The power of a virtual assistant: Krissy Monaghan's experience running a successful business

Meet Krissy Monaghan, the owner of the UK's leading messy play provider, Mess Around Ltd. I’ve been working with Krissy since February 2017, when she got in touch after we started chatting in a marketing Facebook Group, we both belonged to, and we’ve since built a great relationship.

"I have worked with Emma for nearly 2 years now and we have a great relationship. Emma is very efficient and always deliver our work on time. I would highly recommend working with Emma if you're looking for a virtual assistant." 

~ Krissy Monaghan

I hope you enjoy reading Krissy’s interview…

Hi Krissy, please introduce yourself

I’m the proud owner and Director of Mess Around Ltd., providing multi-sensory, messy play experiences in over 200 locations across the UK. I’ve enjoyed many years welcoming new franchisees to regions in England, Scotland and Wales, bringing messy play to thousands of children across the UK.

I’m also mum to two beautiful girls and know the challenges of being a mum while also running a successful business.

What challenges did you face before you started working with me?

I really struggled with time management. There just weren’t enough hours in the day for me to get everything done, and I needed help in order for my business to continue to grow. I was taking new franchisees on across the UK and getting each one set up with the equipment they needed to start their business just wasn’t a great use of my time, so that’s the first thing I asked you to help me with.

What made you decide to work with a VA rather than employ someone in-house?

I liked the flexibility offered by working with a VA and didn’t want the commitment of taking on an employee. You are there as and when I need extra support, and I don’t have to worry about finding work for you during quieter times, we just adjust our contract according to how busy I am. That flexibility is such a godsend for a small business owner like me.

What were you looking for in a VA?

Someone that was likeable and easy to get on with. Obviously she also had to be able to carry out the tasks I needed help with, that’s a given, but getting on with each other well and being able to work together was a must. You're so friendly and easy to work with.

How is my help making a difference to your business? 

It's making a HUGE difference! You have always delivered all tasks on time and helped put templates and processes in place which I didn’t have time to do before. Just having the peace of mind that you're there to help out during busy periods is such a relief and reduces so much stress.

When we first started working together, you helped order in all the franchise equipment, business cards, flyers etc. that my new franchisees needed, but you've helped with so much more since then! You've created and scheduled social media content for me when I’ve just not had time to do it. Written blog posts for the Mess Around blog and activity sheets for the Mess Box magazine. Written and formatted the Mess Around newsletter, and probably most importantly, you track the sales made by all our franchises and report the figures back to me, so that I can keep on top of sales. You often help with one-off admin tasks too; nothing is too much trouble.

What would you say to someone thinking about working with a VA?

I would definitely invest in that initial work of finding a VA that you get on with as once you have a great VA on board it saves you so much time in the long run.

If you’d like to learn more about Krissy and Mess Around Ltd., you can visit her website here where you can search for a messy play location near you.

If you’re thinking of outsourcing to a VA, get in touch and tell me what you need. I’d love to help!