LeapFrog Creations!

So, for the last year I've been doing research on what a virtual assistant is and what it takes to be one.  When I changed jobs in May my boss asked me if he could hire me as a 1099 employee or as a contractor.  I agreed. Since I'm working only part-time I've been trying to get something going on the side at home.  This worked out great for me when he even agreed to pay me more if I agreed to it.  Now, I have my own business and I'm trying to make it grow.

Friday my husband and I drew up plans to build our garage/storage area into an office/storage area so I can build the company.  I love working in Real Estate and I love doing paperwork.  I am NOT a sales person so I wouldn't use my license to sell houses, but I love doing the other side and helping with everything else. 

Right now, I work for a company and help them with all of their paperwork.  They haven't had an office manager for more than 2 years so my work is cut out for me.  The 8 agents I assist are all very behind with the details of business.  I've found money that has never been paid to our company, organized the files, found missing documents, cleaned up the office, created statistics, connected all payments to transactions, generated listings, and more.  I work in their model home so I've even helped them get more walk-in traffic.  (I'm hoping it will pay off with commissions soon!) I enjoy it so much.  The agents are great and very nice.  My Brokers are easy to work with and very understanding of my need to be home sometimes. 

Now, the plan is to find other offices that will let me do the same for them.  I'd like to have computers in many offices with Skype on them so I can "be available" to help agents all over Utah.  Then I'd like to expand to other States and have Licensed Assistants, Transaction Managers, and Office Managers working virtually from home.

Mom's need to be home.  Since I had to go back to work after my divorce I've been trying to find a way to be home.  Then when I met and married the most wonderful man in the world I've been trying to find a way to have the best of both worlds and be home while working.  The best way
to start a business is to have an excellent support system.  I have that now and I'm raring to go!

Yesterday I met with a mentor at the Women's Business Center and I'm totally excited!  She loved my ideas and gave me tons of advice and information on how to make it work and how to get a loan.  For the next two weeks I'll be working on my Business Plan.  Ug!  I need to get a loan so I can get a new computer, scanner/copier/fax, build out the office, and do some marketing.  Would be nice if I could somehow make this thing work so I could hire an accountant, legal advisor, IT person, and Web person!  Wish me luck!

The ultimate goal of LeapFrog Creations?  To have a Virtual Assistant network across the nation, to help other people achieve the goal of owning their own business, and to have a commercial space here with several different types of offices for individual businesses.  LeapFrogVA is only the first of many businesses under the umbrella of LeapFrog Creations!  Onward and Upward!!