We were lucky to catch up with Shelby McQuistion recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Shelby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The idea really formed when a family member started doing virtual assisting. I watched her grow and become very busy over a short amount of time. She couldn’t stop talking about how much she loved her job! I have been a Registered Nurse for over 8 years and have been SO burnt out in healthcare. I knew I wanted a job that I could continue to help others, but I wanted to create a business that allowed me more freedom and flexibility to be with my family. I’ve always loved marketing and supporting small businesses! This really drove me to market myself toward small businesses that need an affordable helping hand.

As a small business owner, I know that it can be difficult to wear all the hats necessary to be successful. I wanted to create a company and environment that’s focused on helping other business owners with tedious or overwhelming tasks. This allows them more time to focus on the things they love about their business, without the stress. By creating that time, they can put more into delivering valuable service or content that sells. I think that’s where I truly get the most enjoyment – watching other business grow and become more successful just by being that extra hand they needed.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Shelby. I’m a mom of two beautiful little girls and wife to my husband, John. I grew up in South Dakota and have been a Registered Nurse for over 8 years, with the last 5 years as a pediatric nurse. My passion for helping others started at a young age and drove me to choose the nursing profession. While I LOVE being a nurse, it is truly one of the most mentally and physically demanding professions – which, in turn, leads to burn out – add a pandemic and it’s a recipe for disaster. I started this business not only to continue helping others but to also allow me the freedom and flexibility to be home with my kids more.

Everyone knows the feeling of not having enough hours in the day! I wanted to be able to create relationships with small business owners to help them thrive and succeed. When I take care of tasks they either can’t stand doing or take up too much time, it allows them to put their time and energy into the parts of their businesses they love. By doing this, my hope is that I’m granting my clients less stress, more time, and opportunity to scale their business.

While working together, I love when clients can feel my passion and drive to make their lives easier. I want them to be confident in saying that I was personable, knowledgeable, and overall improved their lives. Whether it’s helping clients update inventory, answer emails, handle social media platforms, or manage their calendar – I want them to have no doubt that they saw a financial and mental benefit from us working together. I know all too well how to feels to be burnt out from the job you are doing day-to-day. It’s draining! If I can prevent that from happening for others, I know I made the right choice in this career change. 

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Instagram and client referrals!

I cannot begin to explain how important it is to put out helpful and engaging content on social media. By doing this, I gained about 100 organic followers within a month.

Client referrals are also EVERYTHING! I’ve gained some of the best clients by word-of-mouth. The biggest compliment you can give a business owner is a referral to someone that could use their services.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Creating great relationships with current clients who then refer their small business friends is the most effective (and rewarding!) way to grow. I think it’s so important to have an open line of communication and to stay true to the vision I have. I’m not afraid to take on new tasks that I’ve never done before – some of the best/most successful projects I’ve had are on things I’ve never done. You can’t say you’ve done it, until you’ve done it! So, you might as well step out of your comfort zone and give it your best shot!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.modernlymanagedva.com
• Instagram: @modernlymanagedva
• Facebook: Modernly Managed Virtual Assistant

Image Credits
Branding Photos: Nicole Marie Photography Sioux Falls, SD Family Photo: The Photography Shoppe Sioux Falls, SD