Hello!
I’ve been wanting to create a social media plan for a while now, and part of that plan was creating a blog. I have an awesome team that can (and will) help me do this, but as the owner I have the honour of creating the first blog post. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, my business and my team.
How did I get here? Let’s take a trip back to 2007… My husband and I live in a small rural town of the Lower Laurentians of Quebec, Canada. I owned and operated a small country store, and in 2007 we were expecting our first child. I had quite a few employees at the time, but it was too small of a business to sustain my absence for an extended period of time. We sadly decided to close the store, but I was anxious to start my new adventure as a mom! I did a bit of bookkeeping for a few friends while at home, and in 2008 we moved to Nova Scotia for my husband’s temporary contract. I continued doing a bit of bookkeeping from home, and when searching for some more work-from-home opportunities, I stumbled across Virtual Assistance! In 2010, after the birth of our 2nd son, we moved back to our home in Quebec. I immersed myself fully into this new Virtual world. I started as a sub-contractor and worked with over 20 long-term clients in the space of 3 years, gaining a ton of experience in a variety of cloud-based programs. I then shifted my focus and concentrated on building NS Virtual Services… I wanted this business to do 3 things:
– to provide excellent services to long-term clients (and it had to be quality, top-notch, “must-be-memorable” services)
– to have an awesome team where each came with their own skill-sets (and they HAD to have a strong work ethic, be very personable and professional)
– to be able to have the work/life balance I dreamed of… being at home for my children, volunteering in their school, and yet still putting my training and talents to good use!
I am happy to say that in 2 years, we have succeeded in reaching these goals. I have an amazing team that I know I can rely on. The bonus is that we have excellent clients that we LOVE working with! It’s a win-win all around!
In future blogs, we will be introducing each team member in more detail. Here are some “Getting to Know Me” questions and answers:
GETTING TO KNOW NATALIE:
- What are your hobbies?
I love cooking, baking, playing with our 2 boys, and watching Coronation Street (20+ year fan!), Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Scandal. I also love going for walks, but not in our -30ºC winters!
- Aside from food, water, and shelter, what one thing could you not go a day without?
Coffee and hugs (sorry that’s 2!); Also, I probably would find it very hard to not check my iPhone/tablet/computer for an entire day :)
- What is your favorite vacation or holiday?
My favorite vacation is anywhere warm and relaxing, ideally at an all-inclusive beach resort. I love travelling and want to revisit Hungary and all of Europe – it’s been too long!
- If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?
Lounging in the sun – completely unplug for the day.
This is my home office view (February 2015)
Stay tuned for more upcoming blogs! We’ll have content from all of our team members, articles on programs we use, how-to’s, tips & tricks – and hopefully with some feedback from our audience, we can provide answers to questions you may have.
Thank you for your attention, and I look forward to your comments / suggestions!
Natalie
