Before I started my business in 2005, I’ll admit I’d never heard the phrase. Yet when someone commented “No wonder you’re stressed, you’re part of the sandwich generation”, suddenly it all made sense.
With juggling my own career demands, children, trying to look after my Nan, and parents starting to need more support, I really did feel squeezed from all sides.
If you’re in the same boat, you’ll know how that pressure feels – there never seemed to be enough hours in the day and I never felt like I was doing anything to the best of my ability as I was always trying to cram far too much into my week.
I was constantly stressed and all too aware that my boss was breathing down my neck, questioning why I needed time off again or trying to guilt trip me into working on Saturdays to make up the time.
Eventually I realised that enough was enough and something had to give – dashing around trying to make everyone else happy, I was forgetting that my happiness was important too.
But what was the answer? I’d already looked around and not been able to find any suitable help for my Nan. She was fiercely independent and didn’t need any personal care or medical care but that seemed to be all that was on offer.
I surely couldn’t be the only person struggling to find someone who would pop in and help with those little tasks such as shopping, taking her to appointments or even just popping in to have a cup of tea and keep her company for a while.
And I didn’t want it to be just anyone. It had to be someone right, who was kind and reliable and really loved older people – someone like me but who could be there when I couldn’t.
Now if there’s one thing in life I’m good at, it’s solving problems, and particularly when it comes to freeing up time. I had started my Virtual Assistant business back in 2005, to provide more flexibility… so here was the perfect problem for my virtual assistant mindset to tackle – finding the right service for my Nan to free up my own time.
But it just wasn’t there. So, I created it!
A personal, companionship service for loved ones who wanted to keep their independence and just needed a little helping hand to do so.
And it really filled a gap locally – helping others in the sandwich generation to stop feeling pulled in all directions and have real peace of mind when life meant they couldn’t be there all the time, for their older relatives.
I realised this was a national problem, not just a local one, with the Centre for Ageing Better finding a staggering 80% of older people want to stay in their own home.
I really felt for all those people going through the same situation I had and struggling to find that constant, personal service that had proved so elusive for me.
So, I created a programme teaching others how to set up and run their own companionship service in their area. A complete roadmap and expert guidance showing them how to set up a successful business without making all the expensive mistakes I had in the early days of my business.
I’ll admit to being naïve when I started my own companionship business back in 2005. The visits themselves are the most rewarding thing that I’ve ever done. But I made a lot of mistakes with things like marketing, finding clients, the legalities etc.
But I persevered and love the flexibility of working for myself, not to mention the fact that I don’t have a boss!
And the benefits of changing from the corporate world to self-employment can’t be underestimated either – suddenly the pressure lifted and life had more of a sunny side. I rediscovered my motivation, my stress levels came down, there was no guilt about taking time off work. I was a happier person to be around.
And interestingly enough, I’ve noticed that there are a lot of people in ‘the sandwich generation’ signing up for my programme too – looking for a solution to not only their issues caring for loved ones, but a chance to change direction themselves after taking stock of what was really important to them.
They describe exactly the same feelings of pressure and speak about wanting to live a more fulfilling life, something I’m passionate about helping them create.
I’m now in the lucky position of supporting people wanting to set up either a companionship business via My Senior Assist Business or those wanting to start a Virtual Assistant Business via My VA Business.
Both are great options for anyone fed up spinning too many plates and wanting a better quality of life.
With expert support , coming out of your comfort zone and setting up your own business doesn’t need to be hard. Both my programmes are step-by-step, so that you can go at your own pace and in your own time. There really is no pressure whatsoever, and either fits perfectly around your existing commitments. You can set up alongside your current job, another business or on its own and grow as slowly or as quickly as you choose.
They really are as flexible as the lifestyle you’ll be creating.
If you’re ready to get going, start by taking a look at my webinar. It explains a bit more about what your life could look like as the owner of a companionship business, as well as giving you a few tips.
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