When Paula Burgess launched Beyond the Maze from her lounge room, it was out of necessity rather than any grand entrepreneurial aspirations. Yet the business has since gone on to notch up several accolades, including a culture award and a spot as a finalist in Australia’s Favourite Family Business competition.

“My son was four and going through some tough times at daycare,” Paula tells Business Builders. “He didn’t quite fit in and was asked to leave. That’s when I realised if daycare couldn’t support him, how was he going to manage school? I needed flexibility to work and be there for him. So, I started my own business [Beyond the Maze] to make that happen.”

Beyond the Maze is an agency that connects business owners and CEOs with Aussie-based virtual assistants. Like so many startups, it began as a side hustle, with Paula working from the family living room.

“I started my business at home, and I’m still at home today. But now I’ve got a proper office, which is great,” she laughs.

In the early days, juggling it all was chaos. “Trying to balance my son’s needs, new clients, and running a business was tough. I did it for the flexibility, but the reality was the support my son needed just to manage school each day was huge.”

Still, her motivation never wavered. “My son was what kept me going. And now, after working for myself for so long, I just couldn’t go back to being an employee.”

Finding her first clients

Starting a business from scratch is never easy, but Paula’s background in administration for financial planners gave her the skills to hit the ground running. She knew the importance of making connections and understood that being persistent would eventually pay off.

“I reached out to people in the industry I’d worked in, and one business owner took a chance on me. He hired me as his admin assistant and gave me some part-time work. My former employer also provided work to start with, and that really helped me get going.”

Over time, she found her niche and her purpose.

Building a family business that works for everyone

These days, Beyond the Maze helps busy business owners reclaim their time. The team supports service-based and allied health businesses with everything from admin and systems to day-to-day operations, freeing owners up to focus on what they do best.

Paula’s husband looks after IT, and their son, now older,  is training in digital marketing around his school schedule.

“We don’t really work together that much because he’s out most of the time,” Paula says of her husband. “But when we do, we’ve learned one thing, we need separate offices!” she laughs.

Paula and her team. image supplied.

Family values are at the heart of business

Honesty and support sit at the core of Beyond the Maze. “We encourage everyone to take ownership of mistakes and learn from them,” Paula says. “And I make sure my team has flexibility so they can juggle work and family. That’s really important to me.”

That sense of understanding also extends to Paula’s clients, many of whom are neurodivergent business owners.

“I studied to be an ADHD coach but realised I didn’t love coaching,” she explains. “So instead, I used that training to teach my team how to best support neurodivergent clients. That’s something that makes us unique.”

Coping through COVID

Like countless small businesses, COVID tested everything Paula had built.

“In the early days of COVID, I was getting call after call from clients cancelling services because they had to shut down. It really felt like my business was dying in front of me. It was so stressful,” Paula recalls.

“Once businesses started adapting to remote work, we were able to help them transition, and that’s when things really started to grow again.”

Australia’s Favourite Family Business

One of Paula’s proudest achievements wasn’t tied to profit or growth; it was winning a team culture award.

“That recognition meant a lot,” she says. “It acknowledged the effort I’ve put into building a workplace where people feel valued and supported. That’s what matters most to me.”

Being selected as a finalist for Australia’s Favourite Family Business 2025 has been another high point. “I was so excited,” she says. “It’s an honour to be recognised among so many inspiring family businesses, and a great boost for our team who put their heart into what we do every day.”

A VA’s work is never done… Image supplied

Giving back to the community

While Beyond the Maze was created to solve a practical issue, Pauls says the business is also about making a difference both in the community and in everyday interactions with clients. To that end, Paula volunteers as a driver mentor for PCYC, helping disadvantaged youth gain the hours they need for their driver’s licence. It’s all about giving back.

“It’s really rewarding to see them build confidence,” she says.

She’s also been invited to speak at community events supporting teens moving into their first jobs.

“I think it’s important to show young people that there are different ways to build a career, especially if traditional paths don’t work for you.”

Purpose-driven business

Beyond the Maze has evolved a lot since its early days of supporting financial planners.

“We started adding allied health clients, then phone answering, and now business management,” Paula says.”We’ve even started introducing AI.”

The next big step is a new model called PracticeFlow. “It’s a six-step systems model that helps businesses become more efficient,” Paula explains. “We work with owners to align their business, team, and systems towards their goals so they can scale or even sell their business if they choose.”

Going beyond the maze

Ask Paula what legacy she wants her business to leave, and her answer is all about freedom and choice.

“I want to create opportunities that make life easier for my son and future grandchildren,” she says. “Even if he doesn’t take over the business, I’m building it to support my retirement and give our family security.”

As for her advice for other families thinking of starting a business? “Be clear on your vision from the start and involve your family in shaping it,” she says. “When everyone understands the purpose behind it, it’s much easier to grow together and handle the tough days.”

From that moment of desperation in her living room to leading a team that helps hundreds of Aussie business owners each year, Paula Burgess has come a long way. “It’s funny, I started this business for flexibility and family. And somehow, it’s become both my purpose and my freedom. Not bad for something born out of chaos, hey?”

Beyond the Maze is a finalist in Australia’s Favourite Family Business Competition. You can vote for them and find out more about the rest of our finalists here.

Want more? Get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! Follow Business Builders on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.