Business logo of Emma Conway-Hyde The Umbrella TreeI have now been in business as a Virtual Assistant, running The Umbrella Tree, for the last four years.  Having decided I needed a new challenge in my life, after being an administrator and PA for more than 20 years, I set up The Umbrella Tree in May 2016.  I knew that I had all the skills needed and plenty of experience being a PA and was confident that anything else I could learn along the way.

All went well for the first year, and I learnt plenty, but I was struggling with the lack of support one would normally have when employed.  Working for myself was great, but I had only myself to be accountable too.  Now, I can motivate myself quite well but after a while it became apparent that I needed some support.  Everyone else around me had Coaches, so I set about finding one for myself.

Why VACT?

I started looking around for an ideal Coach/Mentor for myself, and one of my must have’s was someone who had experience being a VA, supporting VA’s and had the business acumen to help me make the right decision and grow my business.

I looked around for a bit and found several VA mentors who offered similar services, but Amanda was the one that stood out.  Not only did she offer several different packages for VA’s but 121 mentoring which is exactly what I wanted.

I needed someone to hold me accountable for working on my business, not just in it, to encourage me when I felt low, to be on the end of the phone when I had a problem, plus offer support for various aspects of building a business.  Amanda did all this and once I had spoken to her, I knew she was the mentor for me.  No nonsense, straight talking, compassionate, caring, and passionate about helping her mentees achieve what they needed to.

The benefits

These are endless!!  And no matter what stage you are in your VA business Amanda offers something to suit all.  But I really recommend the 1:2:1 mentoring.

Whilst a bit of an investment, Amanda provides so much value that it is a no brainer!

I finally had an accountability partner.  Having monthly sessions alongside all the resources available from VACT plus being a member of the Facebook groups offered me the opportunity to really feel motivated about my business again.  She has held me accountable, propped me up when I have felt low, encouraged me to push forward with things that I have been uncomfortable with and is a major reason that I am still in business 4 years on.  I literally do not know what I would have done without her.

Should you invest in VACT training/mentoring with Amanda?

Hell yes!!  If you are thinking of getting a Coach/Mentor, Amanda is your gal.  With vast experience running a VA business and mentoring VA’s, she will be a huge asset to your business.  I cannot recommend her enough.  There is a reason she has won Best Training Provider several years running.  So as Amanda would say JFDI!

Headshot of Emma Conway-Hyde of The Umbrella TreeMeet Emma and The Umbrella Tree

Emma is passionate about and specialises in supporting coaches, trainers and speakers ensuring they receive the support they need to develop and grow their business.  One of her top priorities when working with clients it to help find solutions, get results and enable them to achieve those business and personal goals.  Emma is featured on the VACT Blog in our Wednesday Wisdom category and you can read her blog here.

Website URL: http://www.theumbrellatree.co.uk

Facebook URL: http://www.facebook.com/virtualpatheumbrellatree/

Twitter ID: twitter.com/theumbrellatree

LinkedIn URL: http://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaconwayhyde/

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