SmartPA is the leading provider of outsourced administrative and PA support to businesses around the world.
Who are SmartPA?
SmartPA is a business support and administration franchise transforming the way professionals work. SmartPA Franchise Partners support their clients by remotely delivering a range of admin and business support solutions. Some will act as a virtual PA, while others may offer additional skills such as HR, finance or social media management.
Launched in 2013 offering remote administrative support to over 500 clients globally, demand for our services is growing and now is the perfect time to launch your franchise business under our SmartPA brand. We offer lifetime business support from the minute you sign up with us.
Our business equips you with all the tools you need to succeed, including an online CPD accredited training course to get you started and ongoing support from a dedicated team. When you join SmartPA as a franchisee, you become part of a supportive community of over 100 SmartPA Franchise Partners and can tap into a wealth of expertise and business knowledge. You’ll reap the rewards of flexible working and being your own boss, with all of the support and guidance you would gain from working in-house.
Why now?
More organisations than ever are relying on services provided by SmartPA. With that shift comes a golden opportunity. And that’s why now is the perfect time for you to successfully start your own virtual assistant business with SmartPA.
Founded by 2020’s Business Woman of The Year, Sarra Bejaoui, you’ll be joining a team of inspirational leaders and innovative thinkers.
Franchisees who work full-time earn, on average, between £84,000 and £120,000 each year (and those working part-time earn between £30,000 and £48,000 on average).
We don’t restrict you by geographic territory (work from anywhere in the world and have clients anywhere in the world). Our recurring revenue model means that you can secure repeat business, ensuring a stable source of income and limitless earning opportunities.
SmartPA have worked with brands such as Google, Krispy Kreme and BBC. Launching your business with us gives you the opportunity to tap into our trusted brand and achieve instant recognition.
Reasons To Invest:
- Fully funded opportunity
- 100% home working
- Access to a global community of Smart PA Franchise Partners for income opportunities
- Potential to gain income from head office corporate clients
- Flexible working hours to suit your personal needs
- Expert remote training and continuous learning with full CPD accreditation
- World-class brand and sales & marketing
- Access to innovative technology and IT support
- Dedicated support team for the entirety of your business journey
- Ongoing mentorship for your business
- Tried and tested business in a box - using a model adapted to your needs
How does your franchise model work?
You become a SmartPA business owner by buying into the SmartPA partnership franchise (the cost of which can be fully funded by HSBC). We’ll then help you set up your own limited company.
Unlike starting your own business from scratch, where you’d have to tackle all the startup costs, challenges and risks on your own, you’ll have full daily support of our dedicated, friendly SmartPA support team, and you get to trade under the trusted, established global SmartPA brand, helping you hit the ground running straightaway.
We equip you with all the tools to succeed and expert knowledge and skills to run a successful SmartPA business. Our unrivalled programme covers everything from the SmartPA Method (best practice, remote working and service delivery) to pricing, business operations and long-term growth and development.
With SmartPA, you can start earning from day one through reliable work with HQ clients, servicing trusted businesses from SMEs to corporates. Our proven insourcing model also connects you with regular projects from across the SmartPA network, giving you stability and predictable income. On top of this, our training and coaching will equip you to grow your own client base—building a scalable business with the confidence, support, and freedom to shape your future.
A SmartPA franchise can be a great opportunity for anyone looking to run their own business or be their own boss, or anyone wanting to balance work around other life commitments. Because the franchise can be run from home, it requires minimum overheads and offers a highly flexible working model to suit your own hours and availability. The franchise model has been tried and tested successfully around the world, with over 100 SmartPA Franchise Partners already thriving.
Who are you looking for?
SmartPAs Franchise Partners come from a variety of backgrounds.
Previous experience is not essential, but a positive attitude is. SmartPA will provide the brand and the backing that allow you to build a successful business.
With peer-to-peer support, internal networking opportunities, wellbeing groups and much more, you’re never alone or without assistance from an expert.
Furthermore, SmartPA’s unique Insourcing model supports you and your business to grow. It provides both the opportunity to support and be supported by a more than 100-strong community across the globe.
