Virtual Assistant - would you use one?

[rbrown]

Hi

I wonder if anyone would be able to answer a few queries I have?

I am being made redundant from my administration job in June and consequently I will be relocating to my home town of Dorset to be nearer to my family.

Instead of finding new employment I am really enthusiastic about setting myself up as a Virtual Assistant/Administrator to local business. I realise this would be a lot of hard work to generate income from nothing but I am willing to work 24/7 to achieve this. I have am a skilled administrator with strong experience in many fields and I feel I could provide local business with an excellent service. However I’m finding it difficult to work out if there is a demand for this kind of service. Would you use a virtual assistant? If so why? And how often? Or wouldn’t you use a VA?

I realise work could be sporadic and my main concern is that I will not make enough money to match my current salary (£15000pa). If there’s any VAs on here (I have done a search and noticed that Bridges is a VA who has set up recently) I would be very grateful of some advice. I need to know if I can realistically afford to live if I take the plunge and do this!
Sorry for the long post!
Many thanks

 

[seanstevens]

Hi, are you on Twitter? if so there is a group of VA's on there called VASG if I remember correctly. One of the members is @hlsbs and they all help each other out. There is a market for good VA's so best of luck with it.

 

[ccp consultancy]

good luck Im all for working for yourself - and now companies are looking to cut costs VA is prob a good way to go - I do not know much about setting up - but when you do there is a site called freeindex - if you google it you will get to it - put your comapny details on here and you will get some good business leads - I got 2 in the first 2 weeks of set up

 

[WarringtonWebsiteDesign]

Definitely a market for it.

To answer questions:

Yes I would/do use a VA
To let us concentrate on heavy workloads, meetings etc. (Only a small team with no admin staff)
A few times a week normally.

 

[rbrown]

Thanks for your replies. Any other thoughts? Do you think that the market is already flooded with VAs? And what marketing do you think would work best?

Thanks

 

[iaynm]

I would use one basically just to have a landline number that people can call. I'd be out all day, so just have a mobile. I'd need this to be charged by the call (or by the minute or however they do it) because our turnover is so low that a month's retaining fee for a VA would wipe us out, haha.

 

[BusinessIdeas]

I must admit that I have considered it, but my business is very specialised, and I would also worry about confidentiality.

 

[rbrown]

Thank for your responses.

Call answering is a service I was considering as I realise a lot of small business owners are out and about a lot. I used to work in a message taking call centre where we used to answer calls for a variety of different business/organisations so I have a lot of experience in this.

In terms of confidentiality I would create a confidentiality agreement/policy to ensure all client's work remains confidential.

Thanks for your replies - keep them coming!

 

[Sharona B]

I just wanted to encourage you to think big, some ex-pats living across the globe work as VAs - there is no reason to contain your marketing to the UK. Think BIG!

Also, you may need to change the way you work so look into file transfer systems for audio transcription and other tools that VAs regularly use. I would spend this time genning up on virtual working because there is probably quite a bit that you need to get your head around.

Good Luck

 

[Deleted member 3454]

Have you come across Society for Virtual Assistants (UK-based) and VANA (international)? Both are well worth joining for VA support and advice.

 

[rbrown]

Thanks for all your positive responses so far.

I have spoken to my family about setting this up and they share my concerns that I will not be able to generate enough income to match my current salary. Can any current Virtual Assistants let me know whether they are able to make a living out of this (obviously I'm prepared for A LOT of hard work). Thanks

 

[Deleted member 3454]

I used to be a VA but while I was great at VA work, I lacked marketing skills, and a business without clients doesn't provide an income. Having said that there are VAs making a good living.

Being a VA is not an easy option, despite the way it is portrayed in the media - to set up a VA business properly you need to make a proper business plan, and you need to work out how you are going to overcome any skills gaps, like marketing. On SVA there is a great thread following someone who is setting up as a VA - if you haven't already joined I highly recommend it.

 

[Kelly Cairns]

Hi, I'm a Virtual Assistant and a member of the VASG.

I'm happy to give you advice and guidance feel free to email me at [email protected]

 

[hlsps]

Hi

This is @hlsbs, thanks Sean for the glowing reference.

This time last year I was in exactly the position you find yourself in now, except I had my working hours reduced on me. The bills required five days wages to pay them and I was only earning four days wages.

I set up as a Virtual Assistant on a part time basis and generated enough work to set up full time last September. I have never looked back, nor for one moment regretted the decision that I made.

