A VIRTUAL assistant who quit the 9 - 5 is now helping others make the leap into self-employment.

Catherine honed her skills working for the National Trust, Swindon Borough council, and Innovate UK, a Swindon-based government agency.

But after a diagnosis of Addisons disease in 2016, a long-term condition causing fatigue, Catherine left the stressful life working as a PA to go self-employed as a virtual assistant in April 2016.

"Working was getting really hard, but I didn’t want to give it up," she said.

"Organising people and being efficient is what I enjoy.

“Even as a kid I used to make stationary and pretend I had my own office so it’s always been my vocation."

Catherine speaks with clients, from property developers to interior designers, using Skype and Zoom Video all over the UK.

“I rarely meet my clients, some I’ve never met and probably never will," she added.

“It’s not just diary management and email management for PA's.

"You need to diversify. While I’ve been building my business I’ve also been building my skills.

Since starting Catherine has completed the AAT accountancy course, Wordpress and marketing courses.

"It gives me such a better quality of life, I continuously work hard to evolve myself. I thoroughly enjoy it, I don’t want it to end.”

“It’s just me and Radio Two until my other half comes home. But I like my own company, and you don’t have to make tea for anyone else," she added.

Catherine now mentors others to follow suit. Her book How to be a Virtual Assistant became an Amazon bestseller and was listed in The Independent as one of top ten business books written by women.

“Work can be really demoralising and stressful " she added.

"So it’s nice to be able to allow people that opportunity to work for themselves."