I've spent most of my career in safety administration - firstly in construction, then mining, aviation and finally oil and gas.
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During my working life I've been fortunate enough to learn a wide range of skills and built experience in all aspects of administration, reporting, systems, communications, procedures and safety. And I’m now bringing this wealth of knowledge to the small business world.
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I’m obsessed with detail; I love organisation, order and making life easier for my clients. I get a kick out of a well-executed spreadsheet or a beautiful system setup, and I’m well known for producing work to a high standard, even under pressure.
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I’m also a confident communicator, who understands you’re busy and won’t be in your inbox every five minutes. If you want a VA who takes the initiative, makes decisions, and relieves the pressure on you, then we’re a good fit.
Hey *waves*
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I'm so glad you've made it off the home page ... it means you're interested to know more about me, and I can't wait to get to know you too.
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Empress of Order was “born” in 2018 when I made the decision to leave my senior role in a corporate seven to five to get more balance in my life. You know the deal … long hours, lots of stress, no satisfaction – I knew that things had to change!
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Now I’m an award-winning, published VA who helps women with business overload bring order and calm to their lives, and co-owner of The Digital Mums Directory
From corporate Safety Advisor to Head Empress ...
Taking care of all the things ...
As an ambitious entrepreneur chances are you have ‘all the things’ going on, you’re great at the big picture vision, making strategic decisions and knowing what needs to be done but … your zone of genius is not necessarily finishing.
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And that’s where I come in …
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Belbin testing proves that I’m a ‘completer finisher’ … we’re often described as orderly, conscientious, detail-oriented people. Completer finishers have a great capacity for follow through and wouldn't normally start something they couldn't finish.
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I’ve been certified by the VA Institute as a Quality VA. This is an Australian-based certification focusing on industry excellence and relevant / current experience. It sets a baseline for acceptable, reliable and reputable VA standards in the Australian VA Industry.
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Does that sound like the type of person you’d like on your team?
I love organisation, order and making my
clients feel supported and calm!
When you work with me, you get me ...
When you engage Empress of Order to support you in your business, you work directly with me … I don’t outsource your tasks, so you’ll always get work to the same high standard you’ve come to expect.
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You don’t have to take my word for how fabulous it is to work with me … here's what my clients have to say ...
"Marie keeps everything running efficiently and with ease. She is so easy to work with & is super reliable"
Karen Dauncey
Blue Cherry
"She helped me to think of more effective ways of managing the processes. It's a weight off my mind"
Gemma Nugent
SoundLegal
Want more Order?
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Listen - The Odyssey Podcast
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Watch - GMail Canned Responses
My mission
To help women with business overload bring order to their lives, with processes and systems that leave them feeling supported and calm, with space to create
My values
Balance
Balance for me and for my clients ... that's what Empress of Order is all about!
*high five*​
Integrity
I'm a rule follower, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm honest, trustworthy and I'll always do what I commit to do.
Reliability
You'll come to depend on me, and I don't take that lightly. You'll always get what you need when you need it.
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What is a Virtual Assistant?A virtual assistant (typically abbreviated to VA) is normally self-employed and provides professional administrative, technical, or creative assistance to clients remotely from a home office. Because virtual assistants are independent contractors, rather than employees, clients are not responsible for any employee-related taxes, insurance or benefits. Clients also avoid the logistical problem of providing extra office space, equipment or supplies.
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What does a Virtual Assistant do?Well, a Virtual Assistant does the majority of things that a personal assistant or office administrator does, but they’re never in your office. Replying to emails, invoicing your clients, managing spreadsheets… anything you can do online, a Virtual Assistant can help you with.
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What can a Virtual Assistant do for me?Improvements in communications and cloud technologies mean that you don’t need to hire an administration professional to sit in your office. This will save you time and money. My full list of services is HERE.
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Why should I use your services?My background in administration spans decades and multiple industries. My last roles in the corporate world were in occupational safety in the oil and gas industry and before that I was working in operations in the aviation industry. I bring a wealth of administrative experience to the table. I pride myself in being organised, working well under pressure and getting the job done on time.
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What hours do I work?My core hours are 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday. Anything outside that is by negotiation. I’m usually pretty flexible.
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What tools do you use?I love living in this era of technology! There are so many online tools available to make working remotely easy for everyone. I use OneDrive or GDrive for file sharing, Google Apps for my email, calendar and contacts, and Zoom for collaborating – just to name a few. I also use Asana for project management. Of course, you may have your own systems and tools that you use in your business, and I’m more than happy to use these too.
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How do we share files?With OneDrive, Dropbox or GDrive you can share the files that you want me to work on, so that we can work in real-time on the same documents. There is no need to send files via email and there will be no chance of duplicate documents. They work just like a normal file server, but they’re in the cloud. I can also use Dropbox or any other file sharing program you choose… it’s entirely up to you!
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Will you sign a confidentiality agreement?Absolutely.
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How can I hand over my email inbox to you?If you want me to manage your email inbox, it’s easy. I simply set up a copy of your email account on my desktop and manage it from there. Or, if you’re already in the cloud (ie Gmail), I can simply log on throughout the day to action your inbox.
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What are your payment terms?Invoices are due within seven days. If payment is not received within the seven days, I get sad and you may incur late fees.
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What are your payment options?Payments are by direct deposit into my bank account. All the payment details will be on your invoice.
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Can I roll my hours over to next month?Unfortunately hours cannot be rolled over. Hours must be used within the month they are purchased for.
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Do you undertake urgent work?If you want me to drop everything and move you to the front of the queue, let me know your needs (a phone call is best) and I’ll do everything I can to start on it straight away.
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What is your definition of administration work?Administration work is defined as something you would reasonably expect any EA/PA to be able to do. For instance, an EA/PA could update your website… but they wouldn’t be able to complete coding changes.
Got a burning question I didn’t answer above?
Book a free virtual coffee catchup!
