The other side of entrepreneurship: How to beat the statistics

With a career spanning over 25 years and a passion for organisation and efficiency, Joy works with clients to lighten their workload, streamline tasks, and help them achieve their goals.

Her ability to multitask along with her attention to detail really bolsters the support she brings to her clients.

Joy has worked in business support roles for most of her career, dealing with Partners and Heads of Department. She is used to multitasking and often working to tight deadlines.

Amanda has over 15 years’ experience, supporting C-Suite Executives and prides herself on supporting her clients with integrity, open communication and relationships based on trust.

Amanda is a natural planner, a good listener, and a proactive problem solver.

Nicola has a strong background in customer facing administration, having worked most recently within the Learning and Development team of a local charity.

Prior to that, she spent 7 years as an Account Coordinator for a leading global recruitment company based in London.

Lucy has over 20 years’ experience providing PA and administration support, event management and property management in a variety of roles including a private charity, a private country estate and a group of hotels.

Lucy really enjoys supporting business owners so they can have more time to focus on their core activities and achieve their goals.

Melanie is a highly experienced office professional and qualified HR Manager with 23 years’ experience of working in the private, public and charity sectors.

She has also worked in various senior admin roles including Executive Assistant, Office Manager and PA.

Michelle is a qualified ex-teacher with over 20 years of experience in administration, education, health and social care and charity sectors. As a result, Michelle has extensive knowledge of the sectors, regulations, OFSTED, CQC, and GDPR.

Michelle is methodical and organised, with a keen eye for detail, and has extensive knowledge of data protection, confidentiality and discretion.

Natasha worked for over 25 years in a variety of industries.  Her roles have included managing an administrative support team working within the scientific community which involved data and documentation management as well project management and process improvement.

She loves building strong client relationships in order to thoroughly understand their business needs and goals. She is solution focused and enjoys solving challenges.

Natali worked for over 17 years within a wide range of fields such as design, events, sales and marketing, business support and project management and started working as a Virtual Assistant in January 2019.

Nush has fifteen years of experience working for businesses that have customer service and attention to detail at the heart of what they do. She has worked with local authorities, private companies and higher education providers, both in the UK and overseas, with previous experience as a teacher, coach, manager and director.

Nush is a problem-solver, who loves new challenges and connecting with others; providing ‘right-hand’ support, in order to give others the time and space to work on the parts of your business which need them the most. Above all, she loves the connections she forms with others by working with them in their business; providing committed assistance and creative problem-solving in order to ensure that a business meets the needs of the customer, in turn helping the business to thrive.

Raakhee has a background as an Executive Assistant at Board level.  She finds organising people who are disorganised very fulfilling, and she loves a spreadsheet!

Raakhee is passionate about helping the environment and actively aims to be greener in her day to day life. She is also in the process of studying for a BSc in Environmental Science.

Rebecca has over a decade of experience in the PA and events world. She has orchestrated unforgettable weddings and events worldwide for esteemed clients including Tiffany and Co, F1, The Dubai Government, Carphone Warehouse, and Royalty.

Rebecca has a wealth of experience from her career which has covered sales, business support, PA and management roles.

Sarah spent 23 years in the charity arena. Her role grew, as the charity did. From reception, secretarial, and fundraising roles, to responsibility for communications and marketing.

She would describe herself as a ‘doer’. and believes that being able to use her creativity and design skills to help a business tell their unique story is a privilege.

Sophie has over 15 years’ experience in operations management and administration across both charity and corporate sectors.

As a Business Operations Manager Sophie understands the importance of robust processes and policies and sustainable systems to help drive efficiencies and make resources go further.

Sumeera has worked with various corporate organisations (including Microsoft, ITV and Shell), SME’s and start-ups over her 20 year working career, in areas including digital, marketing, websites, content and advertising.

She has experience working across a diverse range of businesses including business coaches, estate agents, food and drink, beauty, construction, estate agents, a branding agency, fintech, cyber, oil and gas, psychologists, health fitness and wellbeing, and technology.

Having worked in PA and Secretarial roles for over 20 years, Tamsin provides excellent assistance to a variety of high level managers including Directors. She has been involved in organising many staff events, including parties for 200+ staff, off site staff briefings including venue booking, facilities preparation and putting the presentations together along with scheduling staff in to attend.

She loves being one step ahead of a client and thinking about things before they’ve even thought of it themselves. Tamsin says that making a client’s day easier is the best feeling.

Vicky’s love of technology and her decision to specialise as a podcast VA followed a radio experience session with the Girl Guides which led to over 20 years of working within community radio.

She now uses that experience, along with her training in voice-overs, to support clients to develop their podcasts, enabling them to be seen and be heard.

With a managerial background in Client and Customer Service, Lou has worked as a Virtual Assistant for over two years. Lou is experienced in supporting both small and large businesses across a wide range of administrative tasks.

She enjoys a consultative approach with clients, offering ideas and solutions across the board. Lou is passionate about wellness and self-care in business and is studying towards a Life Coaching certification with focus on mindset and growth.

Lisa has been a PA / EA since 2005 and has worked with companies in the fields of management consultancy, recruitment, law, design and branding, and HNWI.

Her expertise is in complex and proactive diary management (including scheduling across different time zones), coordinating complex business travel, detoxing intense inboxes, compiling documents containing confidential data as well as arranging corporate entertainment.

Lisa has 30+ years experience in administration including the Employment Service, HM Prison Service, Ministry of Defence and Public Sector Industries, as well as a PA/EA supporting a Captain of the Royal Navy and a Head Teacher.

She also worked as an Events Manager, organising events from business networking and well-being to weddings and activity events.