**Thanks to full UK funding with HSBC, you can launch your SmartPA franchise today without any upfront investment.
To take the next step towards owning your own SmartPA franchise, request your free consultation by registering your interest below:
Empowerment in action: SmartPA announces new partnership with Refuge for International Women's Day
International Women’s Day is a celebration of progress and this year’s theme, “Give to Gain,” is a reminder that empowerment grows when opportunity is shared.
At SmartPA, empowering women has never been a seasonal campaign, it has been embedded in our purpose since the very beginning. This International Women’s Day, we are proud to announce a new partnership with Refuge, the UK’s largest specialist provider of support for survivors of domestic abuse.
Through this partnership — supporting Refuge’s 4Change campaign — SmartPA will provide free access to professional skills training designed to help women rebuild their independence and re-enter the workforce, because when we give access to skills, confidence and opportunity, everyone gains.
Giving Skills. Gaining Independence.
For many survivors supported by Refuge, rebuilding their lives means starting over, often in a new location, with new networks and without employment continuity. Leaving abuse often means leaving a job or career behind.
Through this partnership, SmartPA will provide access to its CPD-accredited PA and administrative training programme via our ESG platform; klar. The programme equips women with:
- Professional administrative skills
- Core digital capability
- Communication and organisational tools
- CV development and interview preparation
- Recognised certification on completion
This is designed to support women at different stages of their educational journey so the structure is flexible and accessible, with bite-sized modules and no formal qualification requirements.
By giving practical skills, we help women gain financial independence, confidence and choice.
Marcela Benedetti, Client Engagement Manager, at Refuge said:
“For many survivors, escaping abuse means leaving behind employment, income and stability. Access to recognised skills training can be transformative in helping women regain independence and rebuild their lives. We welcome SmartPA’s support in delivering practical and accessible development opportunities through this partnership, empowering survivors to take their next steps with confidence.”
Empowerment has always been our purpose
Since founding SmartPA in 2008, CEO Sarra Bejaoui has championed female empowerment, from creating flexible career pathways to delivering international economic empowerment programmes, including UN-supported initiatives in Zimbabwe.
Sarra comments:
“Give to Gain speaks directly to what SmartPA stands for. When we give women access to skills and opportunity, the gain extends far beyond employment. It builds confidence, resilience and long-term independence. Our partnership with Refuge reflects our long-held belief that empowerment must be practical, measurable and sustainable.”
A commitment backed by measurable impact
This latest partnership builds on SmartPA’s wider ESG mission: unleashing potential from young people and women globally. In H1 2025 alone, SmartPA’s klar platform achieved:
- 1,690 new users joining the platform
- 48.2% of users applying for employment opportunities, significantly exceeding target
- Continued free access to training in regions including South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe
The long-term goal is to support at least 3,500 young people and women into job creation or career enhancement.
Beyond lip service
International Women’s Day invites organisations to reflect but it also challenges us all to act.
By opening access to accredited professional training for women rebuilding their lives, SmartPA is taking our commitment beyond intention and into meaningful contribution.
Being vocal about empowerment and celebrating women’s achievements is important but what’s key is ensuring more women have the opportunity to achieve them.
About SmartPA
SmartPA is a leading provider of transformative business support services, disrupting the industry with our highly skilled teams and proprietary methodology, which is enabled by technology and supported by Generative AI.
We help organisations simplify admin and scale faster by combining process optimisation, simplification and cutting-edge technology.
We deliver measurable ROI and unlock potential by removing administrative burden, allowing our clients to focus on top-line growth while we deliver bottom-line impact through data-led decisions.
Feeling really valued, feeling indispensable, and feeling like you are making a difference to people.
Life challenges took me to move home and hence change of job back into the Administrative sector. When I really understood I had the experience and ability to do this for myself - after all there wasn’t anywhere to go in my current job. I always had a deep desire to be a business owner, but just didn’t know in what field. When I found out about the support and guidance that SmartPA supplies, I didn’t look back
I was made redundant and had come across adverts for SmartPA but wasn't sure it was for me. A friend bought into SmartPA and I had seen lots of her posts. After 6 months of no luck with getting a job other than temping, I decided to take the plunge. My biggest achievement? Completing accreditation and launching it in lockdown.
