As we enter a New Year, it’s always a great time to reflect on the past year. 2022 was quite the rollercoaster year for Spero Solutions. Filled with ups and downs including business progression and personal stress, many lessons were learned. 

At the start of 2022, most of the UK seemed to be running on empty. The backlash of the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdowns, and the constant uncertainty of our future took its toll on many. 

It meant bringing in the New Year didn’t come with the same level of renewed energy it usually would… For business owners especially, the start of 2022 was a difficult time. But through adversity comes strength and adaptability. 

Spero Solutions refocused its priorities

In 2022, the Spero Solutions business grew more than any other year since establishing in 2018. Even through a difficult period of uncertainty and changes.  

This was down to many business owners realising during the lockdown period that virtual working was growing and as a society, we would never return to ‘normal’. Business owners needed to adapt their way of working and became more open to outsourcing to virtual assistants, instead of the traditional hiring route. 

Alongside this, many office teams faced redundancies during the pandemic, so virtual assistants helped to bridge the gap where a permanent employee once existed. As it’s a lower risk and comes with reduced costs over hiring employees, virtual assistants became more appealing. 

Focusing on the Virtual Business Manager (VBM) service, we brought on several new and exciting clients to work with on a deeper level. Like Spero Solutions, many other businesses changed the way they operate to accommodate for the changing needs of their customers. 

Our specialty of implementing systems and processes to make you more profitable grew in popularity. With change comes a need for robust systems and processes – that’s where we come in. We specialise in working with business owners to prepare for growth and to keep up with new technology. 

Building a team

As the demand grew for the VBM service, I realised it was time for my own virtual assistant to help with the day-to-day running of Spero Solutions. That freed up my time to focus on working with clients who needed one-on-one support. 

Hiring another virtual assistant – even as a virtual assistant myself – allowed me to grow the business even more. It gave Spero Solutions a wider range of expertise and allowed us to work with more clients.   

This proves that even an organised business owner like me, who enjoys business development, can benefit from a helping hand. The headspace that comes with handing over certain tasks is invaluable. It was great to experience this first-hand, experiencing what my clients usually do when we work together. 

Personal and professional development

When your business grows, it’s important to surround yourself with clear goals. The business growth Spero Solutions experienced was helped by joining a business coaching programme. It gave me the plan and focus to set my eyes on those juicy goals. 

Business coaching programmes are great accountability to stop making excuses and start taking action. Everything I’ve been planning to do finally saw the light of day – no more development plans on a dusty shelf.

The best laid plans…

Sometimes, even the best laid plans can go awry. Just as my business growth was on a steady upwards trajectory and everything was going well… my brother was in a very serious accident. We nearly lost him.

With that devastating call, I immediately travelled to Sydney to be by his side. In a time of personal tragedy, I left my business behind. Luckily, after a very frightening number of weeks in a coma, my brother’s in recovery now.

So, could my business run without me? Spero Solutions was almost at this point, but not quite. It didn’t run at full capacity without me, but it also didn’t come crashing down around my ears. Instead of staying on a path of growth, I chose to downscale temporarily. 

Through open and honest conversations, I parted ways with some clients as I couldn’t give my best to them. Other clients reduced their workload during this difficult time. 

Grateful for solid relationships

During this time of reflection on the eventful year of 2022, I feel grateful for so many things.

Understanding clients meant I could have time to process what was happening. Without a solid network of people around me, it would have been a much different outcome.

I’ve had a huge lesson in resilience but the most stand-out thing to me is having great people around. Having a team of A-Players, teamed with great systems and processes, really is the recipe for a successful business – even when the worst happens. 

It’s made me appreciate how many amazing people I’m surrounded by. It makes me feel part of something special and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who’s supported me through 2022. 

Building a business that runs without you

One key lesson through all that happened in 2022 is the importance of having great systems and processes in place, so your business can run without you if needed. For many business owners, this feels like an unachievable goal. But trust us – it’s more than possible! 

Spero Solutions can help you to build a business that can operate no matter what happens. 

The lessons from last year have given me a focus on not just helping clients to achieve this, but also making my own business bullet-proof for the future. 

Work with Spero Solutions in 2023 to grow your business

Spero Solutions will continue to go from strength to strength in 2023. We can now happily take on more clients for both Virtual Business Manager and Virtual Assistant services. 

Are you unsure where to start when it comes to hiring to a VA? Read our guide on preparing your business to delegate to a VA here.

If you want to grow your business this year, get in touch to start the process.