I couldn't have done it without a lot of support and encouragement, and late last year met the gang over at #VASG who are amazingly supportive. Their motto is collaboration not competition which is exactly what I believe in.

I earn a full time wage from my business and would not claim to be a marketing expert, however, I firmly believe my success is down to having grasped the power of Twitter and some bloody hard work and late nights on my part, not to mention being a determined old bat

As with Kelly I am more than happy to talk to you about the job, and how I make it work for me. I can also talk to you about the Call Answering team a group of us have set up so that we can handle calls for our Clients, even when we are busy.

The market does seem to be a popular one, but I believe that there are different levels of service out there. I market myself as an Executive Virtual Assistant, basically I am a virtual PA, so whatever you would have asked your PA to sort, I can sort and then some. I have an amazing set of contacts and associates who work with me to ensure the service I provide is exactly what my Clients need.

For those concerned with security I can assure you this is not an issue, VA's are more than happy to sign Non Disclosure Agreements, I am registered with the Information Commissioner, and what happens in your business stays in your business, unless you specifically ask me to discuss it with someone on your behalf.

I am no different to an employee in that regard, however, I like to think that I am more than just an employee, to my Clients I am a sounding board, a solution provider, a facilitator and a doer.

Never be afraid of working with a VA, instead ask yourself why you aren't doing it yet. We are all happy to show you our testimonials and references, and at the end of the day if we don't produce the results we don't get paid!

Good luck with your venture and if you want to talk to me about this then please do get in touch [email protected]

(Thanks again Sean for the glowing referral )

 

[virtuallysorted]

I think Lynn beat me to it, but do log onto www.societyofvirtualassistants.co.uk and join. You get loads of top tips both in the forum and in our monthly newsletter. It's entirely free.

Why is it free? Because so many people have been in the same boat as you and want to help other people from making mistakes which could reflect badly on the industry as a whole. So they are happy to give their time and experience to help others out - if only for good karma!

In terms of your income questions - the vast majority of VAs working in the UK make under £10K a year, but the vast majority of them are not working full time, so it skews the figures somewhat. The fact you are able to work full time on your business without distractions is a distinct advantage. One thing which is imminant that might help you is the UK VA Survey which is due out soon - if you join SVA you'll get advance notice of when it is available. This gives some real insight into the industry and what you can expect to earn, what marketing works best, what sort of industries to target etc.

 

[rbrown]

Thank you all so much for your offer of advice and guidance - I can see that VAs are very supportive of one another which is great!

I shall definitely be joining the society of virtual assistant soon as it looks like there is a wealth of knowledge and support on there.

I am scared about the income situation and my family is persuading me to find another job in June as they want to me have a regular source of income. But I suppose that I could test the water like HLSPS and go full time with it if it takes off.

Unfortunately I have a busy few weeks at work so I unable to work on this for a while (which I'm not happy with) but I'm sure I'll be in touch with you guys at some point!! Thank you again for your support.

 

[Call Assistant UK]

Just like to add my 2p worth.

Your concern of income is quite valid, especially when you have the bills to pay etc, but about a year ago, I just too the plunge and though B*** it, lets do it.

With very little marketing or effort, within 6 months, I was brining in a full time wage.

This came with some mistakes, but another 6 months on and its into bigger offices with more staff.

Now, we are slightly different from VAs obviously, but the support is the same I think, and hope. We are very specific about what we do, and who we refer to a VA, but basically for all the all the less time consuming tasks, we will take on, but if more time is required, then we refer to a couple of VAs who work with us.

It is hard, but the rewards at the end are far more greater than that if you didn't go and do it.

Again, we aren't a VA company, but I think the concept may be the same.

Good luck though...hope it works out for you.

 

[Kelly Cairns]

May I offer some more advice, I think your family are right. I think you should continue to wor, but build up the VA business along side it. It's hard work, but if you have passion and dedication it will happen.

Like any business, you have to build up credibility, your presence on the internet is also important which includes being on the likes of Twitter and Facebook, and also a good solid base for people to visit i.e your website.

I think it would be wrong for any of us to say risk it, but I built my business up alongside my day job and when I had enough clients to warrant a part time wage that's when I knew the time was right.

Hope that helps to clear the mist a bit.

 

[hlsps]

I agree with Kelly, as I said I started this alongside my full time role, yes I had that one day a week to fill, then later this turned to two days a week, but I should say that I worked every night as well. This is not going to happen overnight, and it will not happen without a bliddy lot of hard work.

