Virtual Ventures

How do you step away from your business for maternity leave without leaving your clients, systems and workload in chaos?In part two of our conversation about planning maternity leave when you’re self-employed, Cat and Ellie move from the initial planning stage into the practicalities of preparing your business for an extended break.We introduce the 4Ds framework of Do, Diary, Delegate and Ditch to help you audit everything happening within your business and decide what genuinely needs to be completed, postponed, handed over or removed.We also discuss how to find trusted maternity cover, the different ways you can structure that arrangement and what you need to have ready before somebody steps into your role. From documenting your recurring tasks and creating SOPs to planning a proper handover, setting clear boundaries and communicating your availability, we look at how to make the transition as smooth as possible for you, your clients and the person providing cover.Finally, we talk honestly about returning to work after having a baby, why a phased return can help and the practical support and systems that can make working and parenting feel more manageable.Whether you are preparing for maternity leave or another form of extended leave, this episode will help you create a realistic plan that protects your business while giving you the space to step away.About SVAIThe Society of Virtual Assistants Ireland is a professional community supporting Virtual Assistants and Online Service Providers to build sustainable, well-run businesses.Learn more about us: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/about/Join SVAI: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/join-as-a-va/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtualassistantsireland/Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtualassistantsireland/00:00 Welcome and introduction00:40 Auditing your workload with the 4Ds framework03:41 Documenting everything you do for your clients04:52 Delegating client work during maternity leave08:27 What to diary, automate or ditch12:13 Finding trusted maternity cover15:02 Preparing and onboarding your maternity cover17:41 Creating useful SOPs and training resources20:20 Why SOP creation and handover time are billable22:47 Setting boundaries and updating your out-of-office communications26:09 Planning your return to work30:14 Managing expectations and avoiding comparison31:53 Practical tips for working with a baby33:15 Finding trusted help and childcare support35:27 Adjusting your standards, schedule and capacity37:33 Creating supportive systems at home39:08 Key maternity leave planning takeaways41:10 Final thoughts

How do you plan maternity leave when you’re self-employed and your business depends on you?Taking maternity leave as a sole trader, freelancer or small business owner requires a very different kind of preparation. There is no HR department arranging cover, communicating with clients or deciding what happens while you are away. You need to create that plan yourself.In Part 1 of this conversation, Cat and Ellie share their experiences of preparing to take maternity leave from their businesses. They discuss how to decide what your leave could realistically look like, prepare financially, communicate the news to your clients and present them with clear, fully formed options.They also cover arranging client cover, front-loading work, building buffer time into your finishing date, applying for Maternity Benefit when you are self-employed in Ireland and establishing clear contact boundaries for your time away.Although this episode focuses on maternity leave, much of the advice will also be useful for Virtual Assistants, Online Service Providers and other self-employed business owners preparing to take any form of planned extended leave.About SVAI The Society of Virtual Assistants Ireland is a professional community supporting Virtual Assistants and Online Service Providers to build sustainable, well-run businesses.Learn more about us: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/about/ Join SVAI: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/join-as-a-va/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtualassistantsireland/ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtualassistantsireland/00:00 Introduction00:50 Why maternity leave is different when you’re self-employed02:20 Ellie’s experience of taking maternity leave from her business07:54 Cat’s experiences of business and maternity leave09:58 Bringing the SVAI workshop format to the podcast11:17 Who this episode is for13:35 Bringing your clients a clear plan16:58 Deciding how much maternity leave you can afford20:43 Building buffer time into your finishing date22:36 Preparing financially for maternity leave23:16 Applying for Maternity Benefit when you’re self-employed26:35 Communicating your maternity leave plans to clients28:22 Setting clear contact cut-off dates30:32 Sending reminders and putting everything in writing33:10 Wrapping up Part 1

In this Behind the Laptop episode of Virtual Ventures, we're joined by SVAI member Andrea Poole, founder of Vale View Virtual Assistant, to hear how she went from redundancy in a large bank to winning Administrative Service Provider of the Year within her first year of business.Andrea shares how she came to the virtual assistant industry after redundancy and a year off with her children, why self-employment was never on the cards for her, and what those first few months of putting herself out there really looked like before her first client came along.We also talk about associate work and why Andrea completely changed her mind about it, specialising versus keeping a variety of clients, the challenges nobody warns you about, and the boundaries she set from day one that she's grateful for now she's at capacity.Tune in to hear Andrea's honest reflections on starting from scratch, finding your first client, and the community that made all the difference.New episodes of Virtual Ventures are released every second Tuesday.About SVAI The Society of Virtual Assistants Ireland is a professional community supporting Virtual Assistants and Online Service Providers to build sustainable, well-run businesses.Learn more about us: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/about/ Join SVAI: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/join-as-a-va/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtualassistantsireland/ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtualassistantsireland/ Follow Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vale_view_virtual_assistant/ 0:00 Intro 0:16 Behind the Laptop with Andrea Poole 1:18 Redundancy and a year off with her kids 2:14 Finding the virtual assistant industry 4:52 Discovering SVAI and doing the Bootcamp 8:02 What the first few months really looked like 9:50 Landing her first client 13:01 Changing her mind about associate work 18:45 Specialising vs generalising 21:28 The challenge nobody warns you about 26:01 The work phone and setting boundaries 32:31 Winning Administrative Service Provider of the Year 36:03 Finding community after 15 years in corporate 40:00 Andrea's recommendation: pen and paper 42:05 Outro

