Latest Posts

Data Protection – As a small business, do I need to register with ICO?

As I know, being in business comes with many challenges, not least of all the legislation you need to know about. Data Protection is one of the most commonly misunderstood by small businesses. So I wanted to share with you, my view and understanding of this crucial piece of legislation. Overview of the Data Protection […]

What is the Late Payment of Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1988?

If you are a small business, you will know how late payment can cause havoc with your cash flow. What can you do about it? You can apply interest to overdue payments The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 is a Statutory instrument made on 4 October 1998 which came into force in […]

My view of the Queen’s Speech 2017 and what will it mean for small businesses?

What does the Queen’s speech mean? What does leaving Brexit mean? What were the bills talked about and what’s their impact? Personally, I’m comppleetely confused and baffled, everywhere you look someone is interpreting it differently and nowhere could I find a good summary, so here’s what I thought…. What do we really know about delivering […]

As a VA how can a quiet summer help you increase your income?

Summer is here and so nearly, are holidays. As a virtual assistant, will it mean less work than usual, or is it your busiest time handling all that holiday cover? If summer’s a quiet time for you, it can be a great opportunity to brush up on training, reading, networking or learning a new skill. […]

Are there any male virtual assistants in the UK?

This week, I heard someone say, “being a virtual assistant is a predominantly female occupation”. I immediately picked up on the word “predominantly” because it indicates there must be some male VAs out there. Well, where are they? If you look at the Society of Virtual Assistants’ online directory, there’s not one male VA. Where […]

Interview with a Virtual Assistant

What’s it like to be a Virtual Assistant? Even the title seems quite mysterious.  Where do they work and what’s it like to be one? I decided to ask Karen, a VA in my network group. I know you’re virtual but do you have a real office? Yes, my office is a dedicated room in my home. […]

How can a Virtual Assistant say No without burning bridges?

There are a few reasons why a Virtual Assistant may need to turn down work, but when handled carefully, there’s positive outcome for everybody. You’ve run your new client checklist, had a first conversation with the client and you realise you’re going to have to turn down the work. How can you do that in […]

Accepting a new client – checklist for Virtual Assistants

You’ve been approached by your first client. Your initial reaction is to say “yes” to anything they request, whether that is 30 day credit terms, no payment up front, a job that’s outside your comfort zone, something you actually haven’t planned to do but you think you are capable of. How do I know that? […]

Networking doesn’t work, so, why do I keep going?

#4NetworkingDoesNotWork, I get nothing from it, it won’t work for me. You know I wax lyrical about 4N. However, it isn’t just me who gets anything out of 4N, here is an article by Sally Mahers (someone I’ve never met) but who sums up the power of 4N beautifully. http://blog.theintelligentvacompany.co.uk/…/an-open-letter-… I’ve put an extract from […]