35 | Q4 2020 Oct20104 Experts In Flexible Working Get Ahead is a ‘virtual agency’ that specialises in helping businesses of all sizes and from all sectors to get ahead. Whether that involves generating sales or focusing on strategy and vision, the award-winning team of highly experienced virtual specialists help to free-up clients from the day-to-day running of their business so they can focus on taking it to the next level. From will writers and window cleaners to financial consultants and fashion designers, Get Ahead’s clients are motivated and driven business owners with clear plans for business growth. Located right across the UK, these businesses recognise the value of outsourcing and passing on tasks to others where they lack the skills or don’t have the time to do them. By providing virtual business support on an hourly, project or ongoing basis, Get Ahead’s virtual agency service enables their clients to get back to what they do best – growing and running their businesses. Get Ahead was founded ten years ago by Rebecca Newenham, an evangelist for flexible working and a great supporter of her fellow entrepreneurs. “Flexibility has always been at the core of our business and it something that we are passionate about,” she enthuses, speaking of the business’s core values. “Flexible work is engrained in our ethos, from allowing our virtual specialists to work flexibly and remotely, using their significant skills to help SMEs, to our clients themselves.” By using Get Ahead’s services on a flexible basis, SMEs are not tied into long term Working with fast-moving businesses who are looking for expert virtual support is what Get Ahead specialises in. Recently, we caught up with the business’s founder to understand about the concept of a virtual agency and to uncover the key to its success. contracts. This virtual agency model means clients can use their wide range of marketing and business support services, from blogging to bookkeeping and Twitter to telephone answering, as and when they need them. It is this ‘one stop shop’ approach, combined with flexibility and expertise of such a diverse team, that Rebecca believes makes the company so successful. As many of the 40+ virtual specialists have decades of experience in their fields and have worked for large, well-known corporate firms, they have the chance to utilise their significant skills to make a difference to SMEs across the UK. “Our team deliver our services so they are absolutely vital to the success of Get Ahead VA,” she continues. “Managing a large remote team of over 40 virtual specialists and 9 regional directors has its challenges, but we all come together through collaborative tools such as Teams and Zoom on a regular basis. Our team all share the same commitment to flexible working and collaborating together to do the best for our clients.” In fact, to highlight the virtual agency’s success, Rebecca and the team were presented with an award for their commitment to Flexible Working, being crowned Flexible Business of the Year, alongside being nominated in many other awards such as the Thames Valley Business Awards and the Surrey SME awards. Whilst virtual assistants were quite well established in the US when Get Ahead was founded, the term was quite unknown here in the UK. However, over the past few years, Rebecca has seen a dramatic rise in the number of companies outsourcing and people choosing to become self-employed. Virtual assistants are now much more mainstream as many businesses and individuals have realised the benefits of outsourcing to help them focus on their core skills. Outsourcing also enables companies to remain agile in a changing economy by keeping fixed costs low, and only tapping into business support services as and when they need them. “Particularly this year, we have seen a big increase in the number of people approaching us about becoming Regional Directors for Get Ahead” she explains. “Many have been furloughed and made redundant due to Coronavirus, and are looking for new ways to take control of their careers by working flexibly and remotely.” This year Get Ahead celebrated 10 years in business. Whilst Rebecca and the team enjoyed reflecting on everything that they have achieved over the past decade, there are clearly some huge economic challenges for SMEs at the moment. But as a flexible, virtual team Get Ahead is well placed to help SMEs navigate the storm. “We look forward to continuing to expand our regional presence next year. Whilst our services can be delivered anywhere, having regional directors in place allows us to build personal connections with SMEs in different regions up and down the country.” Contact: Rebecca Newenham Company: Get Ahead VA – Your Virtual Agency Web Address: https://getaheadva.com/
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