Hello,
I’m Donna

Your Virtual Assistant

Helping you to manage your business better

About me

I have been providing personal assistance to large global companies, owners of small to medium sized businesses and local business groups since 2000.

This includes 14 years at AstraZeneca UK Ltd, where I worked on-site and virtually as a personal assistant to the Directors and Site Management Team and running my own business since 2014.

As a time-served personal assistant I understand how important it is to have a flexible approach to work and to adapt to how clients like to work wherever needed.

This experience combined with good communication and software skills ensures delivery of a professional and polished virtual assistance service to help you manage your business better. Being based in Torquay, I serve Devon, the South West UK, nationally and internationally.

Experience has been gained in a wide range of industries, for both large corporations and family run businesses, sectors include:

Event management
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
Human Resources
Marketing
Education
Business groups, trade associations, trusts, business forums and Chambers of Commerce

NGO (non-government organisations) voluntary services and charities
Residential care organisations
Retail
Leisure & hospitality
Manufacturing
Security services

See Linkedin for more details

In my spare time I enjoy walking (Dartmoor in particular), camping, gardening and AcroYoga. Taking part in voluntary community projects such as beach cleans, business festivals, career fairs and clearing overgrown footpaths as well as sitting on various groups in a voluntary capacity, is my way of giving back to the local community and has led to many new personal and professional friendships.

Where I can help

Services include but are not limited to:

Organising events and meetings
Board secretarial support/Company Secretary role and tasks
Minute taking
Credit control/invoicing (either manually or using software systems such as Quickbooks or Xero)
Document creating and/or revising/formatting (including policy documents)
Email management: monitoring and/or responding to emails

Contact Management/Operating CRM systems (customer relationship management)
Diary management
Travel management (national and international)
Copy typing
Data entry
Online research

I offer a free 1 hour initial consultation. My hourly rate is £35 per hour (general administration), £35 minute taking between 0900 until 1700, Monday to Friday. £45 per hour for all pre-arranged out of hours work.

I track the time spent on your work in minutes and so you only pay for exactly what I do (no rounding up). Payment is by invoice in arrears with a minimum charge of one hour per month.

Work is completed to agreed timelines. Urgent and weekend work undertaken, please contact me for rates.

Halifax Congress

Torbay Business Festival

Devon Women in Business

Testimonials

A highly competent remotely based PA

I had the pleasure of having Donna as my PA for 3 years. This was an unusual relationship and took Donna into a completely new experience as I was working from home based in Macclesfield and Donna was based permanently in Brixham! We usually only met face to face twice a year. I was working… Read more “A highly competent remotely based PA”

Steve Jennings | Commercial Director | Astra Zeneca

Loyal, discrete, competent, organised and important to me

Donna was my Personal Assistant from 2001 to 2013. My role for a multinational plc was one of a local senior manager combined with a global strategic director. Donna ran my diary completely, including meetings, travel, etc so that I had absolute confidence in it, knowing that she had identified the urgent, the important and… Read more “Loyal, discrete, competent, organised and important to me”

Steve Rumford | Bursar, St Benet's Hall | University of Oxford

Steady and enthusiastic commitment

I was delighted when Donna was appointed secretary to the Torbay Business Forum, a new role which reflected the growth and increased membership of the Forum. During my term as chairman, I greatly valued her steady and enthusiastic commitment, as well as her ability to get on well with a wide range of individuals. As… Read more “Steady and enthusiastic commitment”

Rob Newman | Chairman | Torbay Business Forum

..an invaluable asset to anyone looking for virtual assistance

We needed some professional, high-skilled administration support on a growing county-wide Digital healthcare project showing people how to access online healthcare resources. This support included liaising with hundreds of GP Practices and community venues across Devon to promote the project and arrange events, liaising with hundreds of project trainers across a vast volunteer network to… Read more “..an invaluable asset to anyone looking for virtual assistance”

Simon Culley | Communications Lead for Healthwatch Torbay and Project Lead for Digital Health Devon

…attentive, organised and a real professional

Donna has been the Secretary for Newton Abbott chamber of Commerce for 5+ years and has been a great asset. She has shown she is very attentive, organised and a real professional. Her note taking is excellent and she is always on the ball chasing me for my Agenda items and approval of Board papers.… Read more “…attentive, organised and a real professional”

Nicki Bidgood | Chair of Newton Abbot Chamber of Commerce

Hello,I’m Donna