Sophie Burnett, Author at PA Business Support

Sticking together in a brave new (virtual) world

With businesses of all sizes staggered by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, ideas and resources on how to keep afloat are not thin on the ground. In Seattle, one PR firm has started a “Corona: Business Owners Fight Back!’’ Facebook group where small business owners are offering each other support in the form of free services…

March 24, 2020BlogBy Sophie Burnett

How hiring a Virtual Assistant for 40 hours per month can benefit your business

When talking to clients who are hiring a Virtual Assistant for the first time, they will ask the question: how many hours do I need my VA to do? Usually, they have no idea – which is natural of course! So they will ask us what we think. Our reply is always that we recommend…

February 12, 2020BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Challenges facing hiring managers in 2020 – Part 2

Welcome back to our two-part series on the challenges facing hiring managers in 2020. If you’ve recently tried (and maybe failed) to hire someone, are about to, or are currently in the middle of it (i.e. pulling your hair out), then this is the article for you! Here at PA Business Support, we spend a…

December 4, 2019BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Challenges facing hiring managers in 2020 – Part 1

You know the expression, “You just can’t get the staff these days”? What if we told you that it was actually an accurate statement? If you’re an HR manager, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. According to a recent report, 79% of hiring managers agree that they struggle to find people with the right…

November 6, 2019BlogBy Sophie Burnett

A guide to implementing wellbeing in your business

Wellbeing is a bit of a buzzword at the moment. And that’s a problem. We get excited about buzzwords, but tend to overlook that a proper integrated approach to something that’s currently trending means moving as far away as possible from the ‘buzz’ and focusing on clear, unbiased, objective analysis. So let’s take a closer…

October 1, 2019BlogBy Sophie Burnett

5 steps to becoming an ‘eco-friendlier’ business

Sustainability. Most people assume it’s just for big multi-national companies. However, with SMEs now responsible for nearly half of the UK’s private business, prioritising ethics over profits should be a fundamental foundation for good commercial strategy. Not only will it make your clients and customers happy, but do it right and it’ll make the accountants…

August 14, 2019BlogBy Sophie Burnett

5 Essential Hires To Grow Your Small Business

Almost all businesses start as one-man or one-woman bands. Then, one day you’re taking care of the finance, cold-calling for sales, managing your schedule, checking your orders, going through your brand social media… and suddenly you realise you’re spread too thin. You’ve hit a ceiling – and if you don’t start hiring people soon, you’ll…

July 2, 2019BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Keeping employees motivated and driven may not be as hard as you think. Here’s why…

Motivation in the workplace is a tough one. Partly because of the ever-shifting way modern business operates, with a constant influx of new technology, models and sectors. Mostly because it requires identifying and understanding each employee as an individual, even though everyone needs to be working together, in the same direction, as part of a…

May 1, 2019BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Our Top 3 female entrepreneurs for 2019

A ton of businesswomen have been making headlines recently, especially in Tech: Hadley Beeman is now leading the NHS’ attempt to modernise its internal systems; Ofcom CEO Sharon White has taken BT to task over improving the UK’s high-speed broadband network; LinkedIn’s new national News Editor and tech journalist Emily Spaven is on a mission…

April 12, 2019BlogBy Sophie Burnett

2019 for SMEs: What risks lie ahead?

For those of us who just finished weathering the tide of the new GDPR regulations, and are still neck deep in Brexit, this year is shaping up to seem a very daunting year indeed. As we at PA Business Support strive to provide the best virtual assistants to companies in the UK and abroad, we’ve…

February 13, 2019BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Goodbye 2018. Hello 2019!

