Winner ‘VA of the Year (South West) 2017’ in the UK VA Awards
Last year I was honoured to be awarded Runner Up – Best Newcomer 2016 in the UK VA Awards.
The awards are sponsored by BeMyVA who organise regional and national VA Award programmes and support the ongoing development of professional standards of VAs by working with the world`s leading organisations and associations.
Having a very busy year this year (2017) I was aware that nominations were open for the 2017 awards, but since returning to work after having my first child, and focusing on growing and building the business, I (almost) forgot to enter – if it had not been a friendly nudge from Amanda Johnson, the VA Trainer, I probably would not have entered this year. But, thanks to Amanda, I did and was absolutely thrilled to bits to be told that I had been shortlisted, and then found out that I was a finalist.
On 11 October, I boarded the train from Exeter to Bristol, to visit the Business Showcase South West, where the awards were being held. The Business Showcase is a twice-yearly exhibition of South West businesses, with stands and exhibitions as well as great seminar sessions. This year the panel of speakers included Facebook, Google and the incredible young entrepreneur Ben Towers (if you have not heard of him, look him up!). It was a great opportunity to make really good use of a day out of the office – learning lots from the seminars and also making connections with other businesses in the South West for my own growth and also to make connections which may be useful for my clients.
“It was a great opportunity to make really good use of a day out of the office”
At 2pm, the award ceremony started and I was over the moon when it was announced that I was this year’s winner. It felt so great as the business is approaching its two year anniversary and I am currently undergoing re-branding, so it seemed perfect timing. After the awards, there were lots of photos with the show organisers and the keynote speakers, and an invite to the post-event show for food and drinks with the exhibitors. I did a piece to camera for the show organisers and was approached by a few of the visitors to find out more about what a Virtual Assistant is and how I might be able to help.
What next? I now go forward with all the other regional finalists to the VA of the Year (England) awards.
Watch this space to read the outcome of the England Finals!
Update: Unfortunately I did not win the UK finals, but entering the awards was a fantastic experience. I will certainly be entering again next year!
For more details on how we can help you to find the space to grow your business, call us on 07814 218142 or email joanne@joannemanville.co.uk or why not download our free guide, 30 ways to use a VA