The hardest part is not listening to family and friends. They always have your best interests at heart but thanks to mine I found myself aiming at the wrong market place to make it a viable proposition. They were happy to give me work to do, but they only wanted to pay a minimum amount for that to be done and felt that despite the research I had done this was the right level to enter at. Get your business plan done first, work out what you need to earn, how many hours you can work, and remember that you will be working a lot of unpaid hours in there marketing and building your business, and decide on your target market. It was a lot harder for me making the move to full time than it should have been as I had too many clients on the wrong hourly rate, luckily this has now corrected itself but is an important lesson that I wish I hadn't had to learn.

Attend as many of the free Business Link and HMRC courses as you can, they are a great resource and will help you work out your business plan and cashflow.

Visit Society of Virtual Assistants, they are always happy to help with advice on what does and doesn't work, don't get caught in the trap of paying to join all these American associations to get the badges for your website, you don't need them.

There is also a VA Conference in June you could attend. It's on a Saturday so will fit in around your work, you could attend that. I know both Kelly and I are attending along with many of the VA Support Group.

Another good site to visit is http://www.tip10tips.co.uk This is a site specifically aimed at small business and start ups, the experts in their fields share their Top 10 Tips on each topic. You can register in the top right of the screen to receive email notification of the new topics as they are released.

Do take time to see what other VA's are doing on Twitter and Facebook and start building your presence on there now. Look at their websites. Just make sure you don't break the cardinal rule and copy their work.

As you have seen VA's are happy to help each other, it's because by working together we can strengthen what we do. In busy times we can take the strain for each other and in slack times we can pass work onto each other. When you need a shoulder to cry on they are there, and when you just want to jump for joy and shout to the world they are there. It's like nothing I have ever come across before and makes my job so much easier and more fun.

Yes you have to consider the needs and wants of your family, but you also have to consider yourself, I found myself in a job I no longer loved, never knowing day to day if I would have a job the following day, and greeted each morning with a groan and a huge desire to head back under the covers and stay there. Now I wake up each morning, looking forward to the day ahead, I love my job, and friends and family have seen a huge change in me. Money cannot buy that.

Again, it is hard work, but as long as you are prepared for that, happy to occasionally work till midnight to hit that target or get that marketing done, then you will be fine.

Look at the people around you now, who would give you a testimonial, who would give you an hour of work here or there, who could refer you to a friend or colleague who needs assistance, that's how I started out. Look at me now, and I can assure you that my business, even in its first year will exceed the figures shown by Caroline above. Remember that a vast number of VA's work 5-9, not 9-5.

Good luck with your goal and remember that there are people like Kelly and I, the SoVA, and the VASG here to support and help you build your business.

 

[Office Stuff]

What can I say other than to agree completely with what Caroline, Kelly and Helen have already posted. I set up 5 years ago,whilst working part time, and after 18 months went full time. Office Stuff provides me with a decent income, and I'm a much more fulfilled and happy person. I get a buzz every day, despite the fact that sometimes it is b****y hard work, because I derive enormous satisfaction from doing a good job for my clients.

Make joining SVA your priority. The site is full of extremely useful information and the members are always happy to share experience or point you in the right direction. Becoming a member of VASG was a breakthrough in terms of no longer feeling isolated because of my location. They are a great community of like-minded people whose ethos is collaboration not competition. Do try and get to the conference in June as a whole bunch of us will be there.

To answer the question of confidentiality raised earlier, most VAs have a confidentiality policy and are more than happy to sign non-disclosure agreements. Many have also signed up with the Information Commissioner and observe the rules of the Data Protection Act. Some of us belong to professional bodies, such as the Institute of Certified Book-keepers, which have a code of conduct. After all, if we went around blabbing about our clients' business, we soon wouldn't be in business ourselves!

Becoming a VA and running my own business is the best thing I have ever done. Good luck!

 

[saward36]

Hi

I also do the same thing for a living, i've had a quite spell. but i'm not going to give up and hense i have joined today to get get some advise etc to move forward again. good luck

Sally

 

[rbrown]

I'm overwhelmed by all the lovely responses - thank you to you all for your support!! I'll keep you updated with any progress I make (when things are a bit quieter at work and I have time to think)! And I'm sure I'll be in touch with some of you at some point to take up your kind offers of advice.

