Getaheadva - Berks & Hants

22/10/2026

Plenty of the business owners we speak to are already busy with social media, a newsletter and the odd bit of advertising, but PR often sits on the "one day" list because it feels like something only bigger brands have time for.

In practice, PR works hand in hand with the marketing you're already doing. A feature in a local publication gives your social media something to celebrate, a strong story about how your business started can carry your content much further than your usual followers, and over time that third-party coverage builds the kind of trust that's hard to create on your own.

Our infographic shows how PR connects with each part of your marketing, and our team includes experienced PR specialists who can help you spot the stories worth telling and get them in front of the right people.

If you'd like to talk through what PR support could look like for your business, drop us a message and we’d be happy to chat it through.

22/10/2026

A lovely tip this week from Steph in our admin team, and it's one we find ourselves coming back to. If you lead a team, make sure everybody knows where the business is heading and, just as importantly, why.

We’ve always found that when people understand the bigger picture, they bring their best work, because they can see how their own tasks contribute to what you're all aiming for. If you're not completely sure everyone is on the same page, Steph suggests getting the team together for a proper chat about your plans and the thinking behind them, so you're all pulling in the same direction.

And if you'd like some support getting that clarity in your own business, do drop us a message. We’d love to have a chat about how one of our experienced VAs could help.

19/10/2026

If you’ve ever tried to get a campaign out with one freelancer for the copy, another for the design and someone else again for the website, you’ll know how much of your own time goes into keeping everyone moving in the same direction.

A virtual marketing agency like Get Ahead takes that coordination off your plate. You have one named contact, your Regional Director, who scopes the work, chooses the right specialists from our network of more than 90 Virtual Experts and stays accountable for getting it done. There’s no retainer, no minimum hours and no long-term tie-in, and most clients are up and running within a few days of the first conversation.

It works especially well for growing businesses that want to test a new channel or campaign before committing a bigger budget, or whose in-house team can’t always stretch to cover everything. One fintech business we support has found it valuable to have specialists on hand as priorities shift, and for a specialist food brand, bringing in PR, research and design at the right stages took a great deal of pressure off the owner.

Our latest blog covers how the model compares with agencies and freelancers and what to ask before choosing a provider: https://getaheadva.com/blog/virtual-marketing-agency/

If you’d like to talk it through, get in touch with Kristy or Suzanne and they'll help you work out where flexible marketing support could make the biggest difference to your plans for the year ahead.

12/10/2026

☀️ ☕ Get Connected Newbury ☕ ☀️

What a fab start to October - last week the sun continued to shine on us for our monthly Newbury meet up - thank you to everyone who joined us.

Mario Leitao, Khizer Iqbal of Metrobank and Suzanne from Get Ahead HQ welcomed lots of regulars and a few new people to our event.

We love seeing people meet and start building genuine relationships.

Did you know we run lots of Get Connected events every month - visit the Get Ahead website to find out where well be: https://f.mtr.cool/nukwmyengl

01/10/2026

We've been looking through the Optimistic October calendar from Action for Happiness Happiness, and day 7 stood out to us straight away: look for the good in people around you today. That one comes easily at our Get Connected networking events around Berkshire and Hampshire, where someone is always ready to offer an introduction, a recommendation or a friendly chat over coffee without expecting anything back.

There are some great prompts for business owners in there too. Day 13 encourages you to ask for help with an obstacle you're facing, day 25 is a good reminder that none of us can do everything, so it's worth working out your three priorities right now, and day 29 suggests planning something fun to look forward to, which we think everyone deserves after a busy few months plus before the last push to year end.

If your to-do list feels like too much for one person, a good VA can take some of it off your plate and give you back a bit of breathing space. We're always happy to have a chat about where support might help, and we'd love to hear which day you're choosing for yourself.

30/09/2026

Good SEO starts with knowing exactly what you offer, who it’s for and where you work, because Google can only understand your business as well as your website explains it.

Working through these basics is a great excuse to step back and check that your message is as clear to a new visitor as it is to you.

Save this post for your next website update, and if you’d like some support, the Get Ahead team can help with everything from general SEO to a detailed digital marketing audit.

29/09/2026

Come and join us for some great networking in October - we have events throughout the month in
Newbury (1st)
Basingstoke (8th)
Reading (15th) and
Guildford (30th)

Link to book any of our events and all details is here https://f.mtr.cool/4whj2my5bc - we look forward to seeing you!