It’s been an extremely productive year for us at PA Business Support, moving from one exciting development to the next. We’ve continued to expand and grow our partnerships in the UK and now abroad from our recently-opened Singapore office. We’ve brought on-board some new people and even introduced a training programme for developing new talent,…

December 28, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

How To Create a Brand Personality

What does your brand stand for? What is your mission? How do you add value? That all might sound great from your perspective, but what about us as your customers? How does the brand make us feel…do I like it? Does it include or exclude me? Can I relate to it? It’s almost as if…

December 4, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Interview with a supplier: Peter, the website guy

Peter is our go-to person for anything to do with web and digital design. If our website needs to be updated, or an advert needs designing, Peter gets onto it quickly and efficiently. He’s been working with PA Business Support for a good few years now, and he’s continually impressed us. We’ve even come to…

October 26, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

An interview with a Virtual Assistant: Jenn gives us the inside story

Ever thought of working as a Virtual Assistant? At PA Business Support we provide VAs to businesses who need the admin support but aren’t in a position to hire a full-time employee. We’ve explored the benefits of hiring a VA before, but for the candidates themselves it can be a rewarding and flexible way to…

September 24, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Why does Elon Musk always seem to be in trouble?

It’s not been the best year financially or personally for Elon Musk. The man himself described it as the “the most painful and difficult year of my career”, in conversation with the New York Times. His name seems to have never left headlines in 2018 and the last couple of weeks have been no different:…

August 29, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

A guide to choosing the right recruitment agency (for candidates)

Seeking employment in today’s job market is an unwieldy beast to handle. There are so many ways to do it: platforms, apps, websites, social media, recruitment agencies, various online publications and, of course, word of mouth to name but a few. Keeping track of everything is a daunting task, so how are you supposed to…

July 31, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

These are the 2018 factors that PA Business Support say are killing your chances for successful new hires

Recruitment and talent acquisition can be daunting, not to mention a huge drain on time, budget and resources. In 2018 successfully hiring the best people is not as simple as offering the best compensation and letting your reputation do the rest. Here, we outline some factors that can impede or enhance your recruiting success, and…

June 30, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

6 Steps To Getting Your HR Ready For GDPR

GDPR is upon us: if the consequences of not using data transparently weren’t already blindingly clear thanks to the flood of emails you’ve probably been getting about it, the recent media frenzy around the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica story has brought the subject home with stark clarity. No matter your business size, sector or function, the new…

May 15, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

How to scale up and grow your business using a Virtual PA

There comes a time in every business’s life where it’s necessary to expand. When it’s time to focus on new revenue opportunities. Increased demand on you and your employees means hiring new staff…or does it? Hiring a virtual PA can be a smarter, more profitable move that can actually help grow the business and bring…

April 9, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

#metoo and the biggest cultural shift for decades

In the US it has led to #timesup – a movement supported by the National Women’s Law Center which now claims to have over 200 volunteer lawyers and a $20-million subsidiary to support lower-income women seeking justice for sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. #metoo has even inspired movements started by men, aimed at…

March 19, 2018BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Why You Deserve a Personalised Recruitment Service

Recruitment consultants and agencies don’t always have the best reputation. Have you ever been contacted by a recruiter for a job that doesn’t suit your skillset? Or bombarded with inappropriate CVs for a position you are seeking to fill? Unfortunately, if you haven’t had a negative experience yourself, you probably know someone who has. Finding…

July 8, 2017BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Protecting Your Business from Cyber Crime

Many small and medium business owners are underestimating their risk of being targeted by cyber criminals, believing they are less of an attractive target than bigger organisations. Worryingly, the opposite is true, as hackers are increasingly focusing their efforts on small businesses. This is because SMEs tend to have lower defences than larger businesses, usually…

December 20, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

The Power of Presenting

Very few people are born with the natural charisma and confidence that it is assumed great presenters possess. It would be unreasonable to expect a child to learn to ride a bike immediately, or for anyone new to a sport to excel at it from day one. Presenting is a skill like any other, requiring…

November 24, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Exciting Awards Nomination for PA Business Support

In the sometimes volatile and unpredictable world of business, it is important to celebrate your achievements. Revelling in the successes is what can motivate you during the tough times, providing a catalyst for future accomplishment. With all that in mind, we are incredibly proud to announce that PA Business Support has been nominated for the…

September 16, 2016News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

How has the Brexit Vote affected SMEs?

