A Peterborough Virtual Assistant (VA) is a regional finalist in prestigious awards within the sector. Heidi Setchfield, of Setchfield VA Services, has been shortlisted for East Midlands VA of the Year 2020, at the UK VA Awards.
The first UK VA Awards were held in 2007, and since then the VA sector has gone from strength to strength. The growth in self-employment and entrepreneurship is fuelling the growing need for VAs. Freelancers, coaches, consultants and other small businesses are looking for support without the fixed cost of hiring an assistant.
“Small businesses often need an extra pair of hands they can trust,” Heidi says. “They want to focus on delivering their core services and generating sales rather than admin. Sometimes, of course, it’s just that some everyday tasks are time-consuming, or even a bit boring for a business owner or entrepreneur.
“A good VA frees their clients up from such tasks. We let them get on with other things, knowing that the VA they entrust to the VA will do everything efficiently and without delay.”
Setchfield VA Services supports clients across multiple sectors. Examples include life and business coaches and businesses in the health and wellness industries.
Heidi explains why companies like this are especially embracing VA services: “These are people who need to spend as much time as possible with customers. It’s what they are all about, and it’s how they generate revenue. I make sure that things run smoothly behind the scenes. That can be anything from booking appointments and making travel arrangements, to research and typing. My service enables my clients to maximise their customer-facing time, and therefore, turnover and growth for their business.”
This award nomination joins the ‘Highly Commended’ accolade that Heidi won in the Peterborough Small Business Awards in 2018. That was especially welcome as it came just a few months after Heidi went it alone as a virtual assistant, after 20 years as a senior PA.
Heidi says: “VA of the Year winners are due to be announced in October. Naturally, I’m very excited about being a finalist. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to my success. Especially my clients and people who have supported and collaborated with me over the last two and a half years.”
