Tools of the Trade

When I first started as a freelance Virtual Assistant, I quickly realised that if I wanted to be effective, I needed to learn how to use a variety of new tools and software packages. Fear of the unknown and not being a ‘techie’ made me a little nervous about new technology, but as my business has evolved these new tools and skills have become critical to my day to day life. In this blog I wanted to explain some of […]

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5 Tips for Networking

Since starting the business, I have been to quite a few networking events.  Whilst they might have different styles and formats, essentially they all amount to the same thing.  To create new relationships and strengthen existing ones.  This will lead to gaining new clients and business opportunities. These tips are put together based on my experiences, and guidance I’ve received from others I have networked with. 1. Don’t go straight in with a sales pitch That is not the way […]

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My Journey

Everyone has a different story as to why they set up their business.  I’d like to share mine, so here it goes… After having my little one, I was lucky enough to have the full year maternity leave.  But by the time I was due to go back to work, I was literally clawing the walls.  I couldn’t wait get back to what I enjoy doing.  I was looking forward to having my routine again. After working compressed full-time hours, […]

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What is a Virtual Assistant? Employee Vs Virtual Assistant

As I have mentioned in my posts before, when I am networking and people ask what I do I don’t always get a positive acknowledgement. They start to make a connection that I am either Siri or Alexa. Or I sometimes get a look that is slightly confused or glazed over. You can tell that the cogs are turning and they are trying to figure out what a VA is. A VA is basically a freelance PA who provides secretarial […]

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Why is Minute Taking Important?

Some people assume that taking minutes is an easy task – well they would be wrong!  Taking minutes is a difficult task to complete for someone with little or no experience.  As an example, it takes skill and experience to be able to work out whether the conversation the participants are having are essential for record, or general chit chat. Given the difficulty of minute taking, I thought I would jot down (in no particular order) a few benefits of […]

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