A Q& A with Marta and Emma

It all started when…

Marta: In 2010, I belonged to a LinkedIn group called Women in Portugal. I saw a post by Emma Crabtree, who, from her signature, lived less than 2km from me. I was intrigued; English, a VA (what is that?) and my neighbour!

“A foreigner in my town that I don’t know? I have to do something!” I sent her a message and a few days later Emma invited me to dinner at her home. My husband (my boyfriend at the time) and I accepted, showed up with a bottle of wine and some cheese to meet someone we’d never even seen before! 

Of course, the dinner went on for some time. We shared lots. Emma, in her straightforward, no-nonsense way, inspired me to become a Virtual Assistant. She motivates me in times of crisis, puts me on to the right path and is always available to listen and support in times of professional doubt. 

That is Emma; someone who is surprised by the confidence she inspires; quietly going about her work, even when it is more complicated and drawn out than normal. She is someone who epitomises the balance between professional & personal -  an international, corporate Virtual Assistant who daily finds peace in long hikes in the hills around Condeixa with her dog, Teddy.

Thank you, Emma, for being a pioneer in the VA world in Portugal. For sharing your risotto that night, for sharing your experience & friendship with me then and now with the Academy!

Marta: How did you find out about being a Virtual Assistant?
Emma: I had just moved to Portugal. I didn’t speak Portuguese - I wouldn’t have got a job stacking shelves - so what was I going to do with my life? I saw an article in a magazine about being a VA and I thought “I can do that.” 

Marta: What were the first steps you took to becoming a Virtual Assistant?
Emma: I bought a computer and asked my mum if she had any work I could do for her. I started going through my address book and calling business contacts and friends for advice and support. I made a dreadful website and printed out business cards & then got in the car. I went to BNI breakfast meetings in Coimbra and drove to Lisbon & Porto & Aveiro to network. In 2006, Portugal and Portuguese businesses were not ready to outsource. The first years were really hard. I wanted to work with Portuguese businesses, and positioned myself as ‘their’ English language speaker; someone who was available to speak & write in English. Unfortunately, the mindset at the time was that if I can’t see you, you must be skiving! However, the networking I was doing via LinkedIn started to pay off, with enquiries from US, Nordics and a consultant in Portugal (who is American). I worked as part of a team for coaching consultancy in the UK and in the finance team of a company based in Dubai, as well as working for entrepreneurs. It was when I signed up my first client on a retainer for €400 / month that I knew I could make this work!

Marta: How did you decide what services to offer?
Emma: I knew how to be a good support person. I know how to make other people look good. I knew how to deliver good support to the people who needed it. The stuff that keeps offices moving and people where they ought to be. It’s really frustrating when the little stuff doesn’t work for you. Being able to provide the little stuff well and on time is what I knew how to do. I started out as a call-answering service, but knew quite quickly that this wasn’t for me. Being part of the team for the coaching consultancy put me in touch with other PAs and access to coaches looking for admin support. In the main, my services are now on-boarding & taking care of clients, diary & email management and proofreading. I enjoy putting together newsletters and advising on social media content.

Marta: How do you like interacting with your clients?
Emma: Interacting with the public, everything is online, whether you like it or not. I rarely go to networking events in Portugal, now. When I first started, you had to go to networking events as there were very few other options. I use LinkedIn (LI) a lot and that’s where my potential clients are. I am in the B2B market, and it’s easier to be seen and heard on LI than other platforms. Since the beginning, 90% of my business has come through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Marta: What has been the hardest thing you have had to overcome?
Emma: Like many VAs, finding the first client can be tough. Finding new clients is tough too.  Also, motivating oneself to get out of your comfort zone and shine in front of others, to start new relationships, can be hard. Explaining what I do & how I do it was, until very recently, tough. Setting boundaries with clients (if you are working from home, you are always available) and parents (if you are working from home, you are always available) is something  had to be from the start and still battle with at times.

Marta: What traits do you need to be a VA?
Emma: I am very organised, punctual, reliable. Tenacity, empathy, proactive, ability to understand someone’s business quickly. 

Marta: What would be your one piece of advice to someone starting out?
Emma: Use your friends and family as your first clients and testimonials. Develop a rock solid profile on LinkedIn. Build your network & develop a cohort that can support & recommend you. If you want to develop a niche, find out what the pain points are of your potential clients and market yourself as the solution. Trust in your value to potential clients. Those that can see your value will pay well, those that can’t will hire someone off-shore.

Marta: What is a common theme across your clients?
Emma: Trust. You need to develop a deep level of trust and understanding with your clients as quickly as possible to be able to support them well. You are entering into a partnership with your client. You may be the ‘support’ but you are not the hired-help and should never be thought of as inferior to your client. You bring a large amount of skills and knowledge to the table that is going to help your client develop her business, which should be acknowledged. 

This is a translation of the original post from Academia Assistentes Virtuais.