“Don't put all your eggs in one basket, even if that basket is really tempting and comfy!” How Kathryn learnt to balance her VA business in an up/down world!

Kathryn Hill was reading the paper one morning when she realised what her new career looked like. She set up One Echo Alpha and is now celebrating four years in business - a journey she says has come with plenty of ups and downs!

What’s your biz?

One Echo Alpha - Board Secretarial and Administration services

Who do you work with?

My ideal customer is an NZ-based SME who has monthly or quarterly board meetings and does not have in-house expert secretarial support. They have currently assigned this role to an existing employee and it is taking them away from the role they were hired to do. By becoming their external board secretary, I free up staff and management to focus on their role, not on proofing and collating board papers.

I also provide board governance advice, and because I am an external contractor, the board and management can speak freely in meetings about sensitive commercial matters. I have 20 years experience in this space, having started out taking minutes in committee meetings to now providing full secretarial services to clients across NZ.

I have worked with a wide variety of organisations including from the defence and medical sectors, and several Incorporated Societies. I am professional, confident, and my attention to detail makes me a great board secretary. I always act with integrity, and enjoy bringing a bit of humour into the boardroom. I also assist clients with other administrative tasks on a case by case basis, such as document and email management, personal assistance, and transcription services.

What sparked the idea behind your business?

I had been in the Navy for just over 16 years when I found out about the virtual assistant industry in NZ, and immediately knew that that was what I wanted to do when I left the military. In fact... I was having brunch at Little Poms in Christchurch when I came across an article on Stuff about what a virtual assistant did so it was a very specific moment!

I looked back at what I enjoyed doing in my naval career, and realised it was providing executive assistance to senior officers, so that was my initial service offering.

What does a typical day look like for you as a business owner?

I'm not an early morning person, so I usually get up around 7.30am and then walk my dogs. I'm at my desk before 9am and spend my mornings in meetings or doing admin or small tasks for clients.

I always step away from my desk for lunch and that usually involves a second dog walk. I'm really focussed in the afternoon, so that's when I get the big work done and I often continue into the evening. Several of my clients have evening meetings that can go late, so I have a 12-hour rule: I don't start work until at least 12 hours after my meeting ended the night before.

My weekly routine usually sees me doing long days Mon-Wed, and then tapering off to a shorter day on Friday. I'm in a client's office Mon and Wed mornings at the moment, providing some ad-hoc admin support.

Because it's just me at home, I take advantage of virtual and in-person networking events and try to attend at least one a week. I go to a PT class Mon and Wed evenings, and spend Fri evening with family.

As the owner of a 1-person business, it can take up quite a bit of your time and most of your mental energy. I go through phases of energy over a few weeks or a month, and have come to realise when I'm highly-productive and try to make hay while the sun shines to cover off those times when my energy is really low.

I have friends all over the country, and I make sure I keep in touch daily with a number of them. This makes me feel very connected, even though I live alone. And of course...if I find myself staring at my computer and not getting anything done, I head off for a 25 minute nap 😃 Definitely a perk of working for yourself.

What are some of the key milestones in your business journey so far?

I landed a pretty big client very early on, and that gave me a lot of confidence and a massive kick-start to my business. Since then, clients have come and gone and I've pivoted into a new service area, so there have been ups and downs.

I'm definitely in the messy middle at the moment! I'm very proud of the fact that ALL my clients are referrals and from word of mouth. It's a really great feeling to know that someone is willing to recommend you to a business, especially in such a personal role as an executive assistant or board secretary. You're really involved in all facets of your client's business and it's an honour to be trusted to be there.

This October, I will have been in business for four years. It hasn't gone as I'd planned, and even though things are a bit tight at the moment, I'm still able to stay in business and that feels like a massive accomplishment at the moment.

I was a finalist in the NZ Virtual Assistant Awards in 2022 as 'Best Newcomer', and this year I'm a finalist in the "Best Niche or Speciality" category. That's pretty exciting 😃

What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced so far - and how have you overcome them?

When my first client and I parted ways, it was because they'd grown significantly while I was working for them and they had reached a point where having an in-house executive assistant just made a lot more business sense. I was happy for them, but it hurt losing such a large contract!!

I'm definitely more careful about not having all my eggs in one basket now. A constant challenge is being able to charge enough and work enough billable hours to pay myself a decent salary. I'm still working on that one and there's not an overnight fix. I'm in a growth phase at the moment, which just means I'm twice as busy.

What are you most excited about in your business right now?

I am really excited about niching into board services, as there's a huge demand for it at the moment and not too many companies providing a service that is accessible to smaller organisations or Incorporated Societies. I'm almost at the point of being able to bring someone else into my business as a sub-contractor and supporting more clients. I have been in this position before, but then the work fell away. I feel I have more understanding and resilience in my business now to attempt growing a team again, and that's an exciting place to be.

What’s worked best for you to build brand awareness and get customers?

LinkedIn. ALL my clients are active on LinkedIn and it's where most of my enquiries come from. And word of mouth. I haven't advertised anywhere and am not particularly active on Facebook or Instagram as that's just not where my clients hang out.

What is one of the important lessons you've learnt as a business owner? What advice would you share to someone starting out?

Don't put all your eggs in one basket, even if that basket is really tempting and comfy! Even if you're fully-booked, continue to be present online and seek new leads. Things can change very quickly in business.

How does being a part of She Owns It help you in your business journey? 

I love being part of business communities as I find that everyone is so supportive and I get a lot out of the social interactions. It's also great for referrals. I am part of a few networks and they all have their own flavour and benefits.

She Owns It is such a varied group of women and it's really interesting seeing how other business get through the hard times and deal with the ups and downs of being a small business.

⚡️ FAST 5:

1. One thing you’d tell your younger self starting out?
- listen to all the advice, but realise that sometimes you have to go through the pain yourself to really learn the lesson.

2. Your favourite biz or personal development books or podcasts?
- the Sam and Jo VA Show was absolutely instrumental in getting me to where I am now. - I also highly recommend the She's On The Money podcast. As women, we're not often brought up with a high level of financial literacy and that can put us on the back foot when it comes to finances later in life.

3. How many tabs do you have open right now?
- hahaha. Um, nine. I usually have four pinned tabs, and then just a few others I'm actively using. Too many tabs stress me out.

4. What's your go-to power song?
- it's not a song, but the Chet Faker playlist on Spotify is my go-to when working.

5. A quote you love and why?
- "Rest is productive" because I often feel guilty when I'm not working. This reminds me that some time off makes you more productive when you get back into it. And it feels like it's giving me permission to take that afternoon nap 😜

How can people connect with you and your business?

You can connect with me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-hill-nz), or visit my website (www.oneechoalpha.co.nz).

I'm about to offer a one-off service for any Incorporated Society that has yet to re-register under the new Act (2022). This service includes a review of the Constitution, advice on new requirements (Officer consents, etc), and assistance through the re-registration process. I invite anyone who might be interested in this to reach out.

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