Kirsten has spent the last 20 years providing EA, PA, Secretarial and Board support and event planning services to a variety of business owners and executives in the UK and overseas.

She loves helping people to meet their goals and increase their time to be able to enjoy the things they love most, in their business and personal lives.

Jules is our resident travel expert! She is passionate about travel and has over 30 years experience as a Travel Agent.

Working in partnership with High Street Travel Agency, Premier Travel, she can offer an ABTA Bonded Travel Booking Service. All package holidays will be ATOL Protected and 100% Financially Secure.

Jessica has been a virtual assistant since 2017 and specialises in minute taking (Boards, Sub-Committees, Working Groups and Programme Boards) working predominantly in healthcare both for the NHS and private healthcare. She has an extensive background in recruitment having managed the recruitment for a global IT firm across 20+ countries while managing a team based across the world.

Jessica understands confidentiality and discretion, is armed with the full range of administrative and communications skills you may require, and has an excellent career track record.

Jenni has worked for over 25 years in Business Support roles for global corporate companies and SME’s, providing excellent support to a variety of senior managers including Directors through to operational staff.

Jayne worked for 13 years as a Sales Manager, providing 5* event catering services to corporates, charities, and individuals alongside a large major events portfolio including the BRIT Awards & Royal Windsor Horse Show.

A dedicated, thorough, and hardworking individual, Jayne's skills have been proven in sales system processes, CRM, budgeting, forecasting and vital key administrative support to help maintain efficient operations. Since becoming a VA Jayne also has developed a passion for Canva, helping businesses to maintain a fantastic brand identity.

Jayne loves turning a lead into a sale and says the best way to do this is with a winning proposal and great client relations. Jayne loves taking a new client and putting systems in place to make sure they stand out at the first point of contact and build partnerships to last.

For almost 20 years, Jackie worked for The Royal Household at Buckingham Palace, with the last nine and half years being the Personal Assistant to Her Majesty The Queen’s Personal Advisor and Dresser.

Being part of Her Majesty’s personal staff, Jackie always had to work with a high degree of discretion, be organised, detail oriented and maintain confidentiality at all times and these key elements Jackie continues to deliver to her clients today.

Holly worked for almost 15 years as a PA in the funeral sector, as an office administrator, funeral arranger, and PA to the area manager.

Along with her excellent PA skills Holly utilises her Multimedia Diploma from Plymouth College of Art & Design to provide tech support to her clients, such as video editing, photoshop work and canva design.

Helen has over twenty years’ experience working as a high-level Executive Assistant within the public sector, having worked for CEOs and as a Chief of Staff within the NHS, and the offices of the Government.

She not only brings a wealth of skills and experience to support her clients, but also boasts strong organisational skills and likes to be proactive and forward thinking. Helen is completely comfortable working within a high-pressured environment and is flexible to the demands of a challenging role.

Hayley is a PA/Account Coordinator with over a decade of experience supporting at both Senior Board and Director level.

She has a wealth of experience in a variety of sectors including Beauty/ Packaging and Hospitality. However a majority of her career, skills and experience is working within Executive Search and Recruitment.

Fiona has a comprehensive knowledge of finance and accounting processes having worked in finance since qualifying with the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT.)

She has also studied with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and obtained a Diploma in Management Accounting.

Ellen worked for over 12 years in ‘people teams’ in organisations in a mix of sectors that include social housing, manufacturing, and retail.

She enjoys supporting a wide range of businesses, including coaches and trainers, lifestyle industries such as fashion, retail, food, and travel.

Claire has a background in providing Executive Assistant support to Non-Executive Board Directors, CEOs, Consultants and Partners.

She has also worked as an Editor in information books, project managing titles from inception to publication.

With three decades of experience as a PA/EA Anne-Louise brings a wealth of expertise to her role.

Her diverse background includes collaborating with professionals at various career stages, from recent university graduates to the challenges of the C-suite and the needs of HNWI.

Anna has an extensive background in the medical and educational sectors having spent over 20 years working in a medical royal college and a chartered professional membership body.

She has comprehensive experience managing educationally focused projects, supporting boards and committees, and managing operational membership activities.

Anna has a rescue border collie and spends much of her free time indulging her passion for all things canine by studying dog behaviour and training and helping to run local dog training classes. She also volunteers as a co-editor of her local community magazine.

Amanda has over 15 years’ experience, supporting C-Suite Executives and prides herself on supporting her clients with integrity, open communication and relationships based on trust.

Amanda is a natural planner, a good listener, and a proactive problem solver.

Katie is a student at the University of Exeter studying English and Communications. She is a curious, driven and bold individual.

Katie has experience writing and editing for student journalism and also works on layout for RAZZ student magazine at Exeter University.

In her free time, Katie is an avid reader, writer and podcast editor. On her podcast, Katie has gained experience interviewing people in PR, marketing, journalism and entrepreneurship and has become incredibly passionate about representations in the media.

(Continued...) The recognition received through awards has been both humbling and inspiring. In 2020 and 2019, I was honoured with the title of UK Outstanding VA. In 2018, I proudly received the England VA of the Year award, and in the same year, I was recognised as VA of the Year in the South West, a title I also held in 2017. Additionally, in 2016, I was a Finalist for the prestigious Best Newcomer award.

Our journey continued in 2022 when we were awarded Small Business Of The Year at the Devon Women In Business Awards.

The award I am most proud of however, was Contribution to the VA Community which I received in 2022 from the UK VA Awards.

Outside of the office, I have been volunteering in Scouting for over 20 years and now serve on the Board of Trustees and support the fundraising sub-committee.