AI is reshaping recruitment across the UK, particularly in admin and operational roles. Demand for high‑calibre executive assistants, office managers, and project coordinators remains strong, even as AI becomes more integrated into daily workflows.
Read more…“As Bay Tree grows, building relationships and sharing our story here in Lancashire has been great. I’ve loved discovering the variety of businesses in the region and understanding the support they need to grow.”
Read more…The workplace has changed dramatically in recent years, driven not only by advances in cloud-based technology but also by evolving employment rights, zero-hours contracts, and the rise of flexible working. To better understand these changes, Bay Tree VA sponsored a research project…
Read more…Read five ways in which Bay Tree can help you maintain a healthy and stress-free team…
Read more…One of the key advantages of working with Bay Tree is our seamless integration with clients’ systems and processes, while working remotely, usually on our own equipment. This flexibility brings efficiency but also responsibility. Our clients trust us with access to sensitive data and systems, and we take that trust seriously.
Read more…It’s been a year since the Chancellor announced increases to employer National Insurance contributions and the national minimum wage and the impact on UK recruitment is becoming increasingly clear.
Read more…“In the quest to distinguish your EVP, an unconventional yet increasingly valuable partner is an outsourcing team, such as Bay Tree. As a fractional style of resourcing becomes the norm, there is more opportunity for creativity in your employee retention strategy,”
Read more…From November Bay Tree VA are offering a specific training course to businesses to unlock the power of Microsoft Copilot.
Read more…We are delighted to join the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and get involved in the business community in this beautiful part of the country.
Read more…Bay Tree VA is delighted to announce the appointment of Louise Harbidge as Director – Operations & Team Engagement. Louise, who has been an integral part of the Bay Tree team over 14 years, will join Founder Jane Cattermole in leading the business into its next chapter.
Read more…The Road Ahead 2025 report from National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) warned earlier this year that charities would be facing a financial “big squeeze” driven by the lingering effects of Covid-19, rising inflation, increased demand for services, and higher National Insurance contributions.
Read more…As trusted advisers increasingly encourage business owners to turn to outsourced support to enhance productivity and flexibility, understanding how outsourcing services operate is key. Bay Tree VA provides a managed service model that connects clients with members of their experienced, UK-based team.
Read more…“For many of the senior leaders I coach, a recurring frustration that rears its head around 3am is – I can’t do it all, but I don’t know anyone else that can. That tension between needing support and fearing a loss of control becomes a pressure cooker. So, they do what high-performers often do… they keep going.”
Read more…“The focus has been very much on the needs of the employee in recent times and that burden has fallen on business owners and senior management. Perhaps now is the time for those with ultimate responsibility for the business to check in with their own needs.”
Read more…Take a moment to get a clear picture of what your admin team is doing and how everything fits together. Start by taking a hard look at how your business runs day-to-day in the form of a team snapshot.
Read more…“We offer continuity and stability as associations grow and leadership changes. Our flexible support model is not only cost-effective, but also scalable which is ideal for organisations in the current financial climate…
Read more…The Bay Tree VA client portfolio is diverse. This means it is always learning something new as well as bringing its own experience to a client. One such client is Samantha Hardingham, a certified menopause specialist. Samantha’s ‘Menopause Revolution’ programme energises women to not only survive the menopause but thrive. “Menopause is a natural transition […]
Read more…Abbeycroft Leisure, based in Haverhill, works across communities in the West Suffolk and Babergh districts. Established as a Charitable Leisure Trust in 2005 and awarded social enterprise status in 2010, it is today an £11m turnover enterprise. In early 2024, Warren Smyth, CEO, made the decision to enlist the support of a Bay Tree VA, […]
Read more…Albert Einstein suggested that “Creativity is intelligence having fun” and making time to innovate and drive your business forward brings a sense of control, achievement and ambition – all destined to make you feel great and be a positive person to be around.
Read more…In an effort to raise £40bn, the 2024 Autumn Budget increased costs for employers through higher National Insurance Contributions, wage increases, and reduced thresholds…
Read more…“Fresh eyes can make the world of difference and the phrase ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ is so true. Operations today is all about the tech and how software and apps integrate.
Read more…One area new clients frequently want to get their head around is how the Bay Tree resource will present to a client’s own customers, clients and other stakeholders in their business. We are, after all, regularly reminded of the importance of employee engagement, consistency in service delivery and brand alignment. The Bay Tree team is very familiar in addressing this issue.
