I am a mom to a 3-year-old and a 15-month-old. I wanted to find a career that would allow me to stay home with my little ones so they would not have to go to daycare and I would not have to work even harder to be away from them to afford daycare.

Through a corporate America coworker I was able to learn about being a Virtual Assistant and I decided to try it – it was either that or Medical Transcription. I was already enrolled in a Medical Transcription course but found out that it was taking a lot of my time away from my family as I had to listen through my headset and really could not have anyone around me while I was doing it. This lead to me working very late nights and weekends while working my 40 hours during the week.

After awhile this just didn’t seem like I was going to get anywhere fast. So after a few months and my youngest was born – I connected with my coworker after my maternity leave and asked her again – how are you working from home – what does this mean – do you think I can really do it? I would love to say that between April 29th and today that the rest is history – but it really isn’t. I have worked really hard and literally have worked almost 24/7 to get my work-at- home business launched and successfully running – which I am proud to say everything has paid off – my time – my dedication – my kids are around me 24/7 and my husband helps me when we can as much as he can while he works his 40 hour corporate job.

What is even more amazing is I have connected with other business owners who have all provided me with one helpful tool or advice along the way. I have taken what they have told me and implemented it to help me or another client — so we can take our businesses to the next level. I have clients comment that they are so grateful that they connected with me, I am too! (We are all learning!)

I would like to be considered as a winner of the Leading Moms in Business Competition to share with other Moms that YES you can do this. With a website and hours at your computer you can start with making nothing to reaching that $500 a month mark to passing that and averaging over $1,600 a month in less than a year. That is where I am at today. My recent goal was to bring in $1,500 a month — now I will shoot for $2,000. I just keep moving forward with each day, each week and each month. So much to learn but every little bit has helped me along the way and I am just really grateful and very appreciative for these opportunities that I have. I really owe a huge thank you to my clients for allowing me to help them with their businesses because it allows me to keep moving forward and stay home with my kids.

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I had heard about a virtual assistant opportunity but just didn’t think this was possible – could this be true – I can work from home and bring in money for my family – really?? I asked more questions of the person I heard this from, Tanya Watson from watsonva.com. She was also a co-worker of mine, she sat across from me as we both worked our corporate jobs and then we would both leave work – heading home and picking up our children from daycare on the way.

How could we have a different life?

Tanya introduced me to MomMasterminds (which was just re-branded to SoloMasterminds) and told me you can learn a lot through their resources, plus you can start out by offering 5 hours of work for $40 and start learning how to work for others. I said – okay – if that is what you suggest – I can definitely start there. It did take my business from April 29, 2009 when I purchased my domain until August 2009 to really “take off”. During that time I would gobble up as much information and ask as many questions as I could to help me learn and understand this new adventure more and more. I was still breastfeeding my then 6-month-old son, when I left my Corporate America job and was determined to make this work.

My first goal was $500 a month.

I reached that goal and thought… could I make more? Let’s shoot for $1,000 by December 2009, and I reached that goal. Then my goal was – okay how much can I work and just let the money flow in. At this point, I was working around the clock for clients and still managed to take care of my kids and even take a nap when they did, and I just kept moving forward. I have added to my skill set as time goes by and I believe that has been one important part of my success.

Additionally, I have had an amazing Life and Business Coach, Erica Rueschhoff who has helped guide me to this success. She first told me – you need to blog – I said about what? She said – in January 2010 – come up with topics you want to blog about and just get information out there. Share with others what you know and what you have learned. I said – Okay – I can do that. So I made a list of over 100 topics and started to write blog posts about those topics – I then created my first info-product Freebie guide.

Shortly after that I created EcommerceQueen.com with Erica’s coaching leading me through this adventure. I took what I learned and put it into writing and screenshots.

By February 2010, I was working with expert moms in all areas other than the area where my focus was – so at this point I started getting new clients through referrals and I haven’t looked back since. I enjoy what I do, and that is helping others achieve their passion  – they take care of their business and do what they enjoy and leave the rest to me to handle for them.

No matter what – Keep Moving Forward!

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Prof has requested that her students interview a VA assistant. I am truly looking forward to learning more about you and your business.

How did you decide to get into the virtual assistant business?

