10 Lessons I Learnt from 10 Years of Remote Work

Working remotely for the past decade has been an incredible journey. Through it all, I’ve learned valuable lessons that have shaped my career and my life. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned pro, these insights can help you avoid some of the pitfalls I encountered and make your remote work experience more rewarding. So, grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let me share with you the ten lessons I’ve learned from ten years of working remotely. Trust me, it’s been a wild ride and you are allowed to laugh at me in the comments or via email!

Don’t waste money on useless things

I have said this before and I will say it again, “Don’t waste your money buying things you do not (or may never) need!”. I made this mistake when I was starting out working remotely. I don’t know whether it was the thrill of “being my own boss” or I was just ignorant of what really mattered. Let me just tell you some of the things I blew some significant amount of cash on. I say, significant, because I only had saved for just about 3 months in the hope that my business would have taken off.

First thing I spent some money on was designing of my logo and stationery. Knowing what I know today, and as a tech person, I had no business hiring someone to do these things for me. And it cost me more than US$100! Tsk Tsk. Canva was not a thing at the time (2013) BUT there were a lot of resources I could have used to whip up a logo and even used MS Word or PowerPoint to design the stationery. What did I even need stationery designs for anyway? Sigh.

@mr.nouar

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♬ son original – Mr.Nouar

After getting so obsessed with my logo, I thought, I definitely need some business cards! “Design those and put them on my tab Mr. Graphic Designer!” And he did. Had my business cards with a QR code in at the back. I was proud of myself. I printed about 100 of them. “Woo! They will see me!” I thought.

The QR Code had to lead somewhere so I also got myself a pretty expensive Domain and Web Hosting service (which I later discarded to a more affordale one after my website got hacked). I don’t think the idea of getting a domain and hosting service was a bad one. I just didn’t choose the service provider wisely and it cost me for a good year!

Lastly, and this is the funniest of them all, I bought a printer! I am starting an online business, and I bought a printer. Not a scanner, ladies and gentlemen. A nice laser printer. I was burning through those savings like I had an ATM in my father’s backyard spitting 100s without a pin. Sigh!

Get training and coaching early

Just before I quit my job at the bank I had started following seasoned Virtual Assistants and Online Business Coaches who were providing some training programmes and opportunities for coaching and mentorship. BUT, I never signed up for any of these. I would only join the free webinars and I joined plenty. The moment they started selling their offers at the end I would leave. My rationale was, why pay for something I can get for free? Why pay for something I can google my way around or look up on YouTube?

It took me 3 years of shooting in the dark with no clarity around what I was doing with this online business thing before finally committing to hiring a coach. It didn’t have to take that long. But those are some of the consequences of pride, unfortunately. We lengthen seasons that were supposed to be short because we refuse to humble ourselves to learning under the guidance of someone else. We are not ready to be accountable to another who has walked the path we want to walk, acquired valuable training in it or both. The truth is, you don’t know what you don’t know.

The first coach I hired helped me make a serious mindset shift around many aspects of running an online business as a Virtual Assistant. She wasn’t a Virtual Assistant herself but her group coaching program included a Virtual Assistant whose lived experiences also helped me gain clarity and valuable insights around what I wanted to do. This coach helped me find the courage to take bold action in areas I was otherwise hesitant or fearful to take action for one reason or another, like social media or collaborating for podcast features. Since then, I have grown comfortable with investing time and finances in training, coaching and mentoring which have all helped increase my confidence in how I approach working remotely today.

Talk about what you do (often!)

So let’s rewind a bit here. When I was at the bank, I worked in an IT Office with restricted access and we were locked away from everyone else. We never had to go look for problems. Every day, users and their problems looked for us. I never had to call someone in Corporate Banking to ask, “Hey, are you guys processing loans well today?” Silence meant everything was fine, as far as I was concerned. If there was an issue, they would call. For us, it was a good time to resolve our very long and backed up Jira backlog and sort out other admin related issues in our office.

Now fast forward, I’m a VA and trying to get clients for my online business. I had no idea how to navigate talking about what I could do for the small businesses I wanted to work with. The thought would make have back-to-back anxiety attacks. I mean, if I have written on my LinkedIn profile and in my website that this is what I can do, why do I need to convince you to work with me? This is how my mind would work around this. And when people didn’t come I would grumble and complain and say how things were so hard and there were no opportunities.

