Appearing in Women's Day NZ
Tell us a little about your business Emerald Resources.
It’s a virtual office support company that provides professional administrative, technical, and creative assistance to clients. In addition to PA and secretarial tasks, I can also provide clients with a wide range of more technical skills such as proficiency with Excel, graphic design and well-honed marketing and research services. We offer a personal approach, only enlisting a few clients at a time on our books.
What was your job before starting your business?
Marketing and event manager for a legal services provider, in Cardiff.
How did you go from your old career to your new business?
I jumped in the deep end! Travelling from Bath to Cardiff every day in rush hour, was not something I wanted to do while I was pregnant, nor did I want to return to work anytime soon after my baby was born. Luckily I had a wonderful relationship with my company and they agreed to take me on as a contractor rather than an employee. I resigned, set up my company and my new self-employed status and it grew from there.
What were your reasons for starting a business?
My husband serves in the Armed Forces and is away for long periods of time, several times a year. I wanted the freedom to be able to work my own hours and be at home for my family.
Did you use any childcare?
I deliberated for months about if and when to send Ava to nursery. I am still deliberating… In the meantime I make sure she gets time to mingle with other children and the chance to experience new things.
How did you get your business idea?
I worked remotely on and off for my company after I moved counties. By utilising the power of the internet and by being accessible via phone or Skype for meetings, I proved that a virtual way of working was just as productive as being in the office.
What were your challenges and how did you overcome them?
For me the two biggest challenges were starting a business from scratch and winning customers. The first I overcame by researching numerous websites. The likes of http://www.businesslink.gov.uk and http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/startingup/ I found the most resourceful. I also took the time to write a thorough business plan and have two of my closest business contacts look it over. I still refer to my business plan to keep things fresh in my head. The challenge of winning customers will always be a challenge. Initially I tested a number of different strategies to ascertain the best way of bringing in work. I now use the main approaches most frequently;
- Work closely with a competitor and have their overflow work fed down to me.
- Network online via social networking sites and related organisations.
- Encourage word of mouth marketing by rewarding referrals.
- Look for 20 new clients a month (in my target market) and contact the decision maker for the company.
What training, information or advice did you need to get started?
I read a lot about how to start a business and did a great deal of research on my competitors. I used the knowledge and advice given to me by close business contacts and sought out additional advice from banks and start up agencies.
If you could give a piece of advice to a mum of a baby or toddler starting a business, what would it be?
Write a business plan! From here you will clearly see if your idea is likely to succeed. Set an area aside at home and turn it into a productive working environment and most importantly make sure you can absorb your work but still give your time and love to your baby.
In these current economic times business owners are seeking more cost effective solutions to increase their ROI, none more so than small local companies and charities.
SME’s may not be able to take on permanent staff to increase their productivity and are looking for a more affordable alternative. This is why the market has seen an increase in demand for virtual personal assistants. Enlisting the skills of an experienced virtual PA allows small business owners the qualified resource needed, without the overheads of recruitment or training.
Virtual assistants, such as Emerald Resources Virtual PA Ltd, can work on an ad hoc, on-going or a project to project basis, providing flexibility as well as affordability to overworked organisations. Outsourcing is no longer exclusive to large corporations; SME’s can benefit from sub-contracting too, allowing skilled and experienced freelancers to drive projects forward, relieve overworked staff and add value to their businesses.
Emerald Resources was set up by Hannah Hall in 2010, with the objective to provide a wide range of affordable office support services to businesses and individuals.
After working for 6 years in Sydney for a leading publishing house, Hannah returned to the Events and Marketing Industry in England, working for a prestigious private school and as a Marketing Manager for a leading legal information provider. Now settled in Bath after having her first child, Hannah is focusing on her new venture, Emerald Resources, and is proud to offer a professional, cost effective solution for SME’s looking for office support.
In addition to PA and secretarial tasks, Emerald Resources can also provide clients with a wide range of more technical skills such as proficiency with Excel, graphic design and well-honed marketing and research services.
Emerald Resources offer a personal approach, only enlisting a few clients at a time on their books, ensuring a reliable and fully focused, freelance assistance.
With the economy set for more difficult times ahead, SME’s will soon discover that companies such as Emerald Resources Virtual PA Ltd will be the solution they need to keep their businesses moving in the right direction.