I wanted to stay home with my 2 kids and not have to pay for daycare or try to work nights while my husband worked his day job.

What have been the greatest rewards/challenges of owning your own business?

Rewarding – my kids are with me 24/7 except when my daughter goes to Preschool. My daughter will be in Kindergarten this fall all day and my son will start Preschool this fall (part time) but excited – because then I can focus more on my clients while they both are away. Challenges – at first – trying to get everything figured out. A bit of worrying of how I was going to contribute to paying family bills – been in the business for almost 3 years and now I have lots of faith and know next week – will be just fine. I haven’t marketed my business since Fall of 2009 because the referrals keep on coming in. Couldn’t be more happier and it is really rewarding – I am helping my clients with what they need and providing for my family too.

What is the main type of planning/work that your VA business requires?

My VA business is mainly focused on techie tasks. I have lots of tools and resources at my finger tips – so between my computer, software programs and other VAs I have met along the way – I can easily help almost any client with their requests.

What are the two or three most important reasons for the success of your business?

1. My family. Personal
2. This is my career. Professional
3. Reason for why I’m here – Passion of helping others

What advice would you give to me if I were to start a VA business someday?

Figure out what you like best and stick with it. I have done some tasks for clients when I first started because I didn’t know. You will do tasks that you won’t like – you swear you will never do them again – but you have to go through the life experiences so you can learn from them. I would not say there is anything I won’t do again – just prefer not to.

What are your plans, hopes, dreams, or goals for your business 5 or 10 years from now?

Goal in 5 years – to continue to help clients and provide for my family. Like I mentioned – I have been in business for almost 3 years and this year is definitely helping me and my husband reach one of our goals – get a house that we will live in for years to come. We have been moving for the past 3 years because he hasn’t been happy with his job or where we have been living – we just moved in August and found a house that we will be moving to in June – we couldn’t be more excited to get settled down. Without my career choice of being a VA and my very successful business and a huge THANK YOU to each and every one of my clients I have helped/served – we would not even be getting the house that we have had a vision for. Vision what you want and make that dream come true – because it really can happen.

If you had it to do all over again, what would you do differently this time for your VA business (if anything)?

As you can tell – right now – there is nothing I would do differently. I have been trying to figure out how to get a work at home career since my daughter was 6 months old – but it is a struggle to figure out the HOW.. you can read this and that online – but WHAT do you believe? It was really hard until my co-worker told me she was working from home plus doing her full-time job – so that’s when I asked LOTS of questions to grasp what she meant and now I understand and am loving what I am doing.

Do you recommend the business of virtual assisting? Why or why not?

Yes – I have helped 2 people to build a virtual assistant business. One decided it was not for her and another is working for a client that I work for as well. The best advice I can give is – try it out – don’t quit anything you are doing today – do it in addition to your full time or part time job then see how you like it and what you are doing. If you can give it more time – then great – because you will probably get more success out of it. I literally worked non-stop until March 2010 then decided – wow that’s enough working – I need to get boundaries and family time and now I have tried really hard to keep a balance between family and work. So far it is still a win-win.

Best of luck with what you do and Keep moving forward!
– Staci

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What an honor. Just found out I was nominated for 2012 Tastiest Brand Small Biz by Sara Duggan:

Jansma, Staci – http://stacijansma.com/

Sara says:
December 30, 2011 at 12:25 am

I enjoy so many small businesses it is difficult for me to choose just one. To narrow down my choices I will concentrate only on the ones I really benefited from in 2011.
I’ll nominate 4 businesses :

1. Staci Jansma http://stacijansma.com/ I met Staci in a forum and she has helped me on numerous occasions with tech stuff in regards to WordPress. I had the opportunity to hire her this month and she is just a great person to work with plus she is timely.

2. Syrendell http://www.syrendell.com This business is owned by husband and wife team Rick and Jennifer Tan. When you take a course from them it is like being with an old friend or family member. Very detailed instruction and you can tell they love what they do.

3. Michelle Shaeffer at http://michelleshaeffer.com/ I’ve known Michelle since meeting her on a mothering forum back in 2001. She started out doing webdesign and graphic design and has built a significant business for herself. [and her family] She loves what she does and enjoys teaching others. She’s done a number of projects for me and her customer service skills are top notch.

