Ever feel like this? I know I do!
Earlier this winter, an old friend put me in touch with her neighbour Donna Zimonjic, the Urban Assistant.
My friend raved about this superwoman a few doors down who had single-handedly project managed a major renovation, who regularly stepped in to supervise kids on the street, and who set up a cool new business all in a matter of just a few months! I was amazed. This whole story sounded dauntingly impossible, especially for someone constantly swamped, so I had to learn more.
Fast forward a few weeks, and Donna and I found ourselves chatting happily over coffee. As you know, this girlaboutOtown likes to celebrate courage, and here was a woman with gumption to spare! Not only had she smartly purchased a home with potential, she had aggressively set about personalizing it, all in the midst of minding her young family. No small task, to say the least, and Donna’s new business is a direct reflection of her obvious get up and go. Taking an idea from dream to reality in three short months definitely deserves kudos, Donna clearly does not put off for tomorrow what can be done today!
The Urban Assistant offers onsite or virtual assistance to individuals, small businesses and organizations to help them get organized and run smoothly. Saving her clients both time and money, the Urban Assistant provides a range of services from filing and trip planning to moving assistance and rate shopping. Intrigued? I know I was!
And, Donna has been kind enough to offer girlaboutOtown readers TWO FULL HOURS of her time, so if you think you could use it, leave a comment below indicating how you think the Urban Assistant might help you. A winner will be drawn randomly next Thursday, April 22 and informed by email.
In the meantime, here is a bit more about Donna the dynamo and how she gets the job done…
How did you come to live in Ottawa. Where did you grow up? I grew up by the sea in England, but moved to Canada after I got married. My husband and I fell in love with Ottawa ten years ago and decided then we wanted to make it our home. Before we settled here we decided to spend some time in London first, and after a stint in the UK to gain experience, we moved back to Ottawa.
How long have you been living in Ottawa? Two and half years this time.
What is your favourite thing about the city? Ottawa is a very accessible city that is easy to live in. After living in London, where it took an hour to get anywhere, I love the fact that wherever you go here, it only really takes 10 minutes. That and the Gatineau Hills, Tremblant and the canal in winter!
What is Urban Assistant and what do you do? Urban Assistant was set up to help busy people better manage the administration of their business or life. For example, if people are moving, we can transfer all their utilities over for them, redirect their mail, create letters to post to their Dr’s, dentist etc. We can also provide a virtual assistant service for businesses to take care of special projects, conferences or we can even go onsite to provide administration support to small businesses when they require help. We also help people shop around for the best phone/cell or mortgage rates so they don’t have to.
Who can you help? Individuals and small businesses.
What inspired you to create Urban Assistant? What did you do before? I formerly worked for large investment banks and private equity houses in Britain, in senior administration roles. Urban Assistant was a way of building on my experience and skills while taking advantage of what I perceive to be a vacancy in the service sector market. So many small businesses need help with their administration but don’t want to hire a full time person to take care of it. Urban Assistant fills that gap. I also have experience as a Foreign Exchange dealer in Toronto where I negotiated to get the best deal I could for my clients or my company. So many people pay more than they should because they do not have the time to shop around, and I recognized that I could provide a vital service for companies here as well. I recently just found someone a mortgage rate of 3.6% fixed for 5 years which actually saves them thousands of dollars and only took me an hour to negotiate!
How long did it take for you to go from idea to reality, and who has helped along the way? I came up with the idea last fall and it took me until the new year to get my website up and running and launched, so about three months.
What sets you apart from your competition? There really isn’t any direct competition for what I do, but I feel that my negotiating skills and ability to get things done set me apart. I operate with the following motto in mind: If you want something done, do it now or it will take twice as long!
As an entrepreneur, what has been the hardest thing to learn so far? Marketing. I want to be busy with my work, but in order to do that you have to attract customers. This means taking on a whole new skill set, which can be a challenge at times.
Do you have a secret hidden talent? What is it? Supermom. Juggling kids, work, shopping, cleaning. I’m just like every other mom out there – trying to do everything! My ability to get things done in the midst of all that turmoil is one of my greatest strengths.
Describe your dream vacation. Sitting in a hot tub after a day’s skiing. I’m rubbish at skiing, but I love it, and there is no better feeling than sitting in a hot tub, or in front of a fire, after a day out in the snow.
What impresses you the most? Businesses that have started from nothing, and have successfully been going for years. It takes a lot of determination and hard work, so I admire that.
What is your favourite genre of movie? I love all the Bourne films, so action/thriller.
Do you prefer cupcakes or tarts? Tarts definitely. I am terrible at baking and everyone who knows me will agree!
Do you collect anything? What are your most prized possessions? I have lots of things in my house that spell out what they are e.g. Tea/Coffee/Sugar jars, a sign on my bathroom saying ‘washroom’, a flower pot saying ‘flower’, so I think its safe to say I quite like these. My prized possessions are my kids.
What was your childhood ambition? To travel and see the world.
Can you describe your personal style? All my clothes are from the UK. When I go on holiday I stock up, or when friends visit, they bring me clothes. I would say I strive for a casual/sophisticated look, but with kids, it’s more of a thrown on put together look.
Favourite restaurants? Patty’s Pub for the wings and the Black Tomato for a lingering meal with a bottle of wine. I freely admit, however, that I work too hard and need to get out more!
Favourite bar or nightspot? Its been too long.
Best coffee shop? I have to say I love the ‘mochas’ at Starbucks. We use to go running and get a ‘mocha’ every time after our run. It canceled out all the calories we’d just burnt!
Favourite stores to shop at? HomeSense and JD Adam in the Glebe.
Favourite local causes? Run for the Cure – cancer research.