Read more…We often use the expression ‘do what you do best and leave us to do the rest’ when setting up a new working relationship
Read more…Technology is transforming the recruitment process and the way we resource our organisations. With that transformation comes new language and terminology. For example, ‘outsourcing’ – where companies delegate specific tasks to an external provider, such as Bay Tree VA, is growing in popularity as a resourcing solution. The role of a ‘Chief Outsourcing Officer’ (COO), […]
Read more…Delegating effectively is a challenge for many people, for both psychological and practical reasons. Are you harnessing your superpower?
Read more…For ten years, Katie had been managing her successful holiday lodge letting business. The business was sold in 2022. What to do next?
Read more…Bay Tree VA has grown up alongside some great businesses that have used our services in different ways.
Read more…Did you know? Friday 17th May will be the 19th International Virtual Assistant Day sponsored by the Virtual Assistant Alliance. Back in 2006, the third Friday in the month of May was designated as a day to show appreciation for, and raise awareness of, the Virtual Assistants (VAs) who improve the lives of business owners […]
Read more…Bay Tree VA is delighted to become a Recognised Supplier for MemberWise offering an operations and management resource to its 3,000+ member associations across the UK.
Read more…Fractional working refers to a contracted arrangement where individuals work as committed members of the team but for a fraction of the standard full-time hours.
Read more…The European Evaluation Society (EES) is a membership organisation with up to 900 members and an elected Board of Directors.
Read more…As sponsor of the Freelancer of the Year award in the West Suffolk Business Awards this year Jane conveys thoughts on the role of a freelancer…
Read more…Bay Tree VA is celebrating its 15th anniversary by supporting a national charity that provides assistance dogs to children and adults with challenging medical conditions.
Read more…This case study demonstrates how a Bay Tree VA can support a busy Managing Director. Thank you to Richard Turvill for sharing his experience.
Read more…Since 2012 Cambridge based AlphaBio Control has used the services of Bay Tree VA to help grow and shape their business.
Read more…“Our experience with JustGo stems from mutual clients that have successfully combined the integration of the JustGo system and our VAs as their professional administrators”
Read more…Remote working was viewed suspiciously before 2020, although we were at the vanguard of this way of working as virtual assistants. I would spend a lot of time educating business owners and employers about how it worked successfully.
Read more…When Mark first spoke to Bay Tree, his situation was very similar to many other business owners who have managed to successfully grow their business, develop a young team, maintain a healthy client base nationally and manage their own workload.
Read more…In the four years that our Bay Tree VA has worked with us, the value of the flexibility and adaptability has been a huge asset to both me personally as CEO and the rest of the team.
Read more…Celebrating International Women’s Day 2022 with Jane Cattermole
Read more…Managing Bay Tree I get the chance to work with great people – clients, suppliers, contacts and of course, the team of VAs who, not only support our clients, but also help me run the business.
Read more…Whilst we would all like to think we have a good grasp of MS Teams for meetings since lockdown, most of us have failed to embrace the other features of Teams that further improve communication both internally and externally.
Read more…“We immediately think of Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel and assume that everyone in the organisation is familiar with at least the basics, but businesses are missing a trick…
Read more…Ideally Bay Tree get involved before a state of over trading or burn out begins to seriously undermine the reputation or growth of the business.
Read more…January always seems a difficult month to start a new plan. The days are short, the weather dull, Christmas has dented the bank balance and so our positivity can be really low. Rather than make hard and fast resolutions from 1 January, one approach more likely to succeed is to resolve to prepare to work less hours from say, 1 March. Use these cold and dreary days to make the changes necessary to make it possible.
Read more…October 31st is just around the corner. Whilst many of us will enjoy a spooky, scary Halloween experience for fun, some real frighteners are likely to come from COP26 – the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, which will be hosted by the UK in Glasgow from 31st October to 12th November. The […]
Read more…With remote working now the norm, the need for a management tool that can organise, coordinate and manage tasks across a team has never been greater. At Bay Tree we are a great advocate for Monday.com. Not only do we recommend it to clients, we use the system for managing our business and have specific […]
Read more…Bay Tree VA set the standard managing online conferences and events.
