Meet The Member - Charlotte of Charlotte Jefferis Virtual Assistant
Charlotte Jefferis Virtual Assistant, hertfordshire
We interviewed our member Charlotte to find out more about being a Virtual Assistant, and how she can help you.
Hi Charlotte, it’s a pleasure to have you as part of We Are Community and thanks for chatting with us. You’re a Virtual Assistant – when did you set up your company?
Thank you so much for having me. I set up and then launched my company in 2021. For years whilst I worked in London as an Executive Assistant, I have always had the idea that I wanted to set up as a Virtual Assistant. I went on maternity leave with my first son in 2019 and then Covid hit in 2020. I was due to return to work, however that now looked a little different and without childcare I wasn’t able to go back to my job full time. I made the decision then to set up my Virtual Assistant business and I’m so glad I did.
What are your main objectives in being a virtual assistant to businesses and individuals?
My main objective is to give back time. To take away those important but time expensive tasks to enable you to focus on the key areas of your business.
To provide individuals and businesses with a service that provides them even more flexibility.
To save individuals and businesses time and money and to help them grow with the services I offer.
What services do you provide?
I provide: Business Administration Support, Full EA/PA support and Event management. As a Virtual Assistant business owner, I offer a variety of administrative, technical, and creative tasks virtually that enable entrepreneurs and small business owners to concentrate on their business and customers.
What are core values that your company embodies?
I pride myself on my work ethic and my core values, integrity, professionalism, loyalty, honesty, confidentiality, and kindness.
You have nearly twenty years’ experience in administration and have worked as a PA/VA for celebrities, international companies, and entrepreneurs. What have you loved about your roles to date?
What I have loved most are the amazing businesswomen and men that I have worked for and with and I have learnt so much about business from. I love business, I get excited about business ideas, how to evolve and what’s current, I love keeping up to date on trends in business and in my personal life. That no two days are the same, that you really can achieve anything you put your mind to (one of the affirmations my son and I say before school each morning). I have loved the variety, the people, the amount of organisation that goes into being a VA/EA, the juggling, multitasking, the challenge, the amazing events, and private jets.
But what I really love the most is that it has led me to where I am now and it has made me enjoy and make the most out of life, to enjoy the little moments, spending time with my family, having the flexibility that I have never had before working in those other roles. I love where I am now, the work I am doing, the people I am working with and the quality time I have with my family and friends.
Where do you see your expertise most benefits local companies?
There are so many amazing local companies, what I have found with a lot of companies is not having enough time to focus on their own business, as they are so busy with their clients, and working on areas of the business that takes up a lot of their time, there isn’t any time left to focus on growing the business or for new ideas.
I can definitely benefit a local company that is looking to be more organised to be able to focus on their business more, to help with all of the administration that goes into running a business, (there is usually a lot), someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to be your right hand woman, that knows and understands business and gets how important your business is to you, how hard you have worked to get it to where it is today.
What steps do you undertake when embarking on a new working relationship with clients?
Once a potential client has shown interest in my services, it’s important to schedule a meeting with them, I would set up a discovery call. I would then prepare for the discovery call; this is where I would want to get a feel for your business and help you envision my role as a VA working with their business. When the call is complete, I will send follow-up notes of the call (recap the conversation and any needed action items).
I would then send a copy of my Contract along with the follow up notes. Followed by my invoice. Once I have the signed contract back and the invoice is paid for your very first package, now it is time to set up our onboarding meeting.
This meeting is a one-time meeting, usually lasting about 45 minutes, where I will go over all the specifics of our working relationship. During this meeting, we will discuss my working hours and procedures, set up how we will work, get the documents and passwords that I need to do my job successfully.
It’s all about being proactive and communicating regularly with my client about their current projects.
Organisation is key.
How well does remote working suit you and your clients?
We can work from virtually anywhere now, which can enhance productivity, save time and money, enjoy a flexible work schedule, increase motivation, it suits both myself and my clients.
Business isn’t a 9-5, especially for my clients and I think as long as you keep communication channels open, make sure you have regular check-ins, whether over the phone, via video conferencing, or through email, you are responsive, proactive and follow up, then it can be a beneficial way of working for both myself and my client.
When you’re not in work mode, do you have any favourite hotspots that you like to visit in Harpenden?
There are so many. Although it doesn’t feel like work, my favourite hotspot at the moment is The Harpenden Collective, it’s such an amazing community. I enjoy a bootcamp workout on a Thursday morning with Emily from embodyfitness, she is amazing, and you know you’ve had a workout.
I love Harpenden, I went to school in Harpenden it’s where my Husband and I first lived together, it’s where we spend a lot of our time as a family with our two boys.
We love to have a brunch/lunch at The Silver Palette and the new deli is amazing. The Farmers Market once a month on a Sunday morning, the park, the tennis club, dinner, and drinks out at many of the restaurants, we are spoilt for choice here in Harpenden. I love the community feel for both work and pleasure.