In this episode of Virtual Ventures, we're talking about setting your rate as a Virtual Assistant, how to work out your number, when to raise it, and what VAs in Ireland are actually charging right now. We share our own experiences of figuring this out when we started, both landing on €25, with very little Irish data to go on and an industry where nobody really wanted to talk about money. Looking at overseas rates or sites like Fiverr and Upwork can leave you completely out of line with the Irish market, and we talk about why that happens so often. Our Irish VA Survey Report gives us real numbers to work with this time, including the shift that saw 58% of respondents charging between €31 and €45 an hour, up from 43% the year before. We look at what's behind that rise, from the cost of running a business to growing confidence across the industry and more VAs specialising in higher-level services. From there we get practical, walking through how to calculate a rate that actually works, starting with what you need to live and enjoy your life, then reverse engineering that while allowing for non-billable hours, expenses, subscriptions, insurance, and the holiday cover no client is paying for. We also talk about comparing your number to the market standard, the signs it's time to raise your rates, how to communicate an increase to your clients, and why "charge what you're worth" isn't always the most helpful way to think about pricing. Tune in to hear real numbers, honest experiences, and a practical way to set a rate you can sustain. New episodes of Virtual Ventures are released every second Tuesday. Download the Irish VA Survey Report: https://svai-survey-2026.subscribepage.io/ About SVAI The Society of Virtual Assistants Ireland is a professional community supporting Virtual Assistants and Online Service Providers to build sustainable, well-run businesses.Learn more about us: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/about/Join SVAI: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/join-as-a-va/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtualassistantsireland/Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtualassistantsireland/0:00 Intro0:12 Today's topic: setting your rate0:31 What we charged starting out2:35 Nobody talks about money4:39 Getting misguided by overseas rates5:42 Irish clients coming back to Irish VAs8:00 The Irish VA Survey Report9:02 What VAs in Ireland charge now10:22 Why rates have gone up12:29 The fear of raising your rate13:13 Separating your rate from your worth15:03 Working out what you need16:32 Accounting for non-billable hours18:21 Expenses clients never see20:13 Comparing to the market standard22:45 Starting lower and moving up25:20 Signs it's time to raise your rates26:21 The annual review approach28:29 How to introduce a new rate30:09 "Charge what you're worth"32:26 Where to find more support33:04 Outro

In this episode of Virtual Ventures, we're talking about taking holidays from your business, why so many business owners struggle to properly switch off, and how to prepare so you can actually take a real break.Our own experiences shape a lot of this one, from Cat sneaking into the bathroom on a family holiday to catch up on emails, to Ellie nearly bringing her laptop to Portugal on her first ever week off. There's a real difference between a working holiday and a fully switched-off one, and blending your life and business so freely can quietly turn into working all the time, everywhere.The mindset side of taking time off comes up too, including FOMO, imposter syndrome, and the guilt that keeps so many self-employed people glued to their inbox, and why stepping back can actually show you how much value you bring.The second half is practical, covering how to plan your time off, communicate with clients, and use our go-to Do, Diary, Delegate, Ditch system for deciding what needs handling before you go, plus a few of our favourite tips for making the whole process feel easy.Tune in for real experiences, practical planning tools, and a reminder that you're allowed to properly switch off from your business.New episodes of Virtual Ventures are released every second Tuesday.About SVAIThe Society of Virtual Assistants Ireland is a professional community supporting Virtual Assistants and Online Service Providers to build sustainable, well-run businesses.Learn more about us: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/about/Join SVAI: https://virtualassistantsireland.ie/join-as-a-va/Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtualassistantsireland/Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/virtualassistantsireland/0:00 Intro0:14 Today's topic0:33 Cat's experience switching off2:36 Working holidays vs real holidays5:02 Ellie's first time off8:00 FOMO and imposter syndrome11:05 Why planning matters12:29 Pick your dates16:57 Reverse engineering your calendar19:02 Working with a team20:06 The 4Ds system23:20 Delegating to peers26:06 Communication with clients27:24 The guilt of being unavailable28:23 Brain dumps and email apps31:47 Buffer days and catch ups33:42 Working holidays trap35:22 Outro