4. Kelly McCaussey at http://solosmarts.com Kelly has been around the wahm world for a while and it was in 2010 that I really started following her blog. I’ve learned so much from her and can’t recommend her enough to those seeking to really get past the ‘yuck’ out there to the real valuable stuff that will enable a mom to stay at home and earn an income.

Like I said it’s so hard to pick but these four really made an impression on me in 2011.

Thank you again Sara for the nomination.

If you would like to vote for the “2012 Tastiest Brand Small Biz” click here. Voting ends at midnight (Pacific time) on January 31, 2012. You may vote up to 3 times.

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Being a Virtual Assistant can be a Full Time Income!

Listen to the questions Stephanie asks me, where I share details of how StaciJansma.com started and where I am at…

The post Virtual Assistant Staci Jansma – in the Spotlight Interview at VirtualAssistantMoms.com – “Great Example to Watch & Follow” appeared first on Staci Jansma.

This is when I know I have support and it shows. Thank you for every vote and every comment and EVERY BLESSING – my family could not be any happier than we are right now because I can be home with my 2 kids while working to bring in what money we need. My daughter will beginning preschool in a few weeks which will start a new chapter for her – but I am ready for it! She will be able to socialize with others and I am proud to say – I can afford the monthly payment to send her to preschool and she can be friends with other 3-year-olds too!

I will leave you with these few comments from my page on StartUpNation:

STACI JANSMA, YOUR ONLINE 24/7 VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

August 28, 2010

Regina Baker says I *Heart* working with Staci Jansma. She’s smart, timely and very efficient with every thing that she does. Her communication is open and she keeps on top of things at all times. Her cheerful attitude and willing to do what it takes to get the job done is refreshing. Thanks Staci ~ you ROCK

August 28, 2010

Tanya Watson says Everyone has stated how great Staci is above. I just wanted to share I agree with everyone! She is more than “just a VA”, she’s a mom who honestly wants to raise her kids at home while making a comfortable living working from home. And she found her place here online. Staci, you ROCK! I put a blog post up asking more people to vote for you as well. You deserve this for sure!

August 28, 2010

Karen Murdock says As the contest draws to a close, Staci has made the following significant contributions to my business that I think should be included since I last wrote: Staci has assisted with the launch and promotion of our second edition book, revised our Media Kit, facilitated the release of our Documentary, transitioned our web-site and oversaw it’s re-development, distributed press releases and articles, managed our You Tube, Facebook, blog and Twitter accounts. To what result? Our Facebook Fan Page quadrupled, our Twitter followers doubled, our You Tube views increased by 40%, our web-site had visitors from 41 countries last month alone, our media links doubled, I’ve been booked for a speaking engagement, and we’ve been on Inside Edition twice!! I have yet to find anything that Staci cannot do or figure out while all the while showing courtesy, efficiency and enthusiasm.

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Looking at the calendar and I see that Leading Moms in Business will end in a 6 1/2 weeks. It is so great to read the support of those I have met online. I was asked a few months ago if you can develop relationships online – the answer is YES! Yes, you can.

I have one client that I have spoke with at least monthly on the phone, I have another client that we have never “TALK”ed on the phone but we can effectively exchange emails back and forth and understand what each is saying. I have realized that sometimes it is not easy to communicate what you want to say through an email but it does work between the right people.

Top 5 resources Staci is using:

1. Google – Gmail for emailing, Google Docs for Files, and Picasa for Pictures
2. Skype – with Pamela for Skype with wireless headset
3. Fast Dell computer
4. Business Coach, Erica Rueschhoff
5. ME! – my energy, attitude, knowledge and personality to keep moving forward

“GOTTA Have It” for my business:

1. OpenOffice.org/Google Docs – creating documents
2. Market Samurai – finding keywords, checking on competitors
3. Ninja Affiliate Plugin – connecting my affiliate links to my keywords used on my website
4. Gravity Forms – Really helps to add more to your website
5. StudioPress WordPress.org Themes – Love everything they offer

What are your must have resources/GOTTA HAVE It’s? Add a comment below.

Getting closer to hotter – which each click! THANK YOU!!

