I juggle life, family and the business I’m always super happy to talk about it!
You can get in touch with me via my website www.luisavirtualsolutions.co.uk
Luisa is the founder and owner of Luisa Virtual Solutions, she was born and raised in northern Italy and after lots of travelling around the world and 4 years in London, she decided to move back and settle down in Milan. She now lives there with her husband, her 2-year-old daughter and her 4-legged sister. Her passion for the travel industry and her experience in the luxury industry gave her a solid knowledge about delivering a unique client experience. She wanted to support her family but at the same time be able to work from home and be present for her little girl and that’s the only reason she worked hard to make her business successful.
Website: www.luisavirtualsolutions.co.uk
This blog was prepared by Luisa Meistro in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Kayleigh Johnstone, The Business-Savvy VA, or COZ PR.
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