I landed my first client after they found me on LinkedIn. But that client was not enough and what had worked to get this first one certainly was not working to land me the next. It was when my savings had run out I found the guts to tell a friend of mine what I was doing and she connected me to my next client. This client referred me to several more people and to this day I still talk about how most of the people I worked with as a Virtual Assistant and OBM I can link them to this one person.

And she used to be so annoyed by how I never wanted to plug in my services given all the opportunities at her networking events. It took me a pretty long time to get around doing it because it didn’t come naturally to me and I just didn’t know how. Today, I am happy to say, things have changed…a lot. I have gained a bit more confidence over the years in this area and the conversations have gotten easier.

Watch your dollars and cents and…reinvest!

Just because you’ve got money in the bank from your latest lucrative project doesn’t mean that you get to book that holiday to Dubai. Yes, I said it! It doesn’t mean you get to go to Queen of Hearts to splurge with your friends for the gram the following week. It doesn’t mean you get to book the next trip to South Africa to shop in Sandton. It doesn’t mean you have money!

And I was guilty of a lot of these things. Instead of investing in skills and knowledge development that would help me expand and polish up on my service offerings, I would (a lot of times) choose the next destination or passport stamp without even thinking about self-improvement. In my head, catching miles was enough self improvement. LOL!

If you are me, stop lying to yourself. The bottom line is, you’re running a business and business money is not your money. You need to pay yourself a salary. A common rule for business owners is to allocate 50% of business income to salaries (including yours), 30% to operating expenses, and 20% to savings and reinvestment.

So, based on this, if are a soloprenuer and you make $1000, the most you need to give yourself as a salary is $500. The rest? It’s for your business. Even though I eventually got to learn this, I still would behave waywardly and, every now and again, eat through that business money.

So if you want to earn a salary of at least $1000 from your online business, figure out how you are going to make about $2000. Otherwise, the only splurging you are going to enjoy is another course or marketing campaign that will directly benefit your business. Yes, business owners eventually learn to spoil themselves differently with software tools, networking events and coaching programmes. If you want to thrive as an online business owner, you need to have this discipline.

Find a community and build relationships

If you remember one thing from this blog post, let it be this: your network is your net worth. Remote work can be isolating, with just you, your computer, and maybe a cat walking across your keyboard. Yes, I have just described someone in my circle right there and I know she is going to come after me when she sees this :D

Early on, I felt like I was on an island, connected by the internet but lacking real human connection. Finding community is not just for the purpose of getting clients. Over the years I joined several groups on Facebook and LinkedIn filled with other virtual assistants and online business managers. These were my people. We shared tips, celebrated wins, and occasionally cried over some pretty difficult client relationships and scams. These were spaces were support was guaranteed.

Building relationships isn’t just about finding people who can help you. It’s also about being someone who helps others. Whenever I had knowledge or resources to share, I did so freely. That generosity always came back to me.

Attending virtual or in-person networking events, joining webinars, and participating in online courses opened up more opportunities to connect with like-minded professionals. These relationships became the foundation of my business and gave birth to opportunities that translated to both financial benefits and goodwill.

So, don’t go in it alone. Find your tribe. Whether it’s a Facebook group, a LinkedIn network, or an industry-specific forum, dive in. Be active, be engaged, and be generous. The connections you make will support you through tough times and celebrate with you during the good times. In the future world of work, and epecially remote work, community is key.

Learn to say No

In the early days, I was a “yes” machine. “Can you handle my emails?” Yes! “Can you manage my calendar?” Yes! “Can you organise my sock drawer?” Absolutely…not! I wish I had learned sooner that saying “yes” to everything doesn’t make you a superhero. It makes you overwhelmed, burnt out, and quite possibly, resentful.

Here’s the deal: every “yes” is a “no” to something else. It’s a “no” to your free time, your peace of mind, and sometimes even your sanity. I once had a client who referred me to a business owner who wanted made it very clear he did not want to pay me until he “tried out” my services and, in his own words, “Talk is cheap!” I initially agreed but as I was going home, I really thought about our meeting, and eventually declined to work with him.

As expected, he went off at me. On email! Immediately, I knew I had made the right decision. God knows my spirit wasn’t ready to commune with his. I was going to get out of that client relationship with a hypertension diagnosis, chronic anxiety and probably a chain of unpaid invoices.