For more information about Emerald Resources Virtual PA Ltd please email enquiries@emeraldresources.co.uk or visit www.emeraldresources.co.uk
ENDS
Please contact Hannah Hall on (0)7504 410 058 if you require any further details about this release.
A cost effective solution for SME’s looking for office support.
Thinking that there is a gap in the market for your company/product and that you have the expertise to pull it off is no substitute for doing your research. Take the television show Dragon’s Den for example, there is nothing more disheartening than being told there is no demand for the invention or product that you believed was unique and invaluable.
New business endeavours are usually related to the work an individual already carries out or a hobby that they can turn into a business. The USP (unique selling point) may be their expertise and what they personally bring to the business in terms of relevant experience and expertise.
With good research and time spent identifying your niche business and its unique selling point (USP) you will be well armed to succeed in a highly competitive marketplace.
Niche markets are usually overlooked by large companies because the market is too small. Niche markets are perfect for small, specialised businesses. These small specialised businesses can therefore charge a premium and enjoy the benefit of little or no competition.
Before committing to your idea you need to know as much as possible about your market, who the market is, what they want from your product or service and how much they are prepared to pay for it. You can then use this information to divide the market into segments. By combining these segments you’ll establish a demographical profile of your market.
If you’re still trying to identifying a niche market and potential business opportunities consider your own hobbies, skills and expertise –often the subject that you are most knowledgeable in is an ideal source of niche business opportunity. With the ease of the Internet it is easy to turn a niche hobby into a successful business and you won’t be hard pressed into finding others who share your interests.
What’s motivating me in 2011!
My New Year’s resolution is usually to get in better shape, this year however I have decided to apply this action to my own business marketing plan.
I really like this time of year where I can have time with the family and reflect on my professional and personal goals for the year ahead and even take time do a little planning, in fact I find it highly motivating and usually have a list of professional jobs I want to start before the New Year.
This year I am going to concentrate on, O2O (online to offline) and marketing techniques that combine instant media with traditional media. My goal… to drive leads from the online space, my website, to the offline space that is my office. I also want to stop talking about social media as though it were some new, foreign cousin of marketing and fully integrate it into my strategy and tactics.
Finally I am copying the search engines and focussing on networked referral automation. As searches become more social, search engines are beginning to tell consumers who in their network has purchased the same product they’re considering, or who just wrote about a topic they’re researching. Using a social graph match with that of my own will become a standard part of my business behaviour.
If like me you want to ensure that 2011 is the year that you step into the spotlight, boost the visibility of your company, and attract highly qualified leads that are ready to invest in your products and services then let us work together.
Connect with me here and let’s swap marketing experiences and ideas.
Let 2011 be your year too.
1. VAs offer flexibility – they are available outside of normal hours, have no minimum hour commitment and are only paid for the hours they work.
2. VAs have a vested interest in the success of your business, so client confidentiality is paramount and they will treat your business as their own.
3. VAs allow you to use the same highly skilled, professional every time you outsource work.
4. You get more time to do what you do best, while leaving the admin to someone else.
5. Your work will be completed to perfection and delivered on time – or ahead of time.
6. No recruitment or agency fees incurred.
7. Your VA will work closely with you to achieve seamless perfection of your projects – no one will ever know it wasn’t completed in-house!
8. No HR headaches like tax, national insurance or employee benefits.
9. Employees and temps are paid by you for coffee breaks, toilet visits and time taken for personal calls and issues.
10. VAs work from their own offices so you won’t have to organise workspace or equipment for them.
At Emerald Resources, we are proud of the wide range of business services we offer to the businessperson, the corporation, and the entrepreneur.
DATABASE
FINANCE CONTROL
ADMINISTRATION & SECRETARIAL SERVICES
MARKETING
DESK-TOP PUBLISHING
WEB DESIGN
PRESENTATIONS
TRANSLATION SERVICE
WRITING SERVICES
EVENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
For further information on any of our services, contact us at enquiries@emeraldresources.co.uk.
Outsourcing: Values and Benefits
In today’s unpredictable economy, companies are trying to find new and innovative ways to keep the marketing momentum going – while dealing with budget cutbacks and dramatic fluctuations in the market. In this type of economy, smart companies know that they can’t stop their marketing activities – especially if they plan on establishing healthy longevity in their business. So, where do they turn when marketing is necessary, but resources, expertise, focus, and funds are scarce? They find the answer in outsourcing.
