Having worked for ten years as an Executive Personal Assistant, I started Joanne Manville Virtual Assistance in 2015. We support growing businesses by giving managers and founders the space to concentrate on what they do best. I was honoured to to win the award of UK Outstanding VA 2020 and 2019 and Small Business of the Year in the Devon Women in Business Awards in 2022.
How much do you know about Digital Marketing and how things are changing? Tips from the Optix Solutions Digital Marketing Conference In November I attended a great Digital Marketing workshop run by a local Digital Marketing firm, Optix Solutions. The event covered digital marketing trends and how things are likely to change in the…
Why volunteering matters You may not know that I have been an active member of the Scouting movement in Exeter for around twenty years. Over this time I have held a number of roles, beginning as a pack helper with the 6th Exeter (St Thomas) Cub Pack, and soon then achieving my Warrant and…
30 Day Blogging Challenge It appears that everything has to be done in 30 days when you have a new business! I started my research into launching my Virtual Assistant business by following a book called The 30 Day VA Challenge. I’ve given myself 30 days to try different business networks to see what suits…
The story of my PA-EA-VA career The role of a Personal Assistant or Executive Assistant is a hugely rewarding and varied role. Long gone are the days of when the role was purely a secretarial one, the modern PA/EA is a strategic partner in any business. Yes, we undertake traditional tasks such as minute taking,…
Information Overload One of the most difficult things that I am finding as a new business owner is the mass of information out there, and the vast number of tools available! You’d think this would be a positive thing but it can be quite overwhelming! Don’t get me wrong, the internet is a wonderful thing,…
“My name is Joanne Manville and I’m a Virtual Assistant” This morning I attended my first Business Networking meeting as ‘Joanne Manville, Virtual Assistant’. I made sure that last night I had laid out the clothes I was going to wear, to ensure that with sleep in my eyes I wouldn’t turn up in my…
My first blog post! Wow! So, this is my first ever blog post! What on earth do I start with? At the end of August I decided to give notice and embark upon a very exciting new adventure – my own business! For a long while now, people have been saying to me ‘you can…