A Reflection on the Ups and Downs of a Startup

Celebrating the One Year Anniversary of CB Virtual Assistant - A Reflection on the Ups and Downs of a Startup

It feels surreal to be writing this post - CB Virtual Assistant is now officially one year old! It has been a rollercoaster of a year, filled with unexpected twists and turns, but we have come out on the other side, stronger and more determined than ever. In this post, we want to take a moment to reflect on our journey so far - the ups and downs, the challenges we faced, the lessons we learned, and most importantly, what we are yet to learn.

We were business partners bursting with excitement

When we first launched CB Virtual Assistant, we were bursting with excitement and optimism. We knew that we had a great service, and we were confident that there was a manager, business owner, a team in need of our support. However, the reality of running a startup quickly set in. We had to wear multiple hats - website designer, B2B marketer, accountant, policy maker, contract writers and more. We worked long hours, often sacrificing weekends and evenings, to ensure that we stayed on track. And while there were moments of doubt and uncertainty, we never lost sight of our goal - to build a successful business that would help other business owners, entrepreneurs, team managers succeed.

Finding clients wasn’t easy

One of the biggest challenges we faced during our first year was finding clients who we fit with and who fit us! We quickly realised that building a great service was only half the battle - we needed to get the word out and convince people to give us a chance. We experimented with various marketing strategies, from social media ads to content marketing, and while some worked better than others, we learned that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each business is unique, and each customer has their own preferences and needs. The key is to keep testing, iterating, and refining until you find what works for you.

Limited resources was a challenge we had to navigate

Another challenge we faced was managing our finances. As a bootstrapped startup, we had limited resources and had to be extremely conscientious to our spending. We learned to prioritise our spending, to focus on what was essential, and to always keep an eye on our cash flow. These lessons have been invaluable, and we now feel confident in our ability to manage our finances as we continue to grow.

We thrive on positive testimonials and positive reviews

Despite the challenges, there were also many highlights during our first year. One of the most rewarding experiences was hearing from our customers and seeing how CB Virtual Assistant had helped them save time and streamline their workflows. We received glowing testimonials and positive reviews, which gave us the motivation to keep going even when things were tough. We also learned the importance of community and networking. By reaching out to other entrepreneurs and small business owners, we formed valuable connections and gained new insights into the challenges and opportunities of running a business.

In the past year alone we have worked with the British Basketball League who are reaching new heights, Seventeen Seconds Ltd who are educating NHSE colleagues about very important lessons in Culture and Health Inequalities, Teki Health who are enabling healthcare professionals to deliver exceptional medical services nationally, Limbo who are revolutionising the weight loss industry by developing a software to aid in natural weight loss, and finally, Essex Health Care and Support who have expanded their service offering to Scotland. We are so honoured to have partnered with these organisations in the work they do!

We are proud of what we have achieved in a short time

Looking back on the past year, we are immensely proud of what we have achieved with CB Virtual Assistant. We have built a service, partnerships, connections that we believe in, and we have a growing community of loyal clients who share our vision. However, we also know that there is still much more to learn and much more growth to come. In the year ahead, we plan to continue to innovate and evolve, to listen to our client’s feedback, and to stay true to our mission of helping small business owners and entrepreneurs succeed.

We are excited for what the future holds and grateful for the support and encouragement we have received along the way. Here's to another year of growth, learning, and building a better future for small businesses everywhere!