Pioneering remote work – 25 Years of Moneypenny

In the lead-up to our anniversary, I took a trip down memory lane as the founder of Moneypenny. We wanted to create a beautiful photo collage for the event, which meant digging through old pictures, revisiting memories, pulling out the very first business plan—even looking back at the original launch campaign. It was a lot of fun, and also a little confronting, because entrepreneurship—as any entrepreneur will tell you—is a journey full of highs and lows.

25 Years of Moneypenny – Photo collage

Back when no one knew what remote work was

In the early days, I felt like something of an evangelist. I told anyone who would listen about the benefits of working from home—something that, at the time, was still a strange and unfamiliar concept. For me, it started as a personal solution: I wanted to keep working while also being present for my children. I saw the power of the internet, realized that office work could absolutely be done remotely, and thought: “Others must want this too.”

The reactions? “Are you out of your mind?”
Still, I kept going. Before the pandemic, we sometimes even worked secretly from the office—but on flexible hours. It was all about finding the win-win: a setup that worked for both the client and the VA. And we found it. Why spend hours commuting to an office when you can do equally great work from home—for multiple clients?

Ups, downs—and always getting back up again

Of course, it wasn’t a straight path upward. The financial crisis hit us hard. Around 2013, we faced another tough period. We had to downsize more than once. But each time, we found the strength to get back up.

And with every step forward came a new challenge. Today, that challenge is AI—a development that’s having a major impact on the kind of work we do. But that’s exactly what makes entrepreneurship so exciting: it’s never boring, never the same. You keep learning, growing, adapting.

And now? Full speed ahead

Today, we’ve grown significantly. In the past two years, we were proud to be named an FD Gazelle—an award recognizing the 1,000 fastest-growing companies in the Netherlands. We now have a fantastic team of 75 VAs and support several hundred clients.

And now that our team is at full strength, we’re ready to go full speed ahead. Our plans? Simple: keep growing, with a sharp focus on delivering quality for our clients.

The future? We’re ready

I can’t wait to see what the next 25 years will bring. If they’re anything like the first 25—full of surprises—I can promise you: we’re ready.

Curious how we can support your organization with smart, flexible remote assistance?
Get in touch and discover the power of a Moneypenny VA.