28/09/2026

Plenty of small business owners picture an employee handbook as a thick folder gathering dust on a shelf, which is probably why so many put off writing one at all. In her latest blog for us, Hazel Hall our Regional Director for Kent and East Sussex makes the case that a shorter, clearer handbook is far more useful to a growing team than a long one.

A good handbook brings clarity to the whole business, and that starts with the owner. Writing one means deciding how you want things to run, from how absence is reported to the standards you expect from people each day. Once those decisions are made and shared, everyone is working from the same understanding, and you spend far less time answering the same questions or making judgement calls on the spot.

That clarity also protects against what Hazel calls "one-off" decisions. When nothing is written down, every holiday request or sick day ends up being handled a little differently, and that inconsistency is usually where complaints begin. Having the basics in one place gives managers something fair to refer back to, and it makes a new starter's first week a lot less stressful because they aren't having to ask about everything.

Hazel also reminds us that some policies, such as disciplinary and grievance procedures, have to be in writing by law, however small your team is.

If yours needs a refresh, or you've never quite got round to writing one, the blog walks through what to include and what you can happily leave out. We've popped the link in the comments.

Read Hazel's blog here 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/eyzjkda8vk

28/09/2026

Plenty of small business owners picture an employee handbook as a thick folder gathering dust on a shelf, which is probably why so many put off writing one at all. In her latest blog for us, Hazel Hall our Regional Director for Kent and East Sussex makes the case that a shorter, clearer handbook is far more useful to a growing team than a long one.

A good handbook brings clarity to the whole business, and that starts with the owner. Writing one means deciding how you want things to run, from how absence is reported to the standards you expect from people each day. Once those decisions are made and shared, everyone is working from the same understanding, and you spend far less time answering the same questions or making judgement calls on the spot.

That clarity also protects against what Hazel calls "one-off" decisions. When nothing is written down, every holiday request or sick day ends up being handled a little differently, and that inconsistency is usually where complaints begin. Having the basics in one place gives managers something fair to refer back to, and it makes a new starter's first week a lot less stressful because they aren't having to ask about everything.

Hazel also reminds us that some policies, such as disciplinary and grievance procedures, have to be in writing by law, however small your team is.

If yours needs a refresh, or you've never quite got round to writing one, the blog walks through what to include and what you can happily leave out.

Read Hazel's blog here - https://f.mtr.cool/faguyahufm

25/09/2026

Kristy, Regional Director for for North Hampshire and West Surrey, takes a doctor's approach to business problems.

Nobody would expect a prescription before a diagnosis, so it makes sense to be sure what the problem actually is before deciding how to fix it. It's tempting to jump straight into action when something isn't working, particularly when things are busy, but time spent understanding the challenge usually makes the right solution much easier to spot and gives you the confidence to move forward with it.

The next time something in your business needs fixing, a few minutes spent working out what is going on first could save you a good deal of effort.

14/09/2026

National Inclusion Week runs from 14 to 20 September, with this year's theme Build Trust, Navigate Change. It's a good opportunity to talk about one of the most practical ways businesses and individuals can act on that theme: Access to Work.

Access to Work is a government grant for disabled and neurodivergent freelancers, business owners and employees, and Get Ahead VA supports grant holders in several ways:

🔸 Virtual assistant support, handling emails, calendars, invoicing and day-to-day admin
🔸 Support worker help with task prioritisation, focus and communication
🔸 Access to Work application support, from evidence gathering to ongoing claims and quotes
🔸 One-to-one productivity and executive-function coaching

For a lot of our clients, it's the difference between losing hours to admin and paperwork, and getting on with the work they're actually good at.

If you or someone in your network could benefit from Access to Work, or you're just not sure where to start, our team is happy to talk it through.

Find out more: https://f.mtr.cool/5cp0loqsfx

Get ahead services can range from a one-off project to ongoing help - our experienced team will work with you to find the solution you need.

24/08/2026

A clear brief does more work than people give it credit for. That's the thinking behind this month's expert tip on clarity from Sarah, our Regional Director for Essex & Suffolk, who's seen enough projects up close to know exactly where things tend to go wrong.

"Behind any well-delivered project is a clear brief," says Sarah. "It cuts through noise, removes ambiguity, and tells everyone exactly what 'good' looks like." Get that clarity right at the start, she says, and the rest of the project tends to fall into place on its own.

It's a simple point, but an easy one to skip past when everyone's keen to just get moving. Worth remembering next time a project brief lands on your desk, or before you send one out.

19/08/2026

We are so pleased to share that Get Ahead has won Business Support Service of the Year 2026/27 at the Prestige Awards!

