Alison Fourie: 2010 Achievement Award Winner

Achievement Award: The VAimpact award is a standing ovation given to individuals or group for outstanding contribution over significant period of time in the VA industry.

Full Name: Alison Mary Fourie

Business Name: AMF Typing Services cc

Years in Business: 9 Years

Business Website: http://www.amftyping.co.za

Location & Country: Johannesburg, South Africa

Biography- I am married to Dries Fourie with 2 children Katie 12 and Tom 9. I am UK/England born (Sunderland) living in Roodekrans, Roodepoort, Gauteng.

Worked in England for 11 years working for 3 companies. Left England in 1986. All three companies have since gone Bankrupt. Started working at Prudential Insurance Company (Johannesburg, South Africa) in 1986 as a Copy Typist in the Word Processing department, promoted up to Word Processor doing copy typing, typing of reports, spreadsheets, general typing etc. Liberty Life Insurance Company bought out Prudential in 1988, all staff transferred up to Liberty, moved from the Word Processing department into the Secretarial Field as a Junior Secretary, working for an AGM, 3 Team Managers in total 63 staff in the team. Responsibilities included, general office duties etc. Over the years stayed as a Secretary but quickly made promotions to finally Senior Secretary. I have an excellent reputation of being able to handle working for a large group of people using Time Management, Prioritisation and People Management Skills.

Over the years I was given the opportunity to type lots of different types of documents and learn lots of different software, from Flow Diagrams to Desk Top Publishing and various Word Processing packages e.g. MultiMate, Wang, Word Perfect, MS Office etc.

I have experience in: Office Management Document Management Function Organisation Office Administration Telephone Management People Liaison Secretarial Support Database Management Project Administration comprising of: Maintaining schedules for management. Writing and
preparing correspondence for signature by management. Manage supply inventory. Provide management with current schedules. Prepare news articles/current event summary sheet. Distribute mail for management. Perform facsimile and copying as needed. Schedule travel for management. Complete and manage expense reports upon return from travel Manage travel accommodations. Plan and schedule meetings and conferences. Answer phones and forward to appropriate party. Maintain filing system. Manage time and attendance for management. In January 2000 I transferred to Systems/IT Human Resources department as a Senior Secretary/HR Support Co-Ordinator. I was given the opportunity to grow and learn many new tasks.

AMF Typing Services
I helped design, create and maintain a Web Site for the Secretaries of the Liberty Life Group. I initiated that all the secretaries within GIS join the Professional Secretaries Association of SA. I initiated that the secretaries within GIS try to obtain CPS certification (Certified Professional Secretarial Certification in SA).

Over the years I have coached many secretaries in their positions and some have gone into becoming Executive Secretaries within the Liberty Life Group. I have often worked for other departments within Liberty Life apart from GIS because of my reputation of being able to give excellent Secretarial Support and my people management skills.

My responsibilities were: Creating/maintaining databases, Data Entry Recruiting/Staff Management Compiling Stats Internet Research Proof Reading Maintaining Staff/Contractor Database Creating/Documenting/Publishing Policies for HR procedures Prepare Database for Salaries; assisting with compiling/formulating salary increases via Excel. Budget management/forecasting Performance Management Web Design: creating/maintaining HR Department and Liberty Life Secretarial web sites Project Administration Liaise with Staff etc. Taking Minutes at Meetings. Stand in for Executive Secretary working for CEO while she took leave or was absence from the office. I left Liberty Life Group after 14½years (March 2001).

Spent 4 months working in the offices of a Medical Aid Broker learning about the different Medical
Aid Schemes, for experience.

Awards received during my career at Liberty Life: November 1996 – While working at Liberty Life Group I received a very prestigious company award for providing Quality Customer Services in November 1996. Won numerous Quality Customer Services Awards (Individual and Team) for various quality secretarial tasks. Myself and a co-worker won the ‘In Pursuit of Excellence’ award, for 1999 in February 2000. The award is presented annually to an organization that demonstrates quality and support for secretaries, admin/executive assistants and related office professionals. This award was presented by the PSASA (Professional Secretarial Association of South Africa).

Skills: Excellent communication and listening skills Excellent office skills Professional and confidant Committed to establishing long-term partnerships Pro-active Time Management Open- minded Willingness to learn and aptitude to learn quickly Focused Multi-tasks capable Organized Committed to providing a Quality Customer Service Team player Respect Privacy and Confidentiality for each Client

Your current or past contribution to African VA industry

I try to get the word out on a continual basis around South Africa about virtual assistants, its about educating potential clients and business people, by sending out articles, having articles published here and there to keep them informed especially so
in a recession, clients need to know that if they are downsizing they can turn to VAs for assistant. Co running a Forum to keep in touch with VAs around the country, offering advice, help and support as needed to various VAs. Sharing my knowledge with new VAs. Meeting and assisting new VAs on the
procedures to start up a VA business.

Why do you think you deserve this award:
I have worked hard to get where I am in this industry, I have never given up no matter what, even when I had no clients I kept on marketing and advertising and pushing till my break came through, since then I have not looked back. I realised the need to sell my business to clients, to make sure I give a quality service, to make sure I treat each client as my only client. I am very positive about my business and I feel this is part of the reason I am successful as I work at it non stop.

How do you balance work and home life?
By having a very supportive partner. My children understanding that I work full time and respecting me for this. When I am busy the whole family will assist to make things get done. I love to work under pressure.

What is your personal inspirational message to Virtual Assistant in Africa?
Be positive, never give up no matter what, the more positive you are the more good things, will happen to you in your business. Be assertive, pro active, know your Industry, and come across to clients as their equal.

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Alison Fourie Acceptance Speech for Above & Beyond Award

“Dear Topsie and everyone associated with Afrivan, a huge thank you for this award. It is an honour and pleasure to receive it.

It has always been my dream and goal to be able to help, assist, and share my knowledge of experience with Virtual Assistants within South Africa and Africa and to educate businesses, corporate’s and entrepreneurs on the benefits of using Virtual Assistants. It is a growing industry within the country and the more people know about us the better for the new Virtual Assistants starting out. This is an emerging industry within South Africa and Africa and I would like to see it grow in leaps and bounds and for us to be part of the virtual assistant community worldwide. Our virtual assistants need to be taught that this is a career, just like any career in the corporate world.

A virtual assistant can be an asset to a business if there is a good match between Virtual Assistant and client.

A huge thank you to Afrivan for offering this award to me.”