On the 21st June 2016, we wrote a post that detailed how we felt the referendum vote would affect SMEs. We sourced information from both sides of the argument and highlighted what some of those at the forefront of each movement were anticipating. Well, now we know the result and it is that Britain will…

August 19, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Top Time Management Software Apps

Effectively managing your time as a SME is incredibly important. In the early days, you may have to focus on running the business, performing the service and driving the sales all by yourself. Even when you progress and grow, you may still find that you are performing the same tasks but have added employee duties…

August 1, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Valuing Your Time – How Delegating Tasks Can Save You Time

At PA Business Support, we meet and work with business owners from across the UK and Europe. There is huge diversity in the sectors that they represent, and the services and products they provide. Even the size of the organisations we work with varies; from small, single director companies, to larger nationals with staff at…

July 26, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

How the EU Referendum Might Affect SMEs

On Thursday 23rd June, the UK has been given the opportunity to vote on whether we remain inside, or leave the European Union. Many would say that the EU referendum debate has been wholly negative to date, with campaigners from both sides predicting disaster and disarray should their opponent win. There is no denying that…

June 21, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

The rise and celebration of Mental Health Awareness at work

Last week the UK celebrated Mental Health Awareness week – an opportunity for employers, groups and organisations across the country to talk mental health and surrounding issues. Sounds simple, but it hasn’t always been this way – traditionally in the workplace employers are well versed in the dos and don’t surrounding physical illness. The enigma…

May 26, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Putting your best foot forward

Is ‘dressing to impress’ still relevant for today’s working woman? What to wear is all part of the daily grind for most of us – unless your role requires uniform, you are responsible for looking the part in your working life. But what does that actually mean? What expectation is there on today’s woman to…

May 19, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

5 of the latest tools to take your SME to the next level

With more and more employees expecting remote working, hot desking and an actual work/life balance, SMEs find themselves needing tools powerful enough for workers to get business done before they clock off. There are plenty of well-known tools out there that you’re probably already using, but which ones could complement or even replace your existing…

April 1, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Artificial Intelligence – Help or hindrance?

If you’re moving in the circles of virtual assistants at any levels, the chances are you’ve had ‘that’ conversation. The one where you’re kindly explaining the ins and outs of your profession, only to be met with a smarmy grin and the shiny glare of a smartphone or computer in tandem with the question –…

February 18, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Optimus Education: Successful Leadership in Business

Back in September 2015 business leaders were asked to work with schools to use their expertise to help transform student’s lives and apply their knowledge and experience to help raise education standards. Optimus Education recently spoke to Sophie to get her thoughts on leadership in schools across the country and how successful entrepreneurs felt about…

February 9, 2016News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

Making the best out of networking

Networking is one of those Marmite kind of words – you either love it or hate it. Business is easy if you can bowl into a room of strangers and not only make ‘friends’ but actually address a underlying business agenda at the same time. For those who don’t flow into it so easily, much…

January 15, 2016BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Celebrating one year as a united force

The strike of the New Year not only kicks off a new start for 2016, but brings extra celebration for us here at PA Business Support as it officially marks one year as a joint enterprise – Happy Birthday to us! Those of you who have followed our journey more closely will know directors Sabina…

December 24, 2015BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Why the blue bird is good for business

For some of you, it’s the place you run to and splurge all your innermost thoughts daily. For some of you, it’s an annoying bolt on to your ever-increasing workload. For some of you, it might simply just be that annoying little blue bird symbol you see splattered across pretty much all aspects of modern…

November 27, 2015BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Guest Blog: Choosing the best digital marketing agency

Thanks to Justine Perry, Managing Director of award-winning digital marketing agency, Cariad Marketing for penning a guest blog! So, the time has come to spread the word about your services and products to a wider audience. You know digital marketing is the way forward yet you have neither the time nor the expertise to do…

November 11, 2015BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Featured in Hertfordshire Advertiser

Thank you to the Hertfordshire Advertiser for featuring us in their Let’s talk business’ section following our award nomination. Our Great British Entrepreneur Awards nomination in the category of ‘Micro Business’ has given us fantastic opportunities to talk about why we are proud of our business and to share our journey over the last 10…

October 15, 2015News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

The East of England Business Awards

We are thrilled to be in the finals for the East of England Business Champions Awards in the category of ‘Best New Business’. Entering this award gave us the opportunity to showcase our business and also look back over the last 10 months to see how far we have come. It’s certainly been a roller-coaster ride…