“I had been toying with the idea of starting my own business for a couple of years. In all the industries I’d worked in there was always the same issue that senior management didn’t really understand the importance of good administration or what was really involved in keeping an office running smoothly. I knew about VA’s but I wasn’t sure if it was something I could really do on my own so kept putting it off. When I came across SmartPA and read more it lit up a light and made me realise that I could start my own business but not be totally on my own, there would be support AND be part of an already established brand. The best- selling point of the SmartPA brand is our fabulous head office and support network and access to a vast talent pool of accredited, professional partners from a wide variety of backgrounds offering a variety of experience and skills. Yes there are other VA’s out there and other VA franchise companies, but SmartPA is nearly 6 times the size of competitors… so to me it is definitely THE brand in this industry.”
I have found the support from SmartPA's Business Support Team to be invaluable, and my monthly call with them enables me to stay focused. It helps to put together an ‘Action Plan’ to ensure that I am taking all the steps necessary to help grow my business. They’re always quick to respond with any queries I might have, and are always friendly, helpful, and approachable.
"I certainly have that Friday Feeling this eve! I have just finished my first week as a fully accredited SmartPA Partner and am so blessed to have some fab clients already and amazing support from the Business Support Team and the SmartPA community. I was so worried about making the move into having my own business and now I feel so positive and ready for anything!!!"
“Having researched various startup options offering business support, I chose SmartPA for their professional approach from the outset. At no point did I feel under pressure to purchase the franchise and I subsequently received excellent advice and support throughout my training and recent launch. The training programme is the most thorough and enjoyable I have ever completed and receiving accreditation gave me the reassurance I needed to start my business. The on-going support from the Business Development Team and other SmartPA partners ensures there is always someone to help if you require assistance or you just need a bit of moral support. During the Covid 19 pandemic, the world is becoming accustomed to remote working and the SmartPA model is a fantastic, flexible option for anyone looking to start a rewarding new business that fits in with their lifestyle.”
"I have to say, everyone that I have spoken to so far has just been so reassuring and helpful and I really feel that if at all I start to struggle, I can contact someone for help and advice and not feel awkward about it... It's really strange, as I know I am only just starting out, but already I feel I am becoming 'part of the family' - and this is because everyone is so helpful and approachable. I have that nice warm fuzzy feeling - it's great! I really do mean everything that I say as the team is just amazing!"
My journey with SmartPA has been brilliant! I can't fault the whole process. Jo was amazing to deal with, I loved speaking to partners and Andrew the CEO. My workshop was really valuable too - it was all very reassuring. Training - I loved it!! Steven was brilliant, I'd always feel anxious before training but by the end I was absolutely buzzing! I signed up when my little one was really little and I had my hands full, but I haven’t stopped since I launched. SmartPA was the best thing I've done for myself and my children. The whole onboarding process, speaking to people - you feel so included and part of the community from the start."
My SmartPA journey from discovery to accreditation was possibly rockier than most, as we moved house 3 times, renovated one of them and began a new life in Hong Kong, all in the space of 9 months! The training team was unfailingly supportive and gave me all the time and encouragement I needed to persevere through the process. I was in the interesting position of learning about SmartPA’s culture and values while receiving that support from the Head Office at the same time! It gave me a great deal of confidence that I am investing in the right company.
The SmartPA Franchise Opportunity
SmartPA Partner Testimonial | Louise Bowler
SmartPA Partner Testimonial | Mandy Busuttil
SmartPA | Our 2024 Partnership Event
SmartPA | Theresa McRobbie | Case Study
SmartPA | Yvonne Hams Testimonial
Monica's Story | SmartPA Partnership
SmartPA Spotlight | Tracy Jones
SmartPA Testimonial | Angela Dewitt
Sarra Bejaoui | SmartPA Founder
