Category: Franchising

Over the last decade, Get Ahead VA has been able to help hundreds of clients run and grow their businesses, and we’re incredibly proud of the professional support we continue to offer business owners all over the country. We have carried out all sorts of rewarding and interesting work, including completing 33 policies in just two weeks over the school holidays, and remotely organising and in-person managing a conference in Hong Kong.  

So, to celebrate Get Ahead VA’s 10th business birthday this month, we’re taking a look back at some of our favourite jobs and clients from the last 10 years. 

(more…)

Our Regional Directors are a vital part of the Get Ahead VA family – they run the regional branches across the country, and they bring years of experience, specialist knowledge and enthusiasm to their roles. We’re very lucky that our Regional Director team is growing all the time, so to celebrate Get Ahead VA’s 10th business birthday, we asked them what they love most about being a Regional Director – and they had plenty to say! 

(more…)

Our Regional Directors are a vital part of the Get Ahead VA family – they run the regional branches across the country, and they bring years of experience, specialist knowledge and enthusiasm to their roles. We’re very lucky that our Regional Director team is growing all the time, so to celebrate Get Ahead VA’s 10th business birthday, we asked them what they love most about being a Regional Director – and they had plenty to say! 

(more…)

This week, as part of our ongoing celebrations for Get Ahead VA’s 10th business birthday, we’re digging into the archives and looking back at some of our most significant milestones over the years. A lot has happened in the last decade, and these are just a few of the highlights that have carried Get Ahead VA from its earliest beginnings to where we are now. 

(more…)

At the heart of Get Ahead VA is our brilliant team of virtual assistants (VAs). Based all over the country, they handle the jobs our clients send to us, and they bring their skills, experience and warmth to every project they work on. Get Ahead VA simply couldn’t exist without this hard-working team, and we’re delighted to have so many talented people working with us. 

As part of our 10th business birthday celebrations, we decided to spend some time celebrating our VAs. So without further ado, here are 10 reasons why we love our VAs, and why you will too. 

(more…)

There are lots of ways in which working with virtual assistants makes sense, like freeing you up from mundane tasks to concentrate on your core business, or mixing and matching skills to create the ultimate team. But for all business owners, money is the bottom line. We firmly believe that VAs are a cost effective way of tapping into a wealth of experience and high quality work.

Here’s why:

(more…)

This month Get Ahead VA is celebrating its 10th business birthday, and we couldn’t be prouder of reaching this amazing milestone.  

Of course, the last 10 years have taught us a lot about how to run a business, and today we’d like to share with you some of the best lessons we’ve learned over the years. So we talked to our team of Regional Directors to uncover their most precious nuggets of wisdom – here are 10 things we’ve learned from 10 years in business. 

(more…)

Here at Get Ahead VA, our people are everything. We’re dedicated to growing our business all over the country, so our customers can access a wide range of highly skilled professionals wherever they are. We currently have regional offices in Leeds, Berkshire & North Hampshire, South Yorkshire and West Surrey, and we’re pleased to announce our latest addition: Suffolk & Essex.

Here’s 60 seconds with our Suffolk & Essex Regional Director, Sarah Yandell

Area of Expertise: 

Managing and facilitating teams at all levels in order to achieve organisational and strategic goals.

When and why did you join Get Ahead VA?

I joined Get Ahead VA in July 2020 after working in the travel industry for 30 years.  I loved my career in travel but with the disruption caused by Covid19, I decided it was time for a change.  After extensive research I found Get Ahead VA, and following a number of conversations with Rebecca and some of the existing franchisees, I was convinced that this opportunity fitted my skill set perfectly.

What did you do before you joined Get Ahead VA?

During my career in travel, I worked in all parts of the supply chain.  This included hotel sales;  travelling all over the world to source accommodation for a student travel company and setting up and running an award winning specialist tour operator.  I took a year out from my career in 2001 to do a full time MBA which included a dissertation with British Airways on CRM and loyalty programmes.  I continue to be passionate about delivering service which is beyond expectation.

Career Highlight to date:   

I feel that joining the Get Ahead team is a culmination of all my skills and experience gained in my career so far.  I have the freedom of running my own business, while still being part of an enthusiastic and supportive team.  The role enables me to work with small businesses locally and help them to achieve their business goals; while having a fantastic work life balance.

Plans for the future:

To grow the Get Ahead business in Essex and Suffolk by collaborating with small businesses in the local community and building a team of experts.

If your business could benefit from Sarah’s help, please get in touch on 07971 655771 or 01206 625535, or email sarah@getaheadva.com. To find a regional office where you are, please get in touch on 01483 332220 or email office@getaheadva.com. We pride ourselves on being the staff you don’t see, but the difference you do.

The idea of doing a digital detox – i.e. stepping away from technology to focus on real-life hobbies and in-person interactions – can seem challenging at the best of times, and especially so now, when we have even fewer opportunities for face-to-face quality time. But taking a digital detox could be even more important right now: since we’re being forced to spend so much time online, to do our work and stay in touch with our loved ones, the time we spend offline has become even more precious.

If you’re a business owner, you might be finding it particularly difficult to cut down on your screen time, as this may be the only way for you to communicate with your employees, network with others in your field, and promote your business to customers. After all, you can’t just put your phone in a box and stop checking your emails when you have a business to run! The good news is that a digital detox is still possible for you – here are some things you can do to give yourself a break from the screens, and to use them more mindfully when you need to.

(more…)

We’ve all noticed the profound effects of COVID-19, both on the economy and on our everyday lives. Lockdown forced many of us to work from home, while for others it has meant furloughing and even job loss. But a great positive we’ve all gained is the opportunity to review our working life. Was it going well before 23 March, or is it going better now? Have we been ditched by our employers, or do we feel like ditching them?!

In this blog, we look at the impact of lockdown on our working lives, and invite you to ask yourself whether it’s time for a change.

(more…)