Why I Started MFD Virtual Assistant Solutions — And Why It Took Me So Long

Me, Myself, and the Ones I Love

I know I’m not alone in what I’m about to say.

Get ready for the cliché:
“There just aren’t enough hours in the day.”

My story — and why it’s relevant — is that I always knew I wanted to work for myself. The problem was never if I wanted to do it, but what I actually wanted to do.

Around three years ago, I discovered the world of virtual business support and, more specifically, Virtual Assistants. At the time, I already had several years of experience in administration and business management, and for the first time I genuinely thought:
“This could actually be it.”

But life inevitably moved forward, and my aspirations slowly drifted to the sidelines.

I had my first baby in 2022 and quickly became swept up in the scary, exciting, exhausting, and completely unknown world of baby sick, dirty nappies, sleepless nights, and wonder weeks.

At the end of maternity leave, I returned to a job I hated. I desperately job-hopped, trying to find somewhere I felt happier and more fulfilled. And then… you’ll never guess… two years had passed, and I was pregnant with baby number two.

I told myself that this time would be different. This maternity leave would be the one where I finally launched my own business. I was going to jump head first into self-employment and fully commit to building something for myself.

And yet… I still didn’t actually do it until a month before my maternity leave ended.

Now, to be fair, I wasn’t completely sitting on my hands during that time. We were adjusting to life as a family of four, my now-husband and I got married, I helped grow my husband’s business into the next phase of its journey, and I became slightly obsessed with social media, podcasts, and learning from other professionals in the VA industry.

But honestly, I have to thank that final month before maternity leave ended.

The overwhelming feeling of dread I felt at the thought of returning to work, missing time with my children, not being able to take my eldest to ballet and swimming, or take the baby to groups during the week — that was the thing that finally pushed me into action.

Sometimes fear keeps us stuck.
Sometimes fear pushes us forward.

For me, it ended up doing both.

Why Did It Take Me So Long?

Again, the answer is another very common one:
Self-doubt.

I’ve worked as an administrator, governance officer, and team leader for over six years, but I was so deep inside that world that I struggled to see my own value from the outside.

I convinced myself I didn’t have enough qualifications, enough experience, or enough expertise to make this business successful.

Fear and uncertainty completely led me — much like it probably does for many small business owners who know they need support but keep hesitating before hiring a VA.

Even now, I can’t honestly say that fear has disappeared completely. It definitely hasn’t.

But eventually, I had to remind myself of something important:
I had already been doing this work for years.

I’d supported my husband’s business.
I’d supported my father-in-law’s business.
I’d supported teams and organisations in employed roles.

My experience spoke for itself, even when my confidence didn’t.

So I started telling myself something that initially felt completely untrue:
“You can do this.”

And eventually, I started believing it.

Why Do I Love Working With Small Businesses?

This is probably the easiest question for me to answer.

The beauty of small businesses is the people behind them.

Every small business exists for a reason. Every founder has a story, a purpose, a passion, or a goal that pushed them to take the risk and build something for themselves.

Some businesses are built from passion.
Some are built from necessity.
Some are built from dreams of freedom, flexibility, creativity, or a better life for their family.

And honestly, I think that’s incredibly powerful.

Small businesses bring diversity, personality, value, and real impact into the world. They support communities, create opportunities, solve problems, and provide services that genuinely matter — whether that’s to customers, clients, service users, families, or sometimes even animals.

Behind every business is a person carrying responsibilities, pressure, ideas, and endless to-do lists that most people never see.

That’s why I genuinely love what I do.

I love being able to support passionate people who are trying to grow something meaningful. I love helping businesses feel more organised, less overwhelmed, and more manageable behind the scenes. And I love knowing that the support I provide gives someone else more time, more space, and sometimes even a little bit of breathing room.

Because as much as this business is about admin, systems, projects, and organisation — it’s also about people.

And I truly cannot wait to be part of each client’s journey as MFD Virtual Assistant Solutions continues to grow.