On Friday 11 June, I began my journey to the annual VA Conference and Awards 2010, which was held at the Forest of Arden, Marriott Hotel in Birmingham. I began my day fairly stressed because I had run my 4N group in Medway from 8am to 10am and thought I had lost my car key. I was effectively stranded (or so I thought). Thanks to Roselyn Knight of Borg Knight Solicitors and Andy Setterfield of The Hoodeners Horse, who stayed with me to look for it. To cut a long story short, I found the stupid key; in my bra! Yes, in my bra. If you want the full story, you’ll have to hear it from me firsthand!
Despite the “excitement” of the morning, I managed to make it on time to Sittingbourne to meet the lovely Charlotte Burford of Burford VA. We were dropped off by Charlotte’s husband Martyn and met with Alexia Padgham, Tracey White and Caroline Gipson. We nicknamed the car the #KentKab and sent tweets out using this hashtag. After a horrendous 4.5 hour journey we finally arrived in Birmingham and just in time for the Pre-Conference dinner. There was a buzz that evening and you’ll see why later.
The following day was phenomenal. We had fantastic inspirational speakers at the event; Mark Shaw (@markshaw), Steve Clarke (@uksalesmentor), Nick Williams (@nickwilliams1), Sarah Jayne Hewitt (@sarajhewitt), Richard White (@richard_white), Paul Fuggle (@paulfuggle) and last but not least Brad Burton (@BradBurton). Delegate and speaker alike also interacted via Twitter using the hashtags #VAUK10 and #UKVA10. If you follow both hashtags, you will see the buzz that was being felt in the room.
The other reason that the conference buzzed (in my very humble opinion), was due to a fantastic group of ladies that had been chatting via Skype for nearly a year called the VA Support Group (VASG). 18 members of the (at the time) 70 strong group had travelled down (and up) to Birmingham from all corners of the UK, to attend the conference but mainly to meet each other for the first time. The furthest traveller was Diane Murray (@hebrideangirl), who had travelled all the way from the Outer Hebrides no less. She started her journey on Thursday and arrived in Glasgow where she was met by Caroline Wylie (@virtuallysorted), Lyndsey McKendry (@CallTeam), Marj Beattie (@Secretary4Hire) and Lisa Dunn (@Lisa_HexagonVA). Their vehicle was nicknamed the Tartan Taxi and if you follow the hashtag #TartanTaxi (or #tartan-taxi), you will see all the tweets that were associated with their journey.
The VASG was set up by Anne-Marie Mittleman (@AVirtualAngel) Emily Robe (@emilyrobe), myself last July following a very late night chat on Skype. To know more about our brief history, you can go to our website VA Support Group. Our ethos is “Collaboration not Competition”. I am especially proud because I coined the phrase and it has been wholeheartedly embraced by our members. We make no money from the group, it is not a commercial or money-making venture. As I tell anyone who asks me about it; I see it as a labour of love and my chance to give back to the VA Community. Real friendships and business partnerships have been formed within the group that were cemented by meeting at the Conference. I wish more businesses in different industries, would look at this style of working, it does work and we can attest to that.
So why is my title #VAUK10 – what a difference a year makes? Well it is because it has been one hell of a year for me. I first attended the VA Conference and Awards last year. I had started trading 2 weeks before that conference. It was the first conference I had ever attended in my career, so I was VERY excited. I had connected with a few VAs via Twitter (my very early days – WOW), so was able to put faces to Twitter ids! Fast forward a year and much has changed for me;
1. I have new best friends in Anne-Marie, Emily, Alicia (@absolutepa) and Charlie (@virtualgirluk)
2. I have met the most amazing business women and friends through the VASG
3. VASG is now an award winning group!
We won the Spirit of VA 2010 award at this years conference and I am absolutely delighted. The award was for all of the VASG not just myself and the other Co-Founders. The collaborative buzz that was felt was due to our members (again in my very humble opinion), and I am extremely proud of them. Two of them were finalists in another category and one of them was a Runner-Up (@BurfordVA).
My first year as a VA has been an amazing rollercoaster. It has had its ups and downs and much of it has been hand to mouth. Social Media especially Twitter, has given me access to new business opportunities, suppliers and friends. The one thing I am grateful for is that I have wonderful clients who recognise the value that I add to their business. I don’t have clients that are PITA (DM me on Twitter if you want to know what that means)!
I have to give special mention to Helen Stothard (@hlsbs) who is also a wonderful friend and has embraced the VASG ethos with both hands. She has negotiated fantastic deals with Xero and CapsuleCRM for VASG members. Both these companies have recognised what VAs can bring to the table. They understand that we use technology to run our businesses and that if we find a product that WORKS, we will become raving fans. It’s safe to say that most of us at VASG are raving fans of theirs!
I would like to thank Carmen MacDougall of the VACT (@vatrainingpro) for organising the conference. It was hard work and can be a thankless task, so “thank you”. Thank you to the #naughtytable ladies (follow the hashtag) especially Sarah Bradley (@sjbradley) who now has a nice sideline in #pants4speakers following the conference! The weekend just gone was one of the best I have had so far this year. Roll on #VAUK11.
I will end this post in a similar fashion to my friend Alicia in her blog post here
I learned the following from our speakers last weekend
- “Having followers is not a measure of success on Twitter” @markshaw
- “Sell the sizzle not the sausage” @uksalesmentor
- “How to stay in love with my business” @nickwilliams
- “Profile the clients you love working with and look for them” @sarahjhewitt
- “A good client is one who has a good fit” @paulfuggle
- “If you can DO the job then you’re QUALIFIED” @BradBurton
Wow Dee, thanks for the mention. I am so happy to help support VASG in any way that I can (ps you forgot about the MinuteDock deal as well!.
I have had an amazing year since starting my VA business and have said before and will continue to state for the record that I couldn’t have done it without the help, support and collaboration from my friends in VASG.
It’s such a refreshing change to come across a group like this, where money is not the over riding factor, but the pleasure we get from helping each other succeed, and as I found out recently, having a huge support network there when you need it, I was overwhelmed by the messages of love and support I received from VASG after my recent bereavement.
I was also rather shocked to hear myself referred to as ‘ that’s Helen over there’ several times at the conference lol, I wasn’t sure if it was in a good way or an infamous way. It was amazing to meet up with so many of VASG at the conference, I actually commented it was like meeting old friends as we have got to know each other so well via VASG already.
It was an amazing weekend and thank you so much for introducing me to VASG last year. I so love the ethos you created.
Now…. goes off to ponder who is worthy of the next VASG deal breaker
Ta for the mention Dee!
Fab summary of the weekend – we certainly packed a lot in!
Is it a week already since we were all travelling up to Birmingham?
Time certainly flies…
#pants4speakers – how funny was that? ;o)
#VASG rocks
Fabulous post Dee, really sums up the weekend! I am honoured to be a Co-Founder with you for VASG but more honoured to be your friend, you are savvy business woman, a lovable girl geek and a fantastic friend!