October 13, 2015News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards

We are extremely happy to announce that PA Business Support Limited is a finalist in The Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Micro Business category. Since merging our businesses in January 2015, we have been working hard behind the scenes to build our team and client base, so we feel honoured to be recognised for a national…

September 15, 2015News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

Celebrating community business with St Albans Chamber of Commerce

What a fantastic evening we had at the St Albans Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards! Held at St Albans Cathedral, it was a spectacular event. With champagne flowing we were tempted by delicious canapés as we mingled between the beautiful floral displays for the Music in Bloom Festival. The awards celebrate the contribution of…

October 17, 2014BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Sophie a finalist: St Albans District Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards

I am delighted to announce that I have been named as a finalist in the St Albans District Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards. The awards recognise not solely successes and achievements but also the impact of those achievements on the business community and the people working within it. The winners will be announced at…

August 11, 2014BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Sophie Burnett named Young Business Person of the Year!

With the standard so high this year I didn’t think I had a chance of winning – however on 12 June 2014 I was awarded the title of Young Business Person of the Year by the Hertfordshire Federation of Small Business Awards. In announcing the results the judges commented on my ‘hardwork, vision and growth’…

June 20, 2014BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Sophie’s business award featured in Hemel Gazette’s Business Weekly

Sophie’s recent win at the Hertfordshire FSB Business Awards was featured in the Hemel Hempstead Gazette’s Business Weekly magazine.

Named Young Business Person of the Year, Sophie is photographed with winners from other award categories.

June 1, 2014News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

We made the finals!

What a fantastic week! PA Business Support has been selected as a finalist for the Federation of Small Business (FSB) Hertfordshire Business Awards in the Young Business Person of the Year category. It’s good practice to regularly review your business but how often do we have time to really look at just how far we…

May 15, 2014BlogBy Sophie Burnett

The Guardian Small Business Showcase: Smarter Working: PA Business Support

PA Business Support is excited to be featured in the Guardian’s Small Business Showcase, along with other small businesses from across the country who demonstrate best practice in what they do. Smarter Working: PA Business Support “As a company we offer clients virtual assistant support in both business and lifestyle” “I started the business alone…

May 1, 2014News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

Business Support among Hertfordshire’s best

Printed in the Hertfordshire Business Independent May 20 2014. PA Business Support founder, Sophie Burnett, has been recognised as a finalist in the Hertfordshire Federation of Small Business Awards. Having set up the virtual assistance business in 2010 at just 26 years of age, Sophie is a worthy contender for the Young Business Person of…

May 1, 2014News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

Meet our VA: Helen

What were you doing before you became a VA for PABS? I was PA to the Sales Director at the UK’s largest travel company for many years, and then for the Business Development Director and co-founder of a publishing company. More recently I was a PA to the Executive Director of a wonderful charity which…

April 17, 2014BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Working with people you like

‘Remember Sophie, only work with people you like!’. I was given this piece of advice when I first set up PA Business Support. In the beginning I was keen to work with anyone and everyone, but I soon realised that the key to any business success is working with good quality suppliers, clients and of…

March 22, 2014BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Grow your brand with killer social media content

Has your excitement about the potential of social media to grow your business been replaced with a dull feeling of inadequacy? There are only so many times you can watch as your painstakingly crafted post disappears into a stream of info-traffic without being noticed. So how do you make social media work for you? Investing…

February 5, 2014BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Meet our VA: Georgie

What were you doing before you became a social media and digital communications specialist for PABS? Contracting as a digital communications advisor in Australia and New Zealand. Including running a year-long interactive anniversary celebration for an Australian University and more recently managing online communication for the New Zealand government’s Earthquake Commission, part of the Christchurch…

January 9, 2014BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Meet our VA: Mireille

What were you doing before you became a VA for PABS? I was a PA in precision fabrics for the screen-printing and the filtration industry, pharmaceutical, Private Equity firms and not-for-profit organisations. What have been your greatest achievements to date? Organising 3 day-meetings for 200 people in various European cities, sorting out expenses spanning the…

November 12, 2013BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Sophie to help local business growth

PA Business Support is delighted to announce that Sophie has been appointed a new board director for the St Albans Enterprise Agency (STANTA). Sophie is one of three new directors brought in to help STANTA become the first point of call for all start ups and new businesses looking for guidance and support. Along with…

November 1, 2013News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

Do you know your brand’s social identity?

