How I became a Virtual Assistant
By Jill Hughes, Founder of blueumbrella Virtual Assistants
The reason I became a VA is not much different from the reasons many new business owners set up on their own today. With working from home now more of the ‘norm’ than ever and individuals realising they no longer have to answer to someone else or work on someone else’s schedule, ‘being your own boss’ is the ideal solution. But it wasn’t always this way.
My story
Back in 2001, I was working full-time for a large magazine company in central London as a PA/Project Manager. I clocked on and off at the same time each day and life was very much like the hustle and bustle we’ve become accustomed to in the corporate world. But something was different. We had a very forward-thinking IT director who decided that people could work from home. And after being offered the opportunity to give it a go, I started spending half of my time working in the office, and the other half, working from home. And I loved it!
Soon enough, the IT Director announced his departure from the company and asked if I would be interested in working for him. My son was only 5 at the time so working from home really appealed to me so it played heavily on my mind. By total coincidence, I read an article in a magazine about virtual assistants offering a free 1-hour call with a life coach. I snapped up the offer, and talked to them about my ideal life, where I saw myself in 5 years’ time, and what was most important to me…
For me, it’s always been about work/life balance. And working from home was finally giving me that. The coach I spoke to had a friend they suggested I speak to who was running a Virtual Assistant Masterclass, although, at this point, I had no idea what a VA was and what it all entailed. But just like that, I decided to hand in my notice and set up my own business and become a VA – alongside working for the IT Director who was also leaving the company.
Setting up as a Virtual Assistant
I attended the VA Masterclass which taught me all the skills I needed to become a fully-fledged VA (on top of my 10-years board-level experience), as well as how to set up and run a business. There was a call once a week in a group setting that allowed me to connect with like-minded people and really start to explore this new career path in a supportive environment.
From here, it was time to come up with a suitable name for my business. I was struggling until I cleared out my desk on my last day and at the bottom of the drawer was a blue umbrella! A quick search revealed the company name was available, and after discussing it with a branding consultant, blueumbrella was born!
Of course, lots of people told me I was crazy leaving a full-time job and good salary. But for me, not having to commute 1.5 hours each way into London and being around for my son far outweighed the risk. Soon, word got out about what I was doing, and the enquiries rolled in.
Within 6 months, my business had grown so much I couldn’t cope anymore, and I knew I needed extra help to deal with the workload. It turns out the school gates were an amazing place to hire board-level PA’s who were sick of the daily grind and wanted to be around for their families. And so that’s how it grew. I began working with Mums from the school gates until eventually, I started to get enquiries from elsewhere - via referrals or through the website. Suddenly, people wanted to be VA’s and we’ve gone from strength to strength to get to where we are today!
Do you want to work for blueumbrella?
Right now, we’re expanding the business even further and look forward to connecting with more like-minded individuals who are ready to quit the hustle and gain back that all elusive work/life balance. We’re always on the lookout for high-quality, board-level PAs who thrive in their home environment. For me, when I started working from home, it was a complete and utter novelty and people didn’t understand how to work with it. Now, we’re in a position where it’s considered ‘normal’ and the business world is thriving because of it.
So, if you’re ready to join a team of top-level VAs and live out the life you’ve been daydreaming about, get in touch with us today. We can’t wait to hear from you!