Shortlist: Virtual Assistant of The Year – Digital Women Awards

The Digital Women Virtual Assistant of The Year recognises and celebrates those who work in a digital support role for their clients. VA’s pick up many of the administrative, organisational and marketing tasks remotely to an exceptionally high standard and have the ability to organise and communicate effectively.

Here are your finalists:

Emma Read – Emma Read VA

My clients often tell me they’re glad to have found me and can’t imagine how they used to manage without me!

Emma Read is a Virtual Assistant based in Cambridgeshire and has spent over three decades honing her skills. She serves big-hearted businesses, charities and creatives and her services are accompanied by her cheerleading approach and creativity. She’s a friend in your corner to help your business grow.

Kathryn Williams – Kate – Your VA Services

I believe I always work to an exceptionally high standard. I pride myself on being approachable, consistent and flexible in my working approach. 

My name is Kathryn, and I run two businesses based in Bournemouth, Dorset. I run a networking events business called The Family Network Bournemouth, where I encourage and support businesses from all sectors through regular networking opportunities and affordable events. I also run Kate – Your VA Services, where I support businesses nationwide with their social media, provide image packages, promote their events and help build their brand. Through my two business, I strive to provide flexible, affordable services.

I work remotely, meaning I am fully flexible around other people, and I am on hand for all enquiries no matter how big or small. I aim to provide a comfortable, casual environment. No suits required! Just a passion for your business and the will to succeed.

Ann Read – The PA Portal

Since establishing The PA Portal I have delivered over 3,500 hours of Virtual Assistant support to 30 different clients across retainer and project contracts. All of these hours have allowed my client’s businesses to flourish and grow, and I’ve loved watching this happen! 

Ann Read is a Virtual Personal Assistant and the Founder of The PA Portal. She has been a Personal Assistant for over 20 years and has gained a wealth of experience working in small-scale family firms right through to large international corporates. Her background in sales, marketing and creative industries gives her a unique set of skills as a Virtual Assistant. Her business was founded in 2017 and with her team she supports a diverse group of clients with a wide range of admin, digital and marketing services to make her client’s businesses stand out from the crowd!

Martina Lennon – Martina Lennon Online Business Support

I’ve worked hard at building my business from home while raising a young family. I am adept at building genuine relationships with customers, vendors and colleagues whilst delivering exceptional levels of service and providing an extra pair of hands, allowing my clients to focus on their core objectives and get more from their working day.

I’m a Virtual Assistant who helps busy professionals and small business owners with admin and business support so they have more free time to focus on their core business development.

Nicky Pasquier – Virtuoso Assistant

I began working as a freelance legal transcriber at home, then became hooked by the social media and marketing world.

I opened an account on Twitter at the end of 2013 (having vowed never to do such a thing!) and started ‘networking’ online. The next couple of years were an incredibly steep learning curve. I had to market my business fast and attract clients, having had no previous business experience and next to no money as a back-up.

Nicky Pasquier is the founder of Virtuoso Assistant, which helps start-ups, entrepreneurs and small businesses captivate their target audience using show-stopping visual content and nurture leads with email marketing strategies.

Nicky used to be a senior legal PA in civil litigation until 2013 when she started working from home as a legal transcriber. Since that time Nicky has grown her business organically without any kind of paid advertising. She has a successful YouTube channel and is proud to be a Brand Ambassador for Canva, a design tool. Virtuoso Assistant specialises in two niche specialism: visual content marketing and email marketing, both of which are long-term and sustainable marketing strategies.

Emily O’Neill – Pink Spaghetti PA Services Maidstone & Sittingbourne

I’m so proud of the difference that I make to my clients as their Virtual Assistant. Many – most! – of my clients didn’t set their businesses up to just manage their digital presence, they set their businesses up to follow their passions and make a difference. And that’s where I come in – my passion as a Virtual Assistant is in digital marketing and social media management, and whilst I do still like to undertake some general administrative tasks for some clients, I provide the majority of my clients with digital support in a variety of ways.

Emily owns Pink Spaghetti Maidstone & Sittingbourne in Kent, and is a Virtual PA helping creative business owners with their business development, content creation, digital marketing and their social media. She has worked as a PA to Trustees, Chief Executives and Directors for a number of years and has been ‘virtual’ for over two years. She has a passion for using social media and digital marketing positively and confidently within her business and her client’s businesses too.

Nikki Podd – Padstone PA

Although I am Virtual Assistant, I meet my clients face to face as often as possible to help grow the bond (and have a good natter). I will always be willing to travel to meet a client for a meeting or a social catch up. There have been a few occasions when my clients have asked me to carry out a task that I have little experience with. I take this in my stride, do my research and get the task done. I feel I bring empathy and positivity which brings my service over and above the norm.

Adaptability is my strength. Having survived careers involving Hairdressing, Banking, Yachting, Receptionist, Motherhood, PA and VA, you could say I love to turn my hand and get the job done. I stay positive and make it happen.

Stephanie Price – EnterPrice Virtual Assistant

I like being creative and getting my social followers involved. I enjoy helping other businesses streamline their processes and reduce their work stress by working together.

Stephanie Price, working mum of two with the ambition to help and support all business and medical professionals in reducing their workload and work smarter together.

Karen Brooks – Pellings Business Solutions

I have surrounded myself with a team who are trustworthy, reliable and experts in their field, all cherry picked by myself to ensure that my clients continue to get the best service that they have been used to whilst working directly with myself. We not only improve our client’s businesses but we mentor, develop and save them money by taking on their time-consuming tasks that they either do not want to do, can’t do, don’t have time to do.

I run a Virtual PA business designed to help others grow their business and achieve their goals by working alongside our clients to understand their needs, their vision and their processes. We work IN the business so they can work ON their business. Pellings Business Solutions believes in a good work/life balance and ensuring our clients achieve the same balance is important to us. I am a mum of 2 and have built my business to ensure that I maintain my work/life balance whilst my business has grown and will continue to work in that manner as we grow further.

Congratulations to these incredible, attention orientated and skilled women!

Join us on the 9th March in London as we celebrate international women’s day and the work women are doing in digital and business.