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Meet Jeannine Warrick of JL Administrative Services in Snellville

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeannine Warrick.

Jeannine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Well, I was working as an office administrator for a commercial general contractor in Alpharetta and was laid off in September 2009 due to the Great Recession. That company was around for 25 years but unfortunately had to close its doors. I immediately started doing job searches but of course, there were very little jobs available, especially support positions. I always wanted to own my own business but had no idea what kind of business to start. I am good at what I do, I love helping people succeed, and I knew businesses still needed administrative help, but they simply could not afford it. I had a strong inner feeling that there had to be something I could do!

So, I started searching for ways to help businesses by being an independent contractor and how to start a business doing this. Well, low and behold, I discovered there was such a thing and it was called Virtual Assistants. That was during a time when virtual assistants were hardly heard of and there was very little info on it. I found a couple of virtual assistants that offered training and I knew this would was the answer to starting a business doing something I love and something I am good at. I thought I struck gold! In March 2010, I created JL Administrative Services. This was perfect because I have a passion for keeping small business owners organized and free to run their businesses. I could assist businesses from my home and I just knew this was a win-win.

I continued to do daily job searches (I searched seven days a week) while I tried to market my business. I was broke and living on unemployment but I figured I would one day be a success. My shoestring budget for marketing dissolved quickly and I didn’t know of any way I could get clients and market my services. I finally landed a job in January 2013 working for a national residential and commercial painting contractor and I placed my business on the back burner to focus 100% on my new job. Over the years, I was able to gain a few clients, but it was very part time and inconsistent. I continued to focus on my career which became very unbelievably stressful and it started to wear me mentally and then physically.

I started to seek mental counseling so that I could cope with my job and then I became physically ill. After waking up from a panic attack on a Sunday early morning, I knew I had to do something to take care of myself. With the support of my wonderful husband, I resigned from my job with the painting contractor in June 2019 and went to see a doctor. Well, my doctor said my issues sounded stress related but did tests to rule out anything more serious. All tests came back negative and he diagnosed it all to stress. After a few months and with me being able to take better care of myself, I started to get better and I no longer have the issues I had while being employed.

Again, I had this strong inner feeling to go back to the business I started in 2010 to see if I could make it work and help business owners that I know need my help. I learned bookkeeping and I joined a great virtual assistant group to keep my administrative skills up. Money was not as big of a problem as it was when I first started so I started to work on marketing again and joined many directories and support groups to learn how to gain clients. I didn’t have a niche so I was targeting any small business that may need my help. Since I spent 15 years in the construction industry, I thought why not support construction trade businesses? I understand the pains of being a business owner from starting my business and from the many years of running and managing a small business at my last job. I know what contractors need administratively and how to work with residential customers as well as what commercial general contractors expect from subcontractors.

As I continued to work on gaining clients, I know that the little website I built in 2010 needed a total makeover. It was OK but it was not mobile friendly, so I know I needed a change. I was blessed to meet Debra Gibson-Welch who is a great web designer and the owner of DEEG Consulting, and she brought me from the dark ages to 2020! Now I am confident that I will be able to reach business owners that need my services with my fancy new website and with the marketing that and I now doing. I am still a diamond in the rough, but I know that God planted a seed in me that is about to burst into a beautiful flower. I am so excited to be on this journey and with the help from God, my wonderful supportive husband, and my dear family, JL Administrative Services, LLC will succeed.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Has it been a smooth road… Nope! It was very bumpy and at times I wanted to quit. It still challenges me, but it is all a part of growing. Being a business owner is not glamorous. It is extremely hard work and it feels often like I am on a roller coaster ride. There are so many times when I feel Impostor Syndrome set in and I start to doubt myself and my abilities of running a business. I had to make myself familiar with marketing again and I am still learning how to do it the best I can. Networking is really hard for me too. It’s uncomfortable for me to be in front of people although I am a talker! I work a lot and must set boundaries to keep my business and personal lives separate. Sometimes I lose track of time and find myself working until dark and then realize, I need to get dinner started or finish laundry. Juggling working from home growing a business and attending to my family is hard, but it helps if I stay organized. Although I work a lot, I love it and it is not stressful like it was when I worked at my last job or any job that I held for that matter.

We’d love to hear more about JL Administrative Services.
JL Administrative Services is a virtual assistance business whose focus is to provide virtual administrative support services to construction trade contractors. I specialize in working with business owners in the construction field that need assistance with managing the day to day operations of their businesses as well as providing administrative assistance. Services are done remotely, and I communicate via e-mail, phone, and text while providing top quality services. My goal is to provide flexibility for each of my clients. Being a business owner and running a small business is no small feat. I am here to assist business owners focus on growing their business instead of managing every little administrative task.

My focus is to deliver professional administrative support services and to make business owners look their best. My desire is to develop an ongoing relationship with each of my clients and get to know them and their businesses. What is important to me is what is important to them in growing a profitable, professional, and successful enterprise. 

There are many virtual assistants that a business owner can choose from to assist them. What sets my business apart is, because I have a construction admin background, I understand the pains of construction trade businesses and I know how to help them. I know what contractors need to efficiently run the administrative side of their businesses, I have experience communicating with residential customers, and I know what commercial general contractors expect from subcontractors that contract to work with them.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always organized and learned things quickly. My room was the neatest of all my friends. I even kept my toys organized in my toy box! LOL I was also more of a serious kid that wanted to be in charge and lead others. There were plenty of kids to play with in my neighborhood and I also had fun playing alone. Pretty much like now, I can work well with a team and I do well working alone. I guess I was and still am an Omnivert. There were times growing up that I could be bossy and would persuade my friends to play the games I wanted to play. LOL All in all, we all had so much fun! I also liked to hang out with older girls. As a young girl, I had friends that were a lot older than me, but they let me hang out with them in the neighborhood… I was always trying to be grown. LOL My sister and I had dogs growing up and still to this day I love animals. Although I don’t have any pets now, dogs and cats hold a special place in my heart.

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