Hi I’m Yona Signo, Founder and Managing Director of Kaya Services – Outsourcing and Virtual Assistants for Business. I’m a mum of 2 little ones, with a supportive husband and parents. Born in the Philippines, raised in Australia – each country has a special place in my heart. 

I am an AusMumpreneur 2021 Gold Award Winner for Multicultural Business Excellence, a published author, Certified Sacred Space holder and Well Being Boost Program facilitator, host, outsourcing and business strategist consultant who enjoys bringing ideas to life with a particular interest in helping start-ups get off the ground. 

I’m a multipreneur with a mission to make a difference both locally and globally. I love to learn and collaborate with like-minded individuals who strive to create and continue the ripple effect of positivity to make the world a better place. I live each day with gratitude and integrity.

When did you start your business?

2017

What was the inspiration behind starting this business?

When my firstborn turned one, I was at a crossroads on whether to go back to the corporate world or to start a business of my own that leverages my qualifications and background in Information Technology, project management and continuous service improvement. I decided on the latter. Kaya Services was born. After a couple of months in the business, I realised that I can only serve so many clients if I was on my own so I decided to build a team where we can support business owners in Australia while providing fair work opportunities for virtual workers in the Philippines. 

What are you most excited about in your business? 

I am excited that through my business, I am able to empower those individuals who are located in the two countries close to my heart, and who are as passionate as I am about helping others. Business owners located in Australia who are excited about serving others through their service/product-based business; as well as virtual workers, located in the Philippines, who are dedicated to supporting business owners to scale their business through their skills and professionalism. 

What has been the most challenging thing about starting your business?

The most challenging thing about starting my business is not knowing all the things required to start and manage a company including the financial aspects. On a positive note, it was an opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone to ask questions, research and expand my knowledge. I’m continuously learning till today.

What advice would you give to other women thinking about starting a business? 

As I mentioned in the chapter that I wrote in the book anthology ‘Back Yourself’, start with knowing ‘why’ you are starting your business as this will be your compass as you navigate through the different phases of your business and be resourceful by focusing on what you have as opposed to what you don’t have. You’d be surprised about how much resources you have at your fingertips. And if you are ever unsure, reach out to the AusMum community, there will be someone who will know or can refer you to someone – you are not alone.

Why did you enter the AusMumpreneur Awards? 

To honour the nomination I surprisingly received and I’m so happy that I did because since then, I’ve enjoyed being part of the AusMum community and have been in awe of all the amazing AusMums I’ve been honoured to connect and work with. 

What did you enjoy the most about being part of the awards?

The part that I’ve enjoyed since the awards is being a part of the AusMumpreneur community, led by Peace and Katy, who are passionate about empowering women. The AusMum community is so supportive of one another and genuinely want everyone to live their best life. I have also loved being a part of two book anthologies: Back Yourself and The Women Changing The World. What an amazing opportunity it was for me to become a two-time bestselling author as a result of the awards.

What surprised you most about the awards?

Winning! hehehe. In all seriousness, I was surprised most about the beautiful connections that I made from the awards. It is absolutely amazing to be surrounded by women who understand life as a mum with a business. The AusMumpreneur is not just an award, it’s an empowering community.

How did the awards help you in your business? 

The awards have helped me step out of my comfort zone (AusMum was the first awards I joined) and more importantly, the awards have helped me connect with amazing mums in business who I have learnt from, have been inspired by and grown with. The awards have also provided me and my business a stage to shine and share our strengths, as well as another platform to promote our services. The AusMumpreneur awards have definitely brought on many blessings. 

What advice would you give to others mums thinking about entering the awards? 

Just do it! You won’t regret it. No matter the result, the experience is something that will be beneficial to you both professionally and personally. 

What has been the best thing about starting your own business?

The best thing about starting my own business is the flexibility that I have to make time for what matters most to me, my family. Also, ensuring that our values are upheld in all the things we do and who we interact with.

What’s happening next in your business? 

I am investing in myself through education (I am excited to be a part of The Women’s Business School Accelerator program)  and other opportunities (I am proud to be a judge for the AusMum Awards 2022) which will enable me to continually grow as a leader. We are constantly refining and assessing our virtual assistant services, ensuring that our services are in line with what Australian business owners need in order to scale and grow. And as we are an international team, we will be doing some travelling to the Philippines to further strengthen our people & team culture.

What are your big plans for the future? 

We are excited to add more consultation services as well as have digital products available to help business owners with more resources to grow their business in an efficient and practical way. As well as create a resource to empower virtual assistants in their international careers. And I’m going to put my big hairy audacious goal here, which is to have an international retreat in the Philippines with amazing like-minded women who want to be their best selves and live their best life as a mum in business.

What are your website and/or social media links (eg. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram)

https://kaya.services/

https://www.instagram.com/kaya.services/

https://www.facebook.com/kaya.services/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/kayaservices

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonasigno/ 

https://www.instagram.com/yonasigno/