And the world didn’t end! I’m definitely a recovering people pleaser who is trying to be more firm with my “No” and what I have learnt is that, clients respect me more because I set clear boundaries. You respect yourself more because you protect your time and energy. So, learn to say “no” early and often. Your future self will thank you.

Decide what your values are early on

Before you dive into the deep end of the remote work pool, take some time to figure out what really matters to you. Is it flexibility? Creativity? Making a positive impact? Personal growth? For me, I eventually established it was flexibility, personal growth and making a positive impact. I wanted to work on projects that excited me, with clients who shared my values. I wanted to travel and spend time with my family. But any freelancer will tell you that sometimes you are going to have to deal some of the absurd work requests you have ever seen in your life – just for the money.

I remember a few years ago, before the pandemic, I worked on a project that just left me hating my life. I used to feel like crying whilst doing it because I seriously hated everything about it. But I had not said “No” to the client and just went like, “Yes, I can do it” because I knew I could. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. The client was very condescending and he had a wild temper for no reason at all. I used to do his work so well and would even go above and beyond for him.

He always felt the need to try to tell me something multiple times but I would assure him that I would have heard him the first 3 times plus the very detail instructions he would have sent on email and Whatsapp. When I got pregnant, I finally mustered up the courage to tell him I could not work with him anymore. Yeah, my son wasn’t having it. LOL! He was so sad and started trying me to convince me to stay.

Let me just say, most people know what they are doing. I was done and we both eventually agreed to move on because, at least on my part, it was not a value-fit from the get go. Work has became more enjoyable and fulfilling when I got plugged in on my core values. So, decide what your values are and let them guide your choices. It makes all the difference.

Give as much as you want to receive

This one is simple but powerful. In the world of remote work, generosity goes a long way. Share your knowledge, offer help, and be supportive. Not just because it’s nice, but because it creates a positive cycle of goodwill (or good karma, whatever you want to call it).

I know I have shared some nightmare-ish client stories so far but I can tell you I have been blessed to work with some exceptionally lovely and kind people. And I am not saying this because they paid their invoices or followed SOPs. They were considerate, offered advice and feedback, they gave me time to learn and even referred me to their colleagues, friends and family. Because of these varied acts of kindness and consideration, I’ve made it a point to pay it forward. I mentor new VAs, share resources, and offer advice whenever I can.

Generosity isn’t just about money. It’s about your time, your expertise, and your kindness. And guess what? It always comes back to you in unexpected and wonderful ways. The more you give, the more you receive, and often in ways you never imagined.

Time is money. Value yours and others’

When you’re working remotely, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because you’re not commuting, you have all the time in the world. Spoiler alert: you don’t. Time is your most valuable resource, and how you manage it can make or break your business.

I used to work around the clock, whilst sitting at my parents’ dining room table or on my bed, thinking I was being productive. But in reality, I was just busy. There’s a difference. Being productive means getting the right things done efficiently. Being busy means running around like a headless chicken, which is not a good look for anyone.

Set a schedule, stick to it, and respect it. And for crying our loud, take breaks! You are not a machine. Also, respect other people’s time. If you have a meeting, be on time. If you promise a delivery date, stick to it. If you can’t stick to it for whatever reason, communicate it prior to manage expectations. Time is money, and valuing it shows professionalism and respect.

No experience is wasted

Finally, remember this: every experience, good or bad, is a learning opportunity. I’ve had my fair share of both, and each one taught me something valuable. That time my website got hacked? I learned the importance of cybersecurity and my next website was definitely secure for years until I decided to take it down. The client who was never satisfied? I learned how to set clear expectations from the get-go.

Even the odd jobs that seemed unrelated to my main business taught me skills I use today. So don’t discount any experience. Embrace it, learn from it, and let it shape you into the best version of yourself.

Working remotely as a Virtual Assistant, OBM, Consultant and now a Product Manager in tech for the past 10 years has been an incredible journey. I’ve made mistakes, learned lessons, and grown in ways I never imagined. If you’re just starting out or even if you’re a seasoned pro, I hope these lessons resonate with you and help you on your own journey. Now, go forth and conquer the remote work world – just don’t buy a printer (please!).