 

[pedror414]

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Certified virtual assistant is similar to a freelance online worker. It provides administrative, artistic, clerical and technical services. A professional virtual assistant assists clients do work at their own expertise from the comfort of home business.[/FONT]
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[FONT='Lucida Grande',Verdana,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]professional virtual assistant​

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[businessfunding]

To OP

I see that this post is now a year old - it would be very interesting to hear if you pursued this avenue & how things have gone?

When I first noted the post I wondered if you had any additional specialties - eg language capabilities?

I think we would all like to know!

Mark

 

[James Greg]

I think using a VA is a good idea for small business person who is constantly on the go. If I had a business where my traveling is required I would really use one. But every one is concerned about the attention the VA will pay to towards the business. What if a VA is working with more than one and the VA starts neglecting or starts selling confidential information? These are the main concerns for hiring a VA

 

[Remote Resources]

I think using a VA is a good idea for small business person who is constantly on the go. If I had a business where my traveling is required I would really use one. But every one is concerned about the attention the VA will pay to towards the business. What if a VA is working with more than one and the VA starts neglecting or starts selling confidential information? These are the main concerns for hiring a VA

Most VAs would be happy to sign an NDA (Non-disclosure agreement) and in fact many VA's include this as part of the deal.

With regard to your worries about attention to your business - well, VAs are in business too and want to keep you as a client. You are paying them for a service as you would any other business and decent VAs will care almost as much about your business as you do as you are their lifeblood - a client.

As someone who offers this service to small businesses, I am glad you aired your worries about hiring a VA. It provides us with constructive feedback about issues the industry must overcome if it is to become a better utilised business service/tool.

There probably are unscrupulous and lazy VAs out there but just as you would any other business, seek recommendation, ask to see a portfolio of work etc etc. If you don't get on with your VA, you can always find another.

Have you had any bad experiences with a VA or heard of any?

 

[rbrown]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Hi kickstartbtm[/FONT]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] [/FONT]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I did indeed explore this avenue and set up a VA business. However I’m trapped in a vicious circle which I can’t seem to get out of – I work full time as my VA business does not allow me to earn enough money to give up my job however by working full time I am not pursuing my business to my full potential! It’s a difficult situation. I think a VA business would be great if you could set one up on the back of redundancy or after a period of being a stay at home Mum as then you would have more time and incentive to make it work. While I work in a full time role I do not have to incentive to give 110% on my business as at the end of the month I will always receive a wage to full back on. In this current climate I’m not prepared to give up a full time job to fully pursue my business (if I followed my heart I would but my head says no!). I do spend several hours each evenings and of my weekends working on my business. It’s exhausting!! [/FONT]

 

[Remote Resources]

[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']Hi kickstartbtm[/font]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif'] [/font]
[FONT='Verdana','sans-serif']I did indeed explore this avenue and set up a VA business. However I’m trapped in a vicious circle which I can’t seem to get out of – I work full time as my VA business does not allow me to earn enough money to give up my job however by working full time I am not pursuing my business to my full potential! It’s a difficult situation. I think a VA business would be great if you could set one up on the back of redundancy or after a period of being a stay at home Mum as then you would have more time and incentive to make it work. While I work in a full time role I do not have to incentive to give 110% on my business as at the end of the month I will always receive a wage to full back on. In this current climate I’m not prepared to give up a full time job to fully pursue my business (if I followed my heart I would but my head says no!). I do spend several hours each evenings and of my weekends working on my business. It’s exhausting!! [/font]

I agree with this completely. It is how I set up and found it very, very difficult to do it in my 'spare time'. There was no way to run it as a viable concern whilst working full time when you factor in travelling and the basics of life such as shopping , cooking etc.

Keep with it though and try to build up slowly. Now I don't have to work full time my business is really starting to take off and new avenues are opening up. If you keep it running in the background and you ever lose your job, you can then pick up what is a semi-established business and really drive it forward.

Good luck!

 

[rbrown]

I agree with this completely. It is how I set up and found it very, very difficult to do it in my 'spare time'. There was no way to run it as a viable concern whilst working full time when you factor in travelling and the basics of life such as shopping , cooking etc.

Keep with it though and try to build up slowly. Now I don't have to work full time my business is really starting to take off and new avenues are opening up. If you keep it running in the background and you ever lose your job, you can then pick up what is a semi-established business and really drive it forward.

Good luck!