Read more…The pandemic will have forced the brakes on projects and growth for some. Equally, it will have provided new venture opportunities for others and has certainly accelerated the growth of start-up businesses, particularly in the tech sector. The typical entrepreneur starts a business based on their own competencies – essentially what they know, and getting […]
Read more…One of the questions we are frequently asked is just how working with a virtual assistant gets started, ‘where to begin’. Typically, a new client with Bay Tree will be quite uncertain about the very first steps in the relationship and how they will get the maximum benefit from their new assistant. We are used […]
Read more…Bay Tree VA has signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant. The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly. Commitment to the Covenant demonstrates that Bay Tree is an Armed Forces friendly business and uphold the […]
Read more…Firstly, I hope everyone has managed some time off. Personally, I ventured to Northumberland for a break in July and have also enjoyed other trips to the coast; always a great place to walk and unwind. The Bay Tree team also managed to get some down time together, our first face to face social for […]
Read more…We are delighted to extend our services to the USA and welcome Green America to Bay Tree. Green America is a not for profit organisation founded in 1982 and based in Washington DC. Its current membership stands at 250,000 American citizens, who share the organisation’s passion for a more sustainable and fair society. One of […]
Read more…One of the greatest advantages of being part of the Bay Tree family is the knowledge that our VAs collectively bring to the table. At the beginning of March we held one of our regular training sessions where we share news and views about apps and software. We can make recommendations to businesses as a […]
Read more…We were delighted to be part of the 2021 cohort for the Future 50 business growth program. For Bay Tree VA to be recognised as one of Suffolk’s most innovative companies making an impact on the local economy feels great. We are relishing the opportunities that the program brings with inspirational keynote events. Being part […]
Read more…We are delighted that our VA, Henry Oakley, has completed the Ofqual-regulated L3 Mental Health First Aider training course.The training course was delivered by Louise Newby at Three Eggs. Three Eggs work as a well being partner for a business. They take a proactive approach to mental health in the workplace. Their services include a […]
Read more…All organisations have systems and processes which shape the company and are geared to ensure it runs smoothly. Choosing the right combination of tools and getting to grips with the software can feel overwhelming. Cloud software applications have been developed to be cost-efficient, accessible and intuitive but which to go for? Well, start with the […]
Read more…As featured in the Suffolk Director magazine – Spring 2021 edition – https://www.suffolkdirector.com How do you engage and motivate employees and keep them?Appreciate their contribution. Keep them in the loop about developments and have regular ‘keep in touch’ calls or 1-2-1s, to check how things are going and find out what’s happening in their world. How do you […]
Read more…Virtual team, management, committee and Board meetings will remain standard for the foreseeable future. The technology to host and run virtual meetings is now accessible to everyone. Software applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and Webex are simple to use, affordable, and secure. Speech to text conversion tools are available but users can […]
Read more…HR and Office Managers have reached a tipping point
Read more…We often get asked ‘what could a virtual assistant actually do for me’? The opportunities are endless when you have an experienced and capable VA working with you. If you picture your To Do List, that’s what we can tackle for you. The ‘day in the life’ of a Bay Tree VA is never dull […]
Read more…Growing a business requires a gear change in mindset and there comes a tipping point when you need to act. You realise that you don’t have to do everything yourself, but you are responsible for ensuring the business has what it needs to run efficiently and be productive. To regain valuable time, could working with […]
Read more…Over the last few months we’ve had a noticeable increase in minute-taking work – for Board meetings, grievance or disciplinary hearings. In addition to our expertise, the benefit of having one of our Bay Tree VAs take minutes is that we can provide an external, impartial record of the meeting. Reflecting on years of minute-taking […]
Read more…This is a new experience as I’ve never written a blog before, but I’m always up for a challenge! For those who may not be aware, I am delighted to announce that I have recently been appointed a Director of Bay Tree VA. My role means that I not only work with Jane on strategic […]
Read more…With articles about digital detoxes, FOMO (the fear of missing out) and books such as Catherine Price’s How to Break Up with your Phone, it’s not surprising that devices can turn holidays into a working day in a more exotic location. With warmer weather enticing us out of the office, it is important to recognise […]
Read more…I attended a presentation recently which looked at business growth in East Anglia, but also touched on national productivity. It was sobering to realise that the UK is behind Italy in the European stakes of productivity. With record levels of employment, it gives food for thought as to how small businesses can resource that crucial growth […]
Read more…Welcome to our Bay Tree VA blog. In this series I will be sharing with you tips, good practice and favourite finds. I’ll also provide an insight into how we work and assist clients at Bay Tree VA. The first topic is on video conference calls. A lot of us can shy away from these, […]
Read more…
Join our growing network.
Sign up to receive updates, news and tips & tricks from Bay Tree VA to work smarter.
Join our growing network.
Sign up to receive updates, news and tips & tricks from Bay Tree VA to work smarter.
