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I’m super excited to be sharing a guest post from a recent graduate of the Making It Pay Lifestyle Course, Carol Agate! So, without further ado, learn how Carol is Making It Pay one side hustle at a time and read to the end to find out where you can find her (and her businesses)…
How many of you have had a desire to start your own business but think, “I have so many ideas or things that I love” or “If I start this (fill in the blank) business, I bet it could morph into a “sister business” but do I want to have two businesses?” Well, that is where I have been living these past months.
I knew that in a few years I wanted to start my own business where I could work from anywhere. My husband, who is 10 years my senior, is retired. We have children close by and children who live out of state. We also wanted to begin traveling a bit more. I was working an almost full-time job as a Paralegal and expecting to do so for the next 2-3 years.
I thought I had time to make the move from Employee to Self-Employed. BUT a funny thing happened on the way to my plan. My hours and salary were cut and it appeared that in a few short months a second cut was coming.
After the first cut in hours and pay, I wracked my brain to see what I could do. I ultimately wanted to go the route of Virtual Assistant but felt an urgency to do something more tangible, so I decided on another business.
But before I get to that, I decided to take a class that would teach me the ins and outs of owning my own business.
This class and coach guided me as to how to get a domain, an email, a website, and also learn the basics of Social Media promotion etc. (Of course I currently work for an attorney so forming an LLC was an easy task for me). My coach answered my questions and helped me see the value in what I could offer, to showcase my skills and abilities.
Through each step, the class and coach have been a valuable asset in creating the businesses that I now own.
Which leads me to business number one. I am a highly organized person. It is the way I think and live and it really has been this way all of my life. I also went to business school and have an affinity for the office. So I put those together and began “Organize My Offices.”
I specialize in efficiency and productivity as well as making all of that look great. I have done a few jobs including the Law Firm where I currently work, a Home Business, a Small Business with a Home Office, as well as a Home Office that is not a business but a place to pay bills and keep track of the family’s finances.
Even as this business is getting off of the ground it isn’t where I ultimately want to be as this business ties me to where I live. But it is something I enjoy and want to grow.
A few months later, I decided to take the plunge and start my second business.
I recently launched ASVirtually. It turns out that being an Office Organizer and a Virtual Assistant go hand in hand as it gives me the ability to help my clients think through the process as I assist them in whatever tasks they need for me to handle.
I love all things administrative as well as working in the world of documents, calendars, and contracts. I am also learning the nuances of social media, SEO’s, and all things digital. I believe more and more businesses will see not only the need for Virtual Assistants but reap the cost benefits of hiring one.
I will continue to work very part-time as a Paralegal as well as both of these side hustles. I will schedule office organizing jobs when I am in town and pursue my Virtual Assistant business while in AND out of town. Which gives me the best of three worlds, not just two!
Side hustles are the name of the game, most do not take a huge investment but instead, give you the opportunity to dream big or small depending on your stage of life.
What about you? What do you love to do? Do you love more than one thing? Think outside the box and come up with a plan to turn the things you love into a side hustle or two, make some money and have some fun along the way.
If I can do it, I bet you can too!
Carol Agate is the owner of Organize My Offices and ASVirtually. Be sure to visit her websites! You can find her on Instagram – @oraganizemyoffices @asvirtually and Facebook – OrganizeMyOffices and ASVirtually.