Rebecca and Natasha collected the award yesterday, celebrating what it recognises: real excellence from SMEs across their markets.

A huge thank you to our clients and team for making this possible.


Prestige Awards

12/08/2026

Clarity: the quality of being easily understood, seen or heard.

This is a theme that fits well with what a lot of business owners are dealing with right now, half finished projects, a brand voice that changes depending on who's writing, admin that's outgrown whatever system was managing it. Over the coming few weeks, Get Ahead's content is going to dig into what clarity actually looks like in a business, from clear communication to systems that make sense to the people running them.

If your business could do with a bit more of that, Get Ahead's team of experts would be glad to help you find it.

10/08/2026

Awards can be a powerful way to build credibility, raise your profile and create new business opportunities – but knowing where to start can feel daunting.

That's why we're delighted that our Founder, Rebecca Neweham, has been featured in the latest edition of British Franchise Association Magazine, sharing her practical advice on making the most of business awards.

In the article, Rebecca covers:
🏆 How to identify the right awards for your business
📝 Tips for writing an entry that stands out
🎉 Why the journey is just as valuable as the result

Whether you're part of a franchise network, running a small business or growing an established company, the principles are the same. Choosing awards that align with your goals, telling your story with authenticity and celebrating your achievements can all play an important role in your marketing strategy.

Awards don't just recognise success – they can also influence buying decisions. Research from the University of Leicester and the British Quality Foundation found that 80% of people making purchasing decisions are more likely to choose an award-winning business.

If you've been wondering whether to enter an award, perhaps this is your sign to take the first step. Start with the awards that best fit your business and see where the journey leads.

A special thank you to Caroline Saunders, whose expertise and guidance continue to support Rebecca and many of our franchise partners and clients with their award entries.

Have you entered any business awards this year?

07/08/2026

An Access to Work grant is only useful once it turns into real, day to day support, and that's often the part people get stuck on: working out what's eligible, finding the right person, and getting the paperwork sorted without it becoming another job in itself.

Get Ahead supports freelancers, small business owners and employees using their ATW funding, including many neurodivergent professionals who find admin, structure or communication genuinely hard to manage alongside their actual work. The team provides DWP-compliant support, from day to day virtual assistance to productivity coaching, and helps with the application and claims process itself.

Liana Fricker, founder of Inspiration Space, describes being matched with her support worker Sara as making a real difference to both her workload and her peace of mind, after Get Ahead took the time to understand her business and the way she works.

Anyone who's been approved for Access to Work funding and isn't sure how to turn it into practical support can book a free 15 minute discovery call to talk it through.

https://f.mtr.cool/hvtvooxszl

06/08/2026

Every business has a voice, whether it's been thought about or not. The question is whether it's the one you actually want.

Get Ahead's latest blog looks at the difference between voice and tone: voice is the consistent personality behind everything a business puts out, while tone is how that personality flexes depending on the moment. A reassuring tone for a service update, a persuasive one for a campaign, a conversational one for social media, all coming from the same underlying voice. Get that right and clients start to recognise a business before they even see the logo, whether they're reading a proposal, a LinkedIn post or an email reply.

It also makes life easier internally. When there's a shared sense of how the business sounds, there's less back and forth on approvals and less second-guessing about whether something "feels right."

Read the full piece here: https://f.mtr.cool/ngqmvbvjsx

Want help finding and using your voice consistently? Get Ahead's UK based experts are ready to talk it through.

Find your brand voice and use it with confidence to create clear, consistent, SEO-friendly communications that build trust and connect with your audience.

03/08/2026

Thank you to British Franchise Association for featuring Rebecca’s article in your latest edition - it’s all about the benefit of business awards - take a read….

01/08/2026

Hello August! After summers of wondering where the sun had got to, it's finally decided to give us several years of sun all at once!

August also brings Altruistic August from Action for Happiness a month built around small daily acts of kindness. The calendar includes things like smiling and being friendly to the people you meet, checking in with someone who might be feeling lonely, or giving time to a cause you care about.

It's a theme that sits close to home at Get Ahead. The whole network exists because people choose to support each other, whether that's an RD helping a client get their time back, or the team backing each other up behind the scenes. Kindness and good business tend to go hand in hand.

This month, Get Ahead would love to hear what kindness looks like in your world, whether that's in business or outside of it.

Drop a comment and let us know.

31/07/2026

There's a big difference between running toward something and running away from something - same destination but completely different headspace.

We much prefer the energy that comes from chasing a vision, a goal, a better version of what they're building because the energy shift changes everything.
What are you moving toward right now? Let us know in the comments 👇