Thanks - It's positive from other VAs. I'm glad it worked out ok for you. I'll keep it on the back burner and hopefully one day I can give up the day job!

 

[James Greg]

Have you had any bad experiences with a VA or heard of any?

No, I have not had a bad experience with any VA but my concern for the attention towards the duties assigned to a VA always kept me from contacting one.

 

[virtuallysorted]

I've got to slightly disagree with the not having enough time to set up whilst working full-time. It's blooming hard, but it is possible. It depends how much you are willing to give up?

For example, when I set up my business, I got rid of my TV. So I'd come in from working 9-5 and I'd start work all over again, grabbing some food (and I probably ate far, far too many pizzas during this period!) and working through until 11pm - that's 5 hours solid work you've got right there.

Not to mention weekends and holidays (and I took quite a few random holiday days so I could attend seminars, networking events, client meetings etc). Yes, that means you don't get to go away on holiday since you've used up all your leave. And yes, it means you will be entirely anti-social for the next 2 years. But it is possible!!

Also, I arranged to go part-time in my job so that it wasn't a leap of faith into the unknown - it really galvanised me into using the time constructively but still gave me an income whilst building my client base - could you try this?

 

[Digital Investments]

@OP

A great place for taking on VA jobs is odesk.com

I've used VA's in the past, and while their are positives to using VA's that are located offshore (mainly the price) you fundamentally get what you pay for and I would DEFINITELY use a UK national next time.

I think VA's is going to be a BIG industry over the coming years

 

[Remote Resources]

I've got to slightly disagree with the not having enough time to set up whilst working full-time. It's blooming hard, but it is possible. It depends how much you are willing to give up?

For example, when I set up my business, I got rid of my TV. So I'd come in from working 9-5 and I'd start work all over again, grabbing some food (and I probably ate far, far too many pizzas during this period!) and working through until 11pm - that's 5 hours solid work you've got right there.

Not to mention weekends and holidays (and I took quite a few random holiday days so I could attend seminars, networking events, client meetings etc). Yes, that means you don't get to go away on holiday since you've used up all your leave. And yes, it means you will be entirely anti-social for the next 2 years. But it is possible!!

Also, I arranged to go part-time in my job so that it wasn't a leap of faith into the unknown - it really galvanised me into using the time constructively but still gave me an income whilst building my client base - could you try this?

So you had enough time whilst working full time but yet decided to go part time............

I definitely didn't say it couldn't be done, nor did rbrown. How could I? That's exactly how I set up!

 

[Remote Resources]

@OP

A great place for taking on VA jobs is odesk.com

I've used VA's in the past, and while their are positives to using VA's that are located offshore (mainly the price) you fundamentally get what you pay for and I would DEFINITELY use a UK national next time.

I think VA's is going to be a BIG industry over the coming years

I agree - the concept is massive in America. The UK is starting to catch on, just like home-shoring has started to catch on and grow.

With regards to offshore VAs - as an aside I was browsing through Freelancer.co.uk and was horrified to see people asking for VAs, 30 hours per week @ $2 per hour! You may as well burn your $60 per week because you're not going to get anything worthwhile for it.

The scary thing is, the offer had a large number of takers!

 

[Digital Investments]

I agree - the concept is massive in America. The UK is starting to catch on, just like home-shoring has started to catch on and grow.

With regards to offshore VAs - as an aside I was browsing through Freelancer.co.uk and was horrified to see people asking for VAs, 30 hours per week @ $2 per hour! You may as well burn your $60 per week because you're not going to get anything worthwhile for it.

The scary thing is, the offer had a large number of takers!

Exactly, you really get what you pay for, but if you're thinking of doing onshore VA then dont price yourself to steep either (especially to start). As a business owner, I would use an onshore VA for primarily for saving excess costs - I would expect to save on the costs of maintaining a full time employee, the costs of having to provide a work space for that employee and ideally to get a professional for slightly cheaper rate i.e. £8.50 or £9 p/h rather than £10

 

[Remote Resources]

Exactly, you really get what you pay for, but if you're thinking of doing onshore VA then dont price yourself to steep either (especially to start). As a business owner, I would use an onshore VA for primarily for saving excess costs - I would expect to save on the costs of maintaining a full time employee, the costs of having to provide a work space for that employee and ideally to get a professional for slightly cheaper rate i.e. £8.50 or £9 p/h rather than £10

Few professionals will run a business for £9 per hour - it just isn't viable as a business proposition when you consider that the work is on an ad-hoc basis. If you employed a freelance administrator full time then yes, it's viable. A VA can't support that level of income.

