Member Spotlight: Erin Buck – Virtual & Social Media Assistant – Bizzybee
Showcasing the work and skills of our community and members is an important part of the work we’re doing at Digital Women.
And with our series of Member Spotlights, we help our community get to know members better.
This Member Spotlight highlights Erin Buck – Virtual Assistant at Bizzybee, Erin is a Virtual & Social Media Assistant that helps small businesses gain their time back.
First off – What do you love about Digital Women?
The community spirit and the knowledge I can gain from other businesswomen.
Erin, tell us about your freelance / founder story
Bizzybee was created initially to give myself a sense of purpose, but my drive and determination have made it succeed far beyond what I could have dreamed. In 2016, when I was working in education, I ruptured a disc in my back that needed surgery and 6 months of recovery, but once I returned to work I decided I needed to change my career for my health.
I started my own business in Dog boarding, but over the next 3 years, my back needed 3 more operations, and 2 steroid injections and each time, the risk became greater. My last operation was in 2020. This was going to be the last time we had hoped but only 6 weeks later, I lost the feeling in my right foot.
Through scans and tests, it was discovered that all the operations had created permanent nerve damage and had given me foot drop ( paralysis in the foot). So at 45, I was told I had to close my business, became classified as disabled and wear a leg brace to walk. I was devastated as it had not been how I had envisioned my future. I also realised that I would find it difficult to be employed in a ‘9 – 5’ job due to my appointments and the limitations I now had, but I needed to be useful, to have something to work towards and achieve, for me. This was the beginning of Bizzybee Virtual assistant.
While I gathered information and completed courses to help me, I started work with my first clients. When lockdown arrived, I found it only made my business more appealing, and I promoted it by purely using networking and social media. I continued to work hard, network on Facebook, Instagram and clubhouse, promote myself and work on expanding my skills and business.
Eventually, I could no longer take on big long-term clients. I am now in the lucky position of being able to pick and choose who and what I work with.
My clients are happy with my work, my ethos and my involvement in their businesses. I could have just stopped in 2020, but I didn’t. I continually pushed forward and improved myself and my business.
Erin, tell us more about you, your work and the services you provide:
I help small creative businesses by doing any task that they
a) don’t have the time to do
b) don’t have the skill to do
c) Just don’t want to do it. It allows them to have more time to concentrate on the core areas of the business.
And the services you provide?
Online Media Management, General Admin, Email Management, Market, product, and competitor research, Lifestyle management.
What Digital Skills do you think are most important for Founders / Freelancers?
I think you need to be up to date with the vast amount of software and hardware out there that can help you save time and grow your business. It changes so quickly that you could be making it hard for yourself by not keeping up. Things like different communication apps, Project management tools, Financial software for your accounts, and apps to enhance your Social Media experience.
What is your favourite social media channel and why?
Instagram, because I feel I can be creative with my content and have fun.
Where do you go to learn new digital skills for your business?
Here at digital women as well as Hubspot, Google, courseca, reed.co.uk
Tell us one thing you’ve gained from being a member of Digital Women
Digital Women have provided a great network of other business entrepreneurs that provide support and community.
