‘Frankenstein’ Businesses: Why They Fail Fast

"Start before you're ready."

It sounds empowering, doesn't it? And in some ways, it is.

When you are up to your elbows in your own business, the simple act of taking action matters - as does bravery.

But here’s something I know about the Virtual Assistant industry right now: too many people have taken that motto and used it to justify building businesses that lack structure, strategy, or understanding.

In an attempt to try to save money, they will cobble together a business using random advice found in Facebook groups or cyberspace in general. They will copy what they see another VA doing, or what they have been told to do, without questioning why - or whether it actually fits their own situation, skills, or goals.

At VA Institute, we call this ‘Frankensteining’ your business, because it’s a business that’s stitched together from a mishmash of parts, but unfortunately it is missing the essential ingredients for success: real strategy, a clear heart, and any real chance of standing the test of time.

And no matter how much someone might tell themselves otherwise, it shows.

When you launch without foundations, you launch into chaos.

Here’s what we commonly see with ‘Frankenstein’ businesses:

• No clarity around the type of services they could or should offer (the 'low hanging fruit' we help identify when individuals come through our programs)

• Little to no idea about how to price their services beyond copying others, or relying on advice from a well-meaning 'entrepreneurial' friend who has little to no understanding of the industry

• No real understanding of who their ideal clients are - or where to even begin finding them

• No processes, no systems, no professional documentation or agreements to run the business properly

• No professional presence - sometimes not even a basic website to direct potential clients to

• No plan, no strategy, and no real sense of what they are trying to build

This is not entrepreneurship. It is wishful thinking at best - and at worst, it is a disaster waiting to happen.

Whilst the idea of establishing and running a home-based Virtual Assistant business might look like a walk in the park to the uninitiated, the reality is very different.

Building a business is not a craft project. It is not about piecing together random bits of free information and hoping it holds. It requires clarity, strategy, and deliberate action based on a real understanding of what you are building - and why.

Without this, the statistics are pretty brutal, and most ‘Frankenstein’ businesses fold within the first 12 to 18 months - not because the person building it was not capable, and not because the industry lacks opportunity.

It is because a business without foundations simply cannot support growth, stability, or long-term success.

At VA Institute, we are unapologetic about this. We know what it takes to build real businesses - and it is not copying someone else's setup or undercutting pricing to win clients (which is a false economy), and it is certainly not hoping success will magically land in your lap from a Facebook group post.

It is about learning - and implementing - the real foundations:

• What you stand for;

• What services you are truly offering;

• How to price with confidence;

• How to find and connect with your ideal clients;

• How to set up systems that support growth;

• How to position yourself as a professional business from day one.

If you are serious about building a business - not just dabbling in a hobby - you need more than enthusiasm.

You need foundations.

You need a framework.

You need the discipline to build properly, even when it would be easier to throw something together and hope for the best.

We are not interested in short-term wins. We are here to build long-term success stories.

That is why we focus so strongly on foundations at VA Institute.

And if you are reading this thinking, "Maybe I have ‘Frankensteined’ my business a bit..." - good... because awareness is the first step towards real change.

It is not too late.

You can rebuild.

You can get it right.

And you can create something you are truly proud of - something that will stand strong while others fall away.

But you must be willing to do the real work!!

Stop 'Frankensteining' your business.

Start building something that lasts.

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Not sure where to begin?

Get in touch with us at VA Institute, and we can help you take your next logical step towards business success as a Virtual Assistant.