The importance and value of belonging to a monthly membership community

If you want your VA business to be a success, there are certain things you need to do. You need to be visible, you need to focus on continued professional development, and you need to get the right support in place for you.  I also think you need a community around you – be that other Business Owners, other Virtual Assistants, a group of friends that you can have a glass of wine, fizz or even gin with. This is where a monthly membership community comes into its own. It enables you to tick all of those things, as well as giving you the support and tools you need to grow your business.

It’s for those reasons I created the VACT monthly membership community – the VA Membership. But if you’ve never been a part of a business community, the idea of joining one may feel a little overwhelming. After all, there are free options out there, so why should you opt for a paid one?

Here’s a rundown of the importance and value of belonging to a monthly membership community.

Know you’re not alone

You’ll often find that a free membership group is a non-niche-specific dumping ground for everyone’s promotional adverts. Everyone in there is inevitably looking to just promote and move on – they’re not interested in supporting anyone else.

A monthly membership community, on the other hand, is more regulated. They’re niche-specific, and everyone in the group is there to grow and learn. You’re not alone and there’s plenty of support, training and advice available to help you do the same. The beauty of a VA group like the VA Membership is you’re all on a similar journey – you can help others and be helped yourself, no matter what stage your business is at. 

A monthly membership community can help you step up

If you’re shy, introverted, unsure of your skills, a monthly membership community can help you step up – I deliberately designed the VA Membership to be a “safe space” for members to be able to talk honestly, openly and freely with each other. I wanted to ensure members never feel lost or insignificant. 

A monthly membership community can hold you accountable to your goals and ambitions. They hear you when you talk, they encourage you to grow and they’re more active in showing their support. You can get tailored help and support when you need it and, when you’re ready to step up and implement that advice, you’ll have your own group of cheerleaders to encourage you on.

How to find the right community for you

If you want to benefit from a community, you need to be active in it – and you’ll only do that if you’ve chosen the right community for you. So opt for the one that gives you what you need. If you’re after support and advice, choose a monthly membership community. If you’re after somewhere you can just promote and run, opt for a free group.

The key is to not spread yourself too thin. When you join a group you’re joining something you should be able to benefit from being a part of. If you’re looking to promote and run, you’ve got no intention of being a part of a community. If you’re looking to grow as a business owner and a VA, you need to be in a community that you feel comfortable enough to contribute to. That’s why I encourage new signups within the VA Membership to not just hide lurking in the shadows – be an active part of it!

How to maximise the benefits of a monthly membership community

Joining a community is the first step. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of whichever monthly membership community you’ve decided to join:

• Don’t spread yourself too thin. Pick 2 or 3 VA related groups, as well as 2 or 3 business ones (based on your ideal client niche or your geographical area) – be this in person, on Facebook, LinkedIn or another community software. 
• Be active in the communities you’re a part of – become a valued member of the community.
• Get involved – don’t lurk! Ask questions, take part in themed days and share your experiences.
• Use the VA groups to help you foster awesome relationships with other VAs, get the training and support you need, and to be of value to others in your VA community.
• Use the business groups as your fish ponds. These are the groups you hang around in, to foster relationships with your potential clients. You can search for conversations to add value to, answer any questions that you can, and grow your visibility within your ideal niche.  (Yes, I really did describe a free group as a fish pond – choose where you spend your time fishing wisely – but don’t be the “flying fish” jumping in and out of ponds – instead be there for 3-6 months and if after that time you don’t get a nibbles – move on!)

How to be successful

If you want your VA business to be a success, there are certain things you need to do. You need to be visible, you need to focus on continued professional development, and you need to get the right support in place for you.

A monthly membership community, such as the VA Membership enables you to have all of those things and more. It’s what makes them so important and valuable to the community within them.  The great thing with the VA Membership, it has a pay monthly option – so if you join us and after a month you decide that it’s not for you – you can cancel your membership and there are no hard feelings.