I was at my desk the other day listening to a YouTube podcast. Every now and then, I like a little background noise while I work. Suddenly, an ad popped up for Rocket Money. You know, the app that helps you cancel subscriptions you don’t use?
The ad showed a guy walking up to strangers on the street. He asked them, “Do you know how many subscriptions you have?”
I answered out loud as if he was talking to me. “Nope. Not entirely.”
What about you? How many subscriptions do you have that you haven’t checked in on recently?
First of all, I thought it was funny that you had to sign up for their subscription to tell you about other subscriptions that you don’t use. But that’s beside the point. The point is, it reminded me that I needed to take inventory of my own business subscriptions. I wanted to see how my dollars were being divided. What I was still actually using, and what I could potentially let go.
Letting Go of What No Longer Serves
The first one I looked at was Adobe Creative Suite. I used it a lot when clients needed long-form YouTube videos edited in Premiere Pro. At the time, it made perfect sense. But when I looked back over the past year, no one had requested that service in over a year. So I let it go.
Then there was Alignable. This one actually worked really well for me. I met great people and made some meaningful connections at networking events. Over the past year, I barely attended any networking events. I can count those events on my hands. But I didn’t cancel Alignable. I downgraded to the free membership. Since the new year started, I’ve attended exactly one event.
Spend With Purpose
I’ve always been intentional about where my dollars are going. But over time, some of those dollars keep going places that no longer served my business today.
If we don’t pay attention they will get pulled in a dozen different directions.
Software Subscriptions. Contractors. Marketing. Taxes. Tools. And then we add another platform that promises to “save time”. Before long, you’ll notice that your dollars are no longer being divided with intention.
When was the last time you reviewed your own subscriptions or recurring business expenses? Are all of them still serving your current goals?
(Now as far as my personal subscriptions go, I might really need Rocket Money for that).
Protect Your Clock
That’s where I see my role as a virtual assistant a little differently than most people expect. Yes, I help manage projects, systems, and inboxes. But my real job is defending your schedule so you can stop wasting ‘time dollars’ on the wrong things.
Most of us don’t need more hustle. What we need is better division of time and energy. Because when those things are organized well, the financial dollars tend to follow.
What This Looks Like in Real Life
I’ve seen this play out with several professionals I’ve worked with. One client was spending several hours each week managing his own email inbox, scheduling, and follow-ups. Once those tasks were handed off, he gained that time back and used it to focus on networking and relationship-building. Within a few months, he added new clients simply because he had the time and mental space to nurture those conversations.
Many of us solo professionals focus on earning more. And yes, that absolutely matters. But sometimes the bigger shift comes from being aware of how the dollars are being divided.
Final Thoughts
So let’s make sure that our dollars are going exactly where we want them to go. Each tool and subscription must prove its value for our current business needs, not our past ones. When we decide where they belong, everything else becomes a little easier.
My subscriptions and I have a great relationship. They show up every month… whether I need them or not.
Shamayne Brown is a virtual assistant and the founder of Camp Virtual Assistance.
She works with solo professionals and small business owners who are ready to invest in their business and need the support that she offers.
She specializes in creating email newsletters as well as other admin and creative design tasks.
Click here to connect on LinkedIn.
Click here to set up a discovery call.