Do you know your brand inside out? If not, releasing your brand into the digital world where it can be prodded and poked would be like going to a party naked. Very unsettling! Get to know your brand so that what you post, share and comment on leaves a lasting impression and is consistent. Back…

July 21, 2013BlogBy Sophie Burnett

The Art of Delegation

Recently featured in The Entrepreneur – Sophie is talking about The Art of Delegation…

June 1, 2013News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

Virtual Celebration: Happy 3rd Birthday!

It’s our third birthday this month and what a 3 years it’s been! We are delighted to say we’ve made it, we’re still here and we’re stronger than ever. The team is continually building and we’re always looking for new team members with specialist skills. If you are looking to become a VA and to join an…

April 11, 2013BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Happy New Year – Do you want a more organised you?

So it’s 2013 and you want to start the year off with some clarity and focus. This means what? Being more organised? Feeling less stressed? Spending more time with the family and less time at work? Eating less chocolate? We can’t help you with the chocolate (the team here are trying to do that themselves!)…

January 4, 2013BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Guest Blog: Virtual Marketing

Alison Page of ACP Marketing offers marketing support and creative management services to SME’s in Herts, Beds and Bucks who are either unable or unwilling to commit to a full-time marketing resource. Alison kindly offered to write a blog for us on virtual marketing and whether it’s really possible: Wikipedia defines marketing as ‘the process of communicating…

October 19, 2012BlogBy Sophie Burnett

PA Lifestyle Support

Would you believe we opened just under 18 months ago? How time has flown and business has progressed. We are delighted to be where we are now. We have a fantastic team and some wonderful clients. Most recently we’ve been working on the launch of our new lifestyle concierge service… PA Lifestyle Support. It focuses on supporting…

October 3, 2012BlogBy Sophie Burnett

What is a Virtual Assistant?

A Virtual Assistant (VA) supports you and your business on a remote basis by taking responsibility for your administration and working with you to achieve your goals. You still receive the same level of service as you would from an on-site Personal Assistant (PA) but without the need to provide office space and employing them. What…

September 2, 2012BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Guest Blogging for intelligentVA

Sophie’s been talking to Helen Stothard of HLS Business Solutions about her journey over the last two years building PA Business Support.

July 1, 2012BlogBy Sophie Burnett

Taming those Public Speaking Monkeys!

We’ve recently been working with the fabulous Dee Clayton of DeeClayton.com and Simply Amazing Training. Sophie is an avid fan of Dee’s new book and has recently written a guest blog for Dee on how it has helped her overcome her public speaking nerves. Read on for more information…

June 1, 2012BlogBy Sophie Burnett

ExecSec Summit 2012

Sophie is delighted to have been asked to be a speaker at the PA Life Magazine ExecSec Summit 2012 Conference on the 16th and 17th April in the beautiful Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire. It is a fantastic event that supports PAs, Office Managers, Administrators and Virtual Assistants with the challenges faced in today’s business environment. Sophie will be…

April 1, 2012News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

BBC 3 Counties Radio

Sophie has been talking to BBC 3 Counties Radio about PA Business Support and what we can do to help clients. Click here to listen!

March 1, 2012News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

PA Life Magazine

So what is the trouble with being a VA? Sophie explains to PA Life Magazine what life is like as a Virtual Assistant and what keeps her sane! Click here to read more.

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February 1, 2012News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

ExecSec Summit

A great start to the year for PA Business Support! The speaker line up for the ExecSec Summit in April of this year has been announced and Sophie is taking part. Have a look here for more information on the event and how to attend!

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January 1, 2012News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett

West Herts Entrepreneur of the Year Award

It has been an exciting month for Sophie at PA Business Support as she was a Finalist in the West Herts Entrepreneur of the Year Award in association with VIVA Networking. It was a fantastic day and Sophie was delighted with her recognition!

March 1, 2011News and eventsBy Sophie Burnett