Where you make the savings are, as you pointed out, on PC's, telephones, office space and other equipment. You also save on the fact you wouldn't pay employers NI, holidays, sick pay, maternity pay and a whole host of other employment costs.

You also pay only for the time you actually use. Say you hire a VA to compose a database for you. The clock is off when they use the bathroom, natter to family on the phone etc. With an employee, you pay for 'down-time' during the day. You also, if you employ someone full time, have to pay them when there isn't anything productive they could be doing.

Hiring a VA at £20 per hour for a specialist skill as and when you need them will save you a substantial sum over hiring an employee. Standard admin will come in considerably cheaper than that but certainly not around your £9 per hour mark. Once business costs, NI, salary, marketing, equipment etc have all been paid, the VA will find themselves earning considerably less than minimum wage.

 

[Digital Investments]

Hiring a VA at £20 per hour for a specialist skill as and when you need them will save you a substantial sum over hiring an employee. Standard admin will come in considerably cheaper than that but certainly not around your £9 per hour mark. Once business costs, NI, salary, marketing, equipment etc have all been paid, the VA will find themselves earning considerably less than minimum wage.

No you misunderstood me, the figures were just an example, Im not saying that Id pay £9 and only £9 for a VA - I'd pay what the going rate was but Id expect to have some savings on the p/h basis, if only by 50p or £1ph

 

[rbrown]

I've got to slightly disagree with the not having enough time to set up whilst working full-time. It's blooming hard, but it is possible. It depends how much you are willing to give up?

For example, when I set up my business, I got rid of my TV. So I'd come in from working 9-5 and I'd start work all over again, grabbing some food (and I probably ate far, far too many pizzas during this period!) and working through until 11pm - that's 5 hours solid work you've got right there.

Not to mention weekends and holidays (and I took quite a few random holiday days so I could attend seminars, networking events, client meetings etc). Yes, that means you don't get to go away on holiday since you've used up all your leave. And yes, it means you will be entirely anti-social for the next 2 years. But it is possible!!

Also, I arranged to go part-time in my job so that it wasn't a leap of faith into the unknown - it really galvanised me into using the time constructively but still gave me an income whilst building my client base - could you try this?

Thanks Caroline - I know I've mentioned this issue before over on the Society of Virtual Assistants forum so I must sound like a broken record now!!
You’re right about utilising my evenings in a better way. I always do 2 hours work and then I'm too knackered to do anything else after a full day at work. To add to that housework as well...my OH is in his 1st year as a qualified teacher so frequently does 14 hour days and therefore I do all the cooking, cleaning etc. Unfortunately he doesn't like pizza otherwise it would be pizza every night for me! More excuses I know...
I've asked to drop a day a week at work but it's not possible at the moment but it hopefully will be in the future.

I think it’s just mind over matter really and I think I can succeed if I persevere! I will get there!

 

[Remote Resources]

Every one is using a Virtual Asst today specially from Pakistan and they people are honest. Without these people life is not easy today. But i am afraid as well if they took our earnings one day as well and our clients start using our assistants.

That would be a grave situation indeed.:|

 

[Digital Investments]

Thanks Caroline - I know I've mentioned this issue before over on the Society of Virtual Assistants forum so I must sound like a broken record now!!
You’re right about utilising my evenings in a better way. I always do 2 hours work and then I'm too knackered to do anything else after a full day at work. To add to that housework as well...my OH is in his 1st year as a qualified teacher so frequently does 14 hour days and therefore I do all the cooking, cleaning etc. Unfortunately he doesn't like pizza otherwise it would be pizza every night for me! More excuses I know...
I've asked to drop a day a week at work but it's not possible at the moment but it hopefully will be in the future.

I think it’s just mind over matter really and I think I can succeed if I persevere! I will get there!

Best of luck to you Caroline. Working to the 'priority principle' is something Ive used in the past to get the most out of my efforts - for instance, if I have only a couple of hours in the evening then I would first focus first on the tasks that are most important and that require me to think,while I still have some energy and a brain that works, then leave mindless tasks like admin and organisation until last - at least I can do that while having a TV on or holding a conversation etc - and if their are any mistakes they can be corrected first thing the next evening within minutes. In your case you could leave housework so its the last thing done before bed