Valerie MacIver
Director

Valerie MacIver Public Relations

Reclaiming the hours in a day

Founder of VMPR, Valerie has more than two decades of experience as a Publicist and Communications Professional, working with some of the biggest names in music and entertainment to publicise tours, album releases, events and more. As her business grew, Val found that she simply didn’t have enough time in the day for all the administrative tasks that come with running a business, and reached out to Empire Virtual Support for some assistance.

Overwhelmed by workload

Tackling most of the administrative tasks within the business herself, Val found herself with the age-old problem of simply not having enough hours in the day to do everything that needed doing. Not only was the workload stressful, but the pressure to keep up with business administration while delivering client work was overwhelming.

Outdated software & business tools

Sticking with what she knew, the processes Val had for client onboarding and reporting worked well… but she knew they weren’t optimised for her growing business. Onboarding new customers and providing clients with updated reports on how publicity projects were tracking was both time consuming and clunky.

Time-sensitive client needs

Working in a service-based industry, Val’s business had a number of time-sensitive tasks clients needed from onboarding, right through to the end of a project. Focusing on delivering client work, Val simply didn’t have the time to perform these administrative tasks in the quick timeframes she wanted.

Modern software implementation

After a thorough review of Val’s current processes and procedures, the Empire Virtual Support Team made a number of recommendations for software improvements that would simplify and streamline business procedures. Simple tools like PandaDoc were set up and implemented so that clients can sign documents digitally, rather than needing to print, scan, and email.

Handing over administration management

Aiming to give Val back some of her valuable time, Empire Virtual Support took over a portion of administrative tasks for VMPR so that Val can focus on delivering client work. The Empire team now manages a range of administrative duties for VMPR, including:

Onboarding new clients
Graphic design of reports & business collateral
Overseeing new contracts
General administrative support

Streamlined client processes

No longer dealing with client administration in an ad hoc way, Empire Virtual Support worked alongside Val to streamline client processes and implement SOPs for all administrative tasks. Whether our team is working on onboarding new clients or reporting on existing projects, VMPR clients are now kept in the loop at every stage of the process.

Overcoming the overwhelm

With Empire Virtual Support taking over a number of administrative tasks, Val now has the time to do what she does best – delivering outstanding PR services to her clients. Knowing that our team are on hand when needed also gives Val peace of mind that she can hand over ad hoc duties as they arise without becoming overloaded with mountains of paperwork.

Up to date business tools

Following the recommendations of Empire Virtual Support, VMPR now has a range of updated systems and software. These tools have not only simplified processes for Val now, but are sustainable business solutions that will support the business well into the future.

Positive client feedback

Thanks to streamlined processes and dedicated administrative support, VMPR clients now have even greater communication from Val and the team. No longer a one-woman-team, Val has the support she needs to respond to clients promptly and ensure they receive up to date reports on their PR campaigns and individual projects.

From Chaotica to Optopia

Real Stories. Real Impact.

ExcellentEmpire Virtual Support5.0★★★★★ Based on 10 reviews fromSee all reviewsJoel S. ★★★★★ Charlie and the team at Empire are fantastic! They deliver a very high quality service and advice, always with a smile on their face.Whenever I throw a problem at Empire team it’s sorted quickly and to a very high standard. I would recommend them to anybody looking for virtual assistance and bookkeeping services.Response from the ownerThanks Joel we appreciate you taking the time to share :) Vanessa A. ★★★★★ The team at Empire are professional, experienced and always there when you need support. As a small business owner, having this level of support is a game changer. I highly recommend if you need to level up, connect with Charlie. Thank you team at EmpireDhania M. ★★★★★ Before we engaged Empire Virtual Support, I was finding it really difficult to stay on top of all of the tasks that I needed to do. When I did have time, I was finding myself mentally depleted, and just not able to focus. As a business, we weren’t realising our full potential. We had this vision of what we wanted to be, but we weren’t taking the right steps or achieving that. So I really needed to find support, so that I could focus on that bigger-picture stuff.Now, I feel like I don’t have to worry, I can pass on tasks to people I trust who are really competent at what they do, really enjoy what they do and are so approachable. Each individual person that I’ve worked with at Empire has been able to collaborate with me in a way that understands what my business problem is, and provide solutions. I have found a lot more clarity in what it is that I need to focus on and can work on growing my business into the business that I want it to be. It has been an absolute weight off my mind having Empire along for this ride, I really feel like they’re part of the team. And they’re working towards these common goals with us. I keep finding new things for them to do and it always surprises me that it’s just so easy for them to just pick up and run with.Big thanks to Charlie and the team, highly recommend!Valerie MacIver Public R. ★★★★★ Charlie and the team at Empire Virtual Support are like an extension of our team.We’ve worked together for more than four years – they are great with time management and full of ideas.Empire Virtual Support have helped to save time and money. It’s like having a weight lifted off your shoulders!Kim B. ★★★★★ It is a relief to have found Empire Virtual Support’s services. They were recommended to me 3 years ago, and I haven’t looked back.I find the team responsive, skilled and thorough. I have been very happy with my website updates as they grasp what I have in mind. I can highly recommend their skills and warm, professional and personalised support.Response from the ownerDelighted to support you Kim :) Stella S. ★★★★★ For me, the value of working with Empire Virtual Support is that I am a lot less stressed. I can tell them what I want, and they make it happen. It’s wonderful because it’s a fraction of the price I would be paying if I had a full time employee. We’ve got a great relationship and I love that they’ve been able to do everything I have ever asked them to do. Working with Empire Virtual Support has helped me bring my business to another level!Response from the ownerThanks Stella, look forward to continuing to work together :) Juliet D. ★★★★★ Charlie and the team from Empire Virtual Support are fantastic to work with, I highly recommended them.Response from the ownerThanks Juliet, we are glad to be able to support your wonderful business! Rosie G. ★★★★★ Charlie has provided administrative support to my solo private practice for most of the past year – it has been such a pleasure to work with someone so switched on, intuitive and respectful. She has taken the time to get to know my business and set up effective communication systems. She works independently yet checks in with me and asks questions when needed. Highly recommend Empire Virtual Support .Response from the ownerThanks Rosie, a pleasure to be part of your team :) Linda M. ★★★★★ An incredible addition to my business. Super efficient, reliable and always thinking ahead. Thanks to Empire Virtual Support, we’ve implemented systems and platforms that we’ve put off for years because it was too onerous. They sorted it out in a matter of days! Fantastic attention to detail and a joy to have on the teamFiona T. ★★★★★ We’ve been working with the team from Empire Virtual support for over a year now. We initially bought them on to support us in a marketing function, and since then, they have taken on a large number of responsibilities across the business. There’s actually very little in the business now that they are not across, and we get a really great consistency of experience and service, which has been amazing. Our experience is that every time someone is brought in, they’re in the right person for the task. The most valuable part of their support is the fact you’ve got all these skills in one place, it’s like having a dream team working alongside our inhouse team.Having Empire Virtual Support on our team just gives us so much more confidence to scale, we know that we going to be able to fulfil both our growth ambitions and the requirements of our clients. And that a really great place to be in, to not have to stress about delivering and also to do it in a financially sustainable way.From a personal perspective, as CEO and Founder, having Empire on the team has meant I can focus on the things I should be doing in this role; working on our vision, our positioning, continuing to innovate. I can be 100% focused on the future that is ahead of us and the growth ambitions I have for my business.