Stop Doing Everything Yourself | Dionne Popplestone on Delegation, Cash Flow & Building a Business That Gives You Freedom

In this episode of the Built By Her Podcast, Georgie sits down with **Dionne Popplestone**, founder of a virtual assistant agency, to talk about delegation, building a team, cash flow and creating a business that actually gives you more freedom. After more than 20 years working in high-end fashion retail and managing multimillion-pound stores for brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Kate Spade, Dionne reached a point where she knew she wanted something different. While expecting her son, she left her career without having a perfectly mapped-out plan for what would come next. A year later, she started reaching out to local business owners to see if they needed support. Within four months, she was fully booked. But Dionne knew she didn't just want to be a VA. She wanted to build a business. Today, she leads a team of seven virtual assistants across multiple time zones, supporting business owners with everything from email marketing and diary management to research, travel, CRM systems and day-to-day business operations. We talk about: ✨ What a virtual assistant actually does and why it's about much more than admin ✨ Knowing when it's time to delegate in your business ✨ Growing a team based on what your clients actually need ✨ Why a great onboarding experience matters ✨ Systems, automation and creating a better client experience ✨ Using AI to improve productivity without losing the human element ✨ Why you don't need to spend thousands when starting a business ✨ Knowing your numbers, profit margins and managing cash flow ✨ Late payments and having the confidence to stand up for your business ✨ Building a virtual team across different countries and time zones ✨ Why networking can completely change the trajectory of your business ✨ Building confidence as a female business owner ✨ Creating a business that gives you flexibility and freedom Dionne also gets refreshingly honest about one of the less glamorous sides of entrepreneurship: **getting paid**. From learning the importance of invoicing upfront to taking legal action over an unpaid invoice, we talk about why small business owners need to know their numbers, protect their cash flow and stop being afraid to have difficult conversations about money. This episode is a brilliant listen if you're trying to do everything yourself, wondering whether it's time to outsource, building a team, or simply trying to create a business that works around the life you actually want. And Dionne's biggest piece of advice for anyone thinking about starting? **Just do it. Don't waste so much time trying to launch perfectly.** **Guest:** Dionne Popplestone **Instagram:** @dionnepva **Website:** dionnepopplestone.co.uk **Producer:** @NozzleMedia Send us Fan Mail **Follow Built By Her** 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builtby\_her 🎟️ Events & Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/114520957181 Join the community, come to an event, and be part of the conversations beyond the podcast. 🎙️ Hosted by **Georgina McDonald** founder of **G R Design Studio** 🌐 Website: https://www.grdesignstudio.co.uk/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/g\r\designstudio 🎧 Produced by **Richard Lannen** at **Nozzle Media** 🌐 https://nozzle.media 📸 https://www.instagram.com/nozzlemedia If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone building something of their own.