A Week in the Life... Jo, Virtual Assistant
Hi! My name is Jo.
I am a Virtual Assistant for Maidenhead Planning. I am based in Manchester but am originally from Dublin, Ireland. I am a Freelance PA and Admin Assistant through Clear Day, who provide a wide range of business support to small business owners. I have nearly two decades of experience in the architectural and building surveying sector, so it is a pleasure to use my knowledge to help Wouter. I provide admin services to Maidenhead Planning on a weekly basis, creating content for the blogs and social media posts and helping out with their client interaction through newsletters, emails etc.
What does my week entail?
I decided to become a Virtual Assistant because working for myself and at home fits in well with my primary school-aged children. I can manage my hours and workload around the rest of the responsibilities that come with small children – school runs, after-school activities, holidays (the list goes on!). I also get a real kick out of helping people get on top of those admin jobs that just seem to pile up while they get on with doing whatever they do best.
I provide virtual and on-site assistance to a number of different clients throughout the week, both through Clear Day and my own business. To manage my time effectively, I allocate specific days to clients, depending on the number of working hours agreed. This means each client gets a good chunk of time devoted to them in one go each week. I work in school hours only, but I must admit the evening and weekends do get used during busy periods! I work five days a week 9 until 3, but I always stop for lunch with my office buddy, my husband, who is also currently working from home. I do try to have a short day at least once a week to tackle the house or get some non-work organising done.
It was the school holidays for the last two weeks so I’m glad to be back to my normal routine! This is what this week looked like for me:
Monday
9am – 10am – After dropping the kids to school and walking the dog, I check my emails from over the weekend. I answer anything that I can and make note of anything that needs further looking into. I do an email check for another client who Clear Day monitor an account for.
10am – 12.30 noon – Mondays are normally set aside for Maidenhead Planning. It’s blog week, so I settle down to research and write the first draft of the blog. Luckily the blog is about me! So not much research needed. Although I am struck by how difficult it can be to talk about yourself!
1pm – 3pm – Next up is Facebook posts for Maidenhead. I write some text and find some suitable photos to share on the Facebook page. I try to ensure all three posts for the week are scheduled on a Monday. We’re looking into streamlining the emails that clients receive, so I spend some time familiarising myself with the new client software. Then it’s off to collect the kids and bring them to swimming.
Tuesday
10am – 1pm – Email checks. On Tuesdays, I go on-site to a client’s studio. She’s a Photographer and I am excited to be returning to on-site support as she has been closed through the most recent lockdown.
2pm – 3pm – Home again, and I work on the blog for Maidenhead Planning. I always research and write one day, then go back and make any changes the following day. It lets me think about what I’ve written overnight. Often I make quite a few changes! I send the draft to Wouter for comment. I’m running a bit late today, so I have to really rush to the school to collect the kids in time!
Wednesday
9am – 10am – Emails and general admin tasks.
10am – 12 noon – I am on-site with a Clear Day client today. He is an Accountant. I provide on-site administration support.
1pm – Home and Wouter has okayed the blog. I send the copy to the website providers who organise the publishing for Friday.
2pm – 3pm – It is my daughter’s birthday tomorrow, so I spend some time wrapping presents and organising decorations for the morning.
Thursday
9am – 10 noon – After great birthday excitement, I need a longer dog walk and a nice coffee to calm down!
10am – 2pm – Thursday are set aside for client who are in IT. I look after their invoicing for them.
2pm – 3pm – I finish a bit early today to get a birthday tea ready for my daughter. Her Nanny is coming for an outside celebration. Thank goodness the sun is out!
Friday
9am – 10am – Emails and general admin tasks.
10am – 11am – I post the published blog to Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Business Page for Maidenhead Planning.
11am – 12pm – I catch up on my business admin, sorting out timesheets, answering any outstanding queries or issues. Then it’s time to finish for the week, ready to start again on Monday.
Why I love my job
I love my job because it allows me to work and be around for my children. No two days are ever the same and I love all the different tasks I carry out for my clients. I also love that I get to work with so many interesting people, doing interesting things. I love the ease of working from home, but now that I can return to some on-site work, even though it’s social distant with masks, it’s even nicer to get out of the house!
Why I enjoy working with Wouter
I enjoy working with Wouter because of his passion and interest in all things building. He is obviously a talented designer and problem solver and he seems to create a great client rapport. I would recommend him to anyone who needs an architectural designer. We have a great working relationship. He always sets clear work parameters and I am proud he trusts my judgement when needs be. Maidenhead Planning is a great place to be!
Posted on April 23rd 2021
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