Fiona Pedley is known as The Canine VA, a virtual assistant specialising in supporting dog businesses.

A former executive assistant working in corporate, Fiona began her self-employed journey in the 2020 lockdown, making the leap to start her own business.

As a dog mum and having studied and worked as a dog trainer, she gravitated towards working with dog-related businesses and in 2024 rebranded as The Canine VA.

In this episode, we chat about the challenges and lessons she’s learned along the way, how she supports her clients, and how her business has evolved.

Plus, we discuss the challenges around being visible, ways to show up on social media that feel right for you, and the importance of networking and relationship-building in growing your business.

With a string of awards and a waitlist of clients who want to work with her, Fiona has achieved so much in a short space of time in her business.

I hope you find this episode inspiring, and you’ll find all the links to connect with her at the bottom of this post.

Key topics and timings in this episode:

0:02 - Introduction to Fiona and her business, The Canine VA.

1:30 - Fiona's corporate background and transition to starting an online business.

4:23 - How Fiona discovered the virtual assistant world during COVID-19 and decided to take a leap of faith and start her own business.

6:14 - Why Fiona decided to specialise in working with dog businesses.

10:10 - The main challenges Fiona's clients face, time constraints and technology and how she supports them,

14:58 - How Fiona built her business through visibility and relationship-building.

23:23 - Fiona's approach to content creation and social media.

27:49 - Why Fional decided to rebrand and become The Canine VA.

35:41 - What’s included in Fiona's new product line, including record books for dog groomers.

44:43 - Fiona's advice for people feeling overwhelmed in their business.

54:35 - How to find and connect with Fiona online.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Connect with Fiona via her website: http://www.thecanineva.co.uk/

Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCanineVA

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecanineva

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-pedley/

Further listening

The power of building relationships in your pet business with Kerry Jordan

Using your strengths to build a business you love with Sasha Louise Smith

Putting you first and creating a pet business that makes you happy with Jane Ardern

How to feel more comfortable and confident with self-promotion

Is my Pets Get Visible membership right for you?

Why I trained as an accredited coach and what that means for your pet business