Sandra Lewis turned her experience of living and traveling abroad into a business, Worldwide 101. She has built a team of virtual assistants from around the world to provide administrative and customer support services in multiple languages to companies across the globe.  

What made you decide to start a home business?

After working internationally for 20+ years, and traveling the globe extensively, I decided to start my own business.

I wanted to be able to use my corporate experience and the skills I had acquired and yet not have the stress of a daily commute, the extensive traveling, office politics, and difficult bosses!! I also really wanted to find a way to continue to work internationally while living locally, and working from home! 

Why did you start the business you did?

I started a virtual assistant business because I thought it would be such a thrilling and rewarding experience to get to know global entrepreneurs and business owners, and to learn about their business and help them succeed. I have always been very active and find it difficult to sit still. I like to find creative solutions, and improve processes, and while I work from home it was imperative that I continue to find the same level of motivation, and interest in the work I was doing. What better way to do that than to work with equally ambitious and successful business owners? While Worldwide101 started offering purely administrative support, we have grown to now extend our services to pretty much anything a small business owner might need to free up their time.

The versatility of our team, and our ability to provide talent at a fraction of an employee’s pay, has allowed us to expand dramatically in the recent years. 

What steps did you take to get started?

I just got started! I know this sounds funny, but it doesn’t take much to start a home business as a Virtual Professional since there is no actual investment except for your time, an internet connection, and a reliable computer. I truly believe that success lies in consistency, tenacity, hard work, and surrounding yourself with highly competent people who complement your skills. Once I decided that I wanted to work from home, I spent months researching and building a company that would thrive in a home environment. 

How did you get your first customer/client?

I posted on different blogs, forums, and job sites, and my first client read one of my posts and called to find out what I could do for him. 

How do you market your home business?

The very best marketing tool is referrals. Worldwide101 puts a huge emphasis on providing the highest quality service possible, and in turn our customers are walking testimonials! We also write guest blog posts, and look for ways to contribute as experts for different publications. 

What are your biggest challenges?

We are constantly looking to onboard new team members, and finding talent takes a lot of effort! There is still a misconception of what working from home truly is and Worldwide101 takes it very seriously. We have an extensive and comprehensive interview process, along with psychometric testing, and we expect a very high level of professionalism. We look for individuals with extensive work experience, and who have made a conscious decision to work from home, and understand the importance of providing long term, reliable and professional work. We receive 50+ applications a month and yet only onboard 2%. We are growing rapidly, and our challenge is to meet our customers demand for our team member's time without compromising on quality! Quite a balancing act!

What are your biggest successes?

Some of our successes have been our ability to put systems into place that have allowed us to scale our business very rapidly. Systems such as an integrated time tracking for our team, invoicing, and billing software, or our on boarding systems for new team members. But most and foremost our biggest success must be credited to building our awesome team. It’s a known fact that a company’s reputation is only as good at its people, and we are proud to have built a team of professionals that are motivated and enthusiastic, and that work hard to retain the privilege of working from home. 

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?

I wish I had planned strategically right from the beginning. The business was successful from the word go and grew organically, so we didn’t really do much business planning until year 2, and while everything was already in motion! It’s good to plan for success from the beginning so you don't miss opportunities -- get figures and facts organized early on so that your expansion plans are ready to roll! Our success took us a bit by surprise, so it took lots of energy to catch up and make sure we didn't lose out on the momentum being generated.