Roos on being a VA: working with intention and security

Would you like to tell us a bit about your background and how you became a VA?

My background is actually quite unique, because I didn’t come from an administrative role but from a legal one. I studied notarial law and worked in the notarial field. During my student years, I also did some administrative work for a taxi company, such as invoicing, payments, managing emails and calendars. I always enjoyed those tasks, even though I didn’t realise back then that this kind of work actually fell under a professional field: being a Virtual Assistant.

Due to the constant pressure in the notarial world, I started enjoying the work less. When I had children and went on maternity leave, I realised I didn’t want to go back to that. I like working and doing things outside of motherhood, but not at the expense of my family.

So I started looking into what I did want. I wanted to work from home and came across the VA concept while searching online. I immediately thought, “this is exactly what I’m looking for.” These are the types of tasks I’ve always enjoyed, and I can combine them with family life. In the notarial field, there were promises of flexible and remote work, but in practice that never really happened, especially after COVID when everyone had to return to the office. With young children, I knew things had to be different. Since that space wasn’t available, I chose a new path.

“These are the types of tasks I’ve always enjoyed, and I can combine them with family life.”

Which clients do you currently support?

I started out doing a bit of everything, but now I support four different clients. One of them is a tax advisor, which of course ties in with my legal background since taxation was part of my studies. For her, I mainly handle administrative tasks.

I also work for a company in import and export that arranges production and shipping for retailers like Zeeman and Action. I track the entire process and make sure everything runs according to plan. Another client is in the branding and creative sector, where I mostly manage administration such as invoicing, bookkeeping and calendar and inbox management.

My newest client runs a global consultancy firm and advises on quantum technology. For her, I manage multiple calendars and inboxes. The biggest challenge was combining four different calendars, which could not be linked due to strict security settings. She deals with privacy-sensitive information for international organisations that follow strict data security requirements.

How do you ensure you handle clients’ business information carefully and securely in your work as a VA?

I follow all of Moneypenny’s security guidelines. I use a password manager and create strong, unique passwords for everything. I’ve also enabled multi-factor authentication for nearly all of my clients’ inboxes.

Because of my legal background, I’m used to handling sensitive information. I’m very aware of the need to stay alert, especially with certain types of data. I think it’s important to be conscious of what you’re doing and to treat sensitive information with care and consistency at all times.

In your opinion, what are essential habits or best practices for safe remote collaboration?

Using a password manager and strong, unique passwords is key. Setting up multi-factor authentication wherever possible is another important step. It’s also wise to think about where and how you store sensitive files. A secure cloud environment is a better choice than storing everything in email inboxes or on a local hard drive. It’s not a good idea to keep this kind of data on your personal laptop, especially given the risk of loss or theft.

What gives you the most energy in your work as a Virtual Assistant?

I get energy from bringing order to chaos. For example, I once set up a client’s entire bookkeeping process from scratch and worked closely with their accountant. I really enjoyed that. I like thinking along about how to make processes smarter or more automated.

Client appreciation also gives me a great sense of fulfilment. Especially when they say they truly value my support during busy periods. When something as simple as structuring a calendar makes a real difference for a client, that makes me extra happy. You can feel the appreciation, even when working remotely.

Curious what a Virtual Assistant can do for your organisation after reading Roos’s story? Feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to explore the right match for your needs.