July 3, 2010

Diana Walker says Staci Jansma is one Phenomenal Lady! – She has helped me so much in my business, she is very proactive and I love that she will make suggestions, and also help me learn and understand what she is doing. Her support, knowledge, professionalism, and enthusiasm are absolutely exceptional. I would not be where I am without Staci’s assistance this past year and I am grateful to have found her! Staci deserves gigantic success and I know she is a shining star! Diana Walker

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I stumbled upon Leading Moms in Business – 2010 Competition through a newsletter that one of my client’s sent me. To learn more about a candidate takes a little bit of time. I wanted to answer 5 questions – so you knew who Staci Jansma was.

1. How did you become Staci Jansma – Your Online 24/7 Virtual Assistant? It was when I was talking with my business partner, Tanya at WatsonVA.com. She was helping me to get my business started, launched and she encouraged me to find a business name to identify myself and separate myself from others. A business name… ummm… so I thought what about Your Online 24/7 Virtual Assistant.
2. What is a typical day for Staci Jansma? Eat Breakfast – Work – Play with kids – Work – Lunch Time – Play with Kids – Supper Time. Finish up the day with any to-do list items and start review what will be done tomorrow.
3. How did you become a Giant Squid in January 2010? I joined Rocket Moms in August 2009 and learned that you can have great lenses with quality and focus. Have a Focused niche Lens. Create great quality content. Through Rocket Moms I had the vision of creating 50 quality lenses – as you can tell I have created over 50 quality lenses and applied at the end of December for Giant Squid. In January I received the email that I was granted Giant Squid title and each of my lenses now receives a special boost!
4. How are you known as WAHMCart Certified Virtual Assistant? I was trained by Co-Founder of WAHMCart.com, Regina Baker, and went through 4-5 weeks of training through each aspect of the Ecommerce Shopping Cart system including Autoresponder setup, Shopping Cart setup, Affiliate Program setup and integration with other systems (including Aweber and how to add WAHMCart to your WordPress.org website).
5. Why should I vote for Staci Jansma as Leading Moms in Business – 2010 Competition? As a work-at-home mom, I want to demonstrate to other moms with determination and by being focused you can do this too. I have so much I can share with others – I have added all my Business Tips on my blog at CreativeVirtualSpark.com/Blog and recently I launched EcommerceQueen.com – How To Guides – Shows You Step-by-Step How To Get Things Done Online. The individuals with the most vote – doesn’t mean that they will be a winner but it surely shows how much support they have In addition to the support — comments left by others is very encouraging and shows each contestant that their efforts have helped others. And that is truly rewarding!

June 12, 2010

Jenn says Staci does it all! I love how she hits the ground running every time. I don’t have to worry about things getting left behind or being incomplete. She always looks out for my best interests. Thank you Staci!

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The Leading Moms in Business – 2010 Competition can really help you to gain exposure. WHY you may ask? Because you can blog about it, create a Squidoo Lens about it, Share it on Facebook, Tweet about it, talk about it on a forum that you have been a member on. Just by sharing this you can see how many people will vote for you and if someone leaves a comment – you can read what they have to say about you, your experience of working with them, etc. It is awesome – to read what other’s have to say and just adds more value to you – because you know you are doing a great job! Kudos to all the contestants during the 2010 Competition – Best of Luck!

Have you voted today? You can vote here… http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-in-business/contestant/8479/index.php Again, Thank you!

June 8, 2010

Jendi says Staci has helped me with my business by doing work for me, but she helps even more by teaching me how to do the work. She has even passed on job leads to me. She truly cares and does her best. She amazes me how much she gets done.

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I wish all contestants the best in the Leading Moms in Business Competition. The competition ends 8/31/2010. Which means you can keep voting each day to show your support. The amount of votes doesn’t determine the winner – but sure helps to boost each contestants confidence – especially when wonderful comments are being shared about what you have helped others with. [ P.S. WOOT! WOOT! – Getting Warmer!! :o) ]

June 4, 2010Karen Murdock says Contestant Staci Jansma has made a huge impact on my business from every aspect: press releases, web-site content and appearance, article distribution, social media avenues, book sales and even a gorgeous media kit that she created! Her organizational skills, professionalism and abilities make her a valuable and MUCH appreciated part of our team.

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