Warsha Joshi worked in the beauty industry when she first arrived in the UAE in 1996, before becoming a personal assistant (PA).
She has since set up her own "virtual assistant" business, Platinum VA, offering PA services to small companies. Here, she talks about how she got started.
You worked in the beauty industry when you first arrived here. How did you become a personal assistant?
In 2000, I went through a big health issue. I was diagnosed with cancer so I had to take a break and recover and then I wanted to take it easy. In 2001, I had taken up a part-time, admin service job but I continued with the company for six years and grew through the ranks and my last position there was PA to the general manager. My then boss moved to Dubai World Group and he took me with him so I was there for about five years.
Why did you start your own company?
My last employed position was PA to the chief financial officer in one of the Dubai World companies. Then, in 2009, I got made redundant. That's when the idea was born. During 2009, a lot of my colleagues were losing their jobs because of the [economic] climate then. And that was also the time when Dubai ... made it easier for people to open their own businesses. I found a gap and thought, 'There are all these new businesses coming up, one-person or two-person companies and they need assistance but they don't necessarily need an assistant for eight hours a day, nor can they afford a PA.' I thought, 'Here's what I can do.'
How does the virtual PA service work?
All the assistance offered to [small businesses] is completely virtual. The PA works from our location and offers services like email management, calendar management, or even things like making proposals for the client's clients. The PA doesn't have to be sitting in front of the client.
How many PAs do you have?
We are six consultants now and we are large enough to have a finance director on board.
What are your plans for the business?
Earlier this year we put the entire business to a proper audit to ensure it is franchise-ready. Let me take a step back first, virtual assistants are big business in the rest of the world. But it is virtually unheard of over here, not just in the UAE but also in the [wider] GCC and, surprisingly, in India as well. India is a big outsourcing centre but it only outsources to the rest of the world. Those businesses [that are] in India have no support. We thought, 'Why not expand it to parts of the GCC, which are growing?' We're looking to expand to Doha and India as first steps and it will be one more step to Jordan if things go well.
gduncan@thational.ae
The years Ramadan fell in May
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Predictions
Predicted winners for final round of games before play-offs:
- Friday: Delhi v Chennai - Chennai
- Saturday: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore
- Saturday: Hyderabad v Kolkata - Hyderabad
- Sunday: Delhi v Mumbai - Mumbai
- Sunday - Chennai v Punjab - Chennai
Final top-four (who will make play-offs): Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The five pillars of Islam
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
