Why Investing in a Mentor is Crucial for New Online Business Owners

When you're starting a Virtual Assistant business, it's easy to get stuck in your own head. You watch free YouTube videos, binge a few podcasts, maybe scroll Pinterest for the tenth time. And even though you’re taking in all that information, you’re still not moving forward.

You might be asking: Do I really need a mentor to build this business?

No. You can technically figure this out on your own.

But if you want to build a Virtual Assistant business that’s profitable, sustainable, and actually gives you the freedom you’re craving—not two years from now, but right now? You need more than trial-and-error.

You need a mentor who has the map.

What Mentorship Actually Looks Like

When most people hear the word “mentor,” they picture something kind of vague—like a coach or teacher or maybe even a group project from university that nobody wanted to lead. But let me tell you: mentorship in the online business space is nothing like that.

Mentorship isn’t about someone patting you on the head and cheering you on from the sidelines. A mentor is someone who’s been exactly where you are—who’s built a Virtual Assistant business from scratch, made the mistakes, tested the strategies, and figured out what actually works. And then? They hand you the map.

That’s the biggest difference between mentorship and all the free content floating around the internet. A coach might give you general direction. A mentor says: “Here’s the exact route I took. Here’s what worked. Here’s what I’d do differently. And here’s how to make it work for you based on your goals, your lifestyle, and your vision.”

A coach has a compass. A mentor has a map. And if you already know your destination—freedom, flexibility, a business you love—you need the map.

And here’s something else most new VAs don’t realize at first: This industry doesn’t operate like the corporate world.

You might be coming from a job where the expectations are clear, the processes are handed to you, and someone else sets the deadlines. That’s not how the online business space works.

When you become a Virtual Assistant, you’re not just changing jobs—you’re stepping into entrepreneurship. And that shift? It can be jarring. In the corporate world, you’re taught to wait for direction, to follow protocol, to check off tasks and stay in your lane.

But in the VA industry, success comes from showing initiative. From learning how to market yourself. From creating offers, setting boundaries, and deciding what kind of business you want to run.

And let’s be real: that’s a whole lot easier to figure out with someone by your side who’s already done it.

Too many new VAs treat their business like a job application. They underprice themselves. They wait for someone to give them permission. They try to figure it all out with scraps of advice from podcasts and Facebook groups. And then they wonder why nothing’s working.

It’s not because they don’t have the skills. It’s because no one ever taught them how to run a VA business.

That’s what a mentor gives you.

Someone to break down the unspoken rules of this space. Someone to help you understand what clients actually care about. Someone who can look at your offers, your prices, your marketing and say: “Here’s how to shift that so it actually converts.”

It’s the kind of guidance you can’t get from a checklist or a free workbook. It’s tailored to you—and it’s the fastest way to stop guessing and start building something real.

Let’s look at the 3 ways mentorship helps you treat your VA business like the career move it is—with clarity and confidence, not just a side hustle.

1. Mentorship Compresses Time and Clarity

One of the biggest benefits of mentorship is time compression. When you're figuring things out on your own, it's easy to get stuck in research mode—reading every blog post, watching endless tutorials, trying to piece together a business plan with no real direction. It can take months—or years—of spinning your wheels before you see real progress.

Mentorship removes that guesswork. Instead of wondering where to start, what to prioritize, or how to land your first client, you're handed a proven plan by someone who's already built a successful Virtual Assistant business. They show you how to skip the fluff and focus on the exact strategies that actually work—so you can move faster, with less stress, and more confidence in every step you take.

2. Mentors Give Feedback That Moves You Forward

When you’re learning alone, you don’t know what you don’t know. You can tweak your pitch 10 times and still wonder why no one’s booking a call. Or post on Instagram for weeks without a single inquiry and have no idea what to change. Without feedback, you’re just guessing.

A good mentor removes that uncertainty. They’ll look at your emails, your pricing, your workflows, and give you clear, actionable suggestions based on real experience. Not only that—they’ll explain why it matters. This kind of feedback speeds up your learning curve, sharpens your instincts, and gives you the confidence to charge more, speak up more, and run your business like a pro.

And unlike courses where you get a template and figure it out on your own, mentorship gives you the chance to actually ask, “Am I on the right track?” and hear, “Yes, and here’s how to make it even better.”

3. Accountability Isn’t Just Helpful—It’s What Keeps You Going

Motivation is great… for the first week. But when things get hard—or boring or overwhelming—it’s easy to drift. You start skipping work sessions. You delay launching your offer. You tell yourself you’ll “start fresh next month.”

Mentorship solves that. Because a mentor doesn’t just give you encouragement—they hold you to what you said you’d do. They check in. They ask questions. And they remind you why you started in the first place. That kind of accountability can be the difference between a business that stalls out and one that actually takes off.

Inside the VA Accelerator, we call it your accountabilibuddy. It’s more than a cute phrase—it’s a lifeline for women building their businesses while juggling everything else. And when you know someone’s watching out for your goals? You show up differently.

Mentorship Doesn’t Just Grow Your Business—It Grows You

Building a VA business is about becoming the version of yourself who confidently offers premium services, lands ideal clients, and builds something real. Mentorship helps you become that version of you faster.

You’re not just looking for a plan. You’re looking for someone to help you stay the course, correct your blind spots, and build a business that actually works.

And that’s exactly what a great mentor does.

If you’re serious about building your Virtual Assistant business and want someone in your corner who’s actually done this before, I invite you to sign up for my email list. I send weekly encouragement, practical tips, and real talk about how to start and grow your VA business—right to your inbox.

No fluff. No fluff. Just real strategy, support, and the push you’ve been waiting for.