Rebecca Newenham

Who I help

As founder of Get Ahead, my patch is the whole of the UK, minus the areas our Regional Directors already cover through franchise. I keep an eye on every enquiry that comes through the website, and where it lands depends on what’s needed: if it falls into an existing Region, it goes to that RD, and if it’s a specific type of work, I’ll route it to whoever’s the right fit, events enquiries to Suzanne, HR to Hazel, and so on. Sometimes it comes down to judgement rather than a strict rule, we had a recent enquiry from Edinburgh, and Lisa, who runs our Wessex team took that one on.

My background

Before Get Ahead, I spent several years in corporate retail buying, including managing a multi-million pound budget as Cosmetic Buyer at Superdrug, and later running a range of buying areas, baby accessories, baby clothes, cotton wool and feminine hygiene, within Sainsbury’s Non Food division. That grounding in budgets, supplier management and getting a range genuinely right for the customer has stayed with me ever since.

I founded Get Ahead in 2010, starting in Guildford, Surrey, and one of our very first clients was an all-women networking group, which set the tone for a lot of what came after. Today Get Ahead is a team of more than ninety virtual assistants and Regional Directors supporting growing businesses across the UK.

Alongside running Get Ahead, I’m also a Franchise Consultant at Ashtons, helping founders scale their own businesses through franchising with the same clarity and confidence I try to bring to my own team, and I write a monthly column for Elite Franchise on what it actually takes to run a franchised business well. I’ve grown a strong following here in Guildford through Link Up Networking, which I’ve hosted since 2019 (formerly LinkedIn Local Guildford), and that local activity has always fed into the wider national picture.

How I work with clients

Because I’m not tied to a single Region, my client relationships tend to be varied and often long-standing. One client I’ve supported for around eight or nine years found me online, and that relationship has grown over time, we support her online conferences and provide website support, and she’s worked closely with members of our team throughout. Another long-term client is a women’s PR association with a board that changes annually, since everyone there is a volunteer, they’re always genuinely appreciative of the support, admin, meeting minutes and more, and it’s meant real, regular hours for us.

New clients almost always ask about budget first, understandably. What I’ve found people come to love is the control it gives them, they’re never locked into a fixed number of hours. My favourite stat to share is that a quarter of our clients end up using more than one member of our team, which is usually a nice moment in a conversation, showing just how much scope there is once someone’s actually working with us.

My Region

Don’t see your area listed? We’re probably already there, or we’d love to be.

Since 2010, we’ve supported businesses the length and breadth of the country, and that’s really the beauty of our model: wherever you’re based, there’s a good chance we can match you with the right expertise, wherever that expertise happens to sit within our team.

What having a Regional Director in an area actually changes is visibility and depth, someone local, out meeting businesses, hosting events, building real relationships, rather than a name on a map. Guildford is a good example close to home: it’s where I host Link Up Local, support the Surrey Business Expo, and I’m a member of the County Club alongside various local events run by Steve Page. That kind of presence is what turns a Region from a line on a list into somewhere businesses actually know us.

I’m also often the one launching Get Connected in a new area myself before a Regional Director is in place there, our Moorgate event in central London currently has around 50 to 60 people booked in, a strong number so far, more so than South London, which hasn’t taken off in quite the same way yet, a reminder that even within the same city, presence matters more than proximity.

Nationally, I attend the franchise show at the NEC and Olympia each year with my Ashtons franchising contact, and pick and choose BFA events as they come up, alongside supporting Regional Directors at their own events, especially in Leeds.

Looking ahead, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh are all areas I’d love to see Get Ahead grow into. We’ve tried Birmingham before, changing personal circumstances meant it didn’t work out that time rather than the wrong opportunity, and I know there’s real appetite there. Scotland is a particular ambition of mine too, I’ve got a strong connection through Ashtons in Edinburgh who’s keen for us to get established there.

With more than ninety Virtual Experts across the business already, our reach stretches the whole of the UK. Wherever you are, there’s a good chance we can help, or know exactly who can.

Outside of work

Outside Get Ahead, family comes first, I have three daughters, now 25, 22 and 20, and no shortage of walking duties with Sydney, our Australian Labradoodle. Sydney has been well trained by Ruby, our Siberian cat, and both are firmly part of the family.

I’m a Humanist Celebrant with Humanists UK too, specialising in naming ceremonies, a role that fills me with genuine joy and purpose, helping families create meaningful, memorable celebrations for the people they love. When I’m not working or celebrating other people’s milestones, you’ll usually find me at boxing or fitness training, or away for a long weekend with friends. There’s rarely a quiet moment.

If your business could benefit from support, wherever you’re based, get in touch and I’ll make sure you’re connected with the right person. You can call on 03302237580 or email me on rebecca@getaheadva.com I look forward to hearing from you. We pride ourselves on being the staff you don’t see, but the difference you do.