Outsourcing marketing, advertising, corporate communications, and design is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. Traditional agencies and corporations’ marketing departments are being downsized, so the industry is full of all types of freelancers, contractors, and “mini agencies” with clusters of talented marketing and design gurus. These experts can provide a fresh business perspective and innovative marketing approaches to help you find and retain customers in both new and existing markets. Each professional has his or her own niches, passions, and experience levels. Selecting the right person(s) for your specific needs will take some time and focus. However, once you find the right fit and bring that person or group on board, the positive rewards of outsourcing will become clear.
What are the values and benefits of outsourcing?
1. Tap into additional expertise in marketing strategy and implementation, as well as design. An in-house team may not have developed the skills you need. Outsourcing to an experienced team that integrates seamlessly into your infrastructure will infuse your company with new energies and ideas. You’ll introduce fresh and innovative marketing approaches to your customers and business partners.
2. Get an outside perspective on your business. Sometimes you can get too close to your business and not see your marketing strategies, programs, or materials from your audience’s perspective. Even though you may know your business inside and out by living and breathing it each day, your perspective is still one-sided. To market successfully to your current audience – and capture new markets – you need to step out of your shoes and into your audiences’. You need to BECOME your customer. Having a group on the “outside” supporting your needs helps to give you the customers’ perspective, not just your company’s.
3. Minimize the impact of marketing staff reductions. You need to continue with projects, but your resources are limited. Don’t give up! By outsourcing, you can find qualified, experienced resources that can come in and support your marketing needs so that the effort, money, and energy you’ve already invested don’t go to waste.
4. Draw on outside experience with “what works and doesn’t work” scenarios. Whether it’s planning, copywriting, or design, the right outsource team will have had experience with a variety of different marketing and communication strategies, techniques, and tools. You can rely on their lessons over the years to find the correct solution for your business challenge.
5. Maintain the momentum with critical projects – they’ll never fall to the wayside, drop down the priority list, or become forgotten. With the way the economy is today, people change jobs – or are hit with lay-offs – in the middle of projects. When those people leave the company, they will most likely take the project assets with them (in the form of knowledge). When you outsource your marketing relationships, you have one central team as your partner, and your knowledge assets remain protected and archived for future use.
6. Hire only whenever and wherever you need resources. Hiring full-time staff can be very costly when you add up wages, insurance coverage, office equipment and supply needs, training costs, etc. Finding an outsourcing partner allows you the flexibility to bring on talented, knowledgeable experts exactly when and where you need them. And you don’t have to manage or train the entire team – the ‘outsource’ firm does that while you focus on the daily needs of running your own business and generating revenue!
Remember, outsourcing should be viewed as a value as well as a time and budget saver if researched and managed correctly. Why slow down or stop your marketing and communication efforts all together when times get challenging. Look for new and innovative ways like outsourcing to accomplish your goals and keep the momentum necessary to ensure your future survival.
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There is a sceptical view of corporate events within many companies. Outside of the Sales and Marketing department the general consensus is that in financially good times, they are an opportunity but in bad times, they are an expense.
In today’s marketing environment it is probably more accurate to say that at all times, events are an opportunity – as long as they deliver a successful return.
With corporate budgets under closer scrutiny, stricter management of event spending is being encouraged from the board downwards.
If you have been charged with the job of coordinating a corporate event, consider your event, budget and guests very carefully. Whether you want to make a good impression, reward loyalty or improve existing relations, there are events for all types of budgets, time frames and interests which can be adapted to suit groups of varying sizes.
Here are some tips to get yous started.
Think about what you do for the customer before entertaining them. Events such as golf or the theatre are intended to enhance the relationship. But they won’t have that effect if you’re not delivering what the customer wants.
Try to record your current or potential customer likes, dislikes and hobbies. The event will be even more memorable if the customer is fond of the theme.
Can your current customers do the selling for you? Consider mixing potential clients with current, happy customers. You will see that without prompting current users of your service will endorse your company.
Once you have your list of attendees, invite them well in advance of the event, giving all the information required and detailing a clear RSVP date and method. Before the event, issue a final email to guests with the details once again.
During the Event
At the event itself, it is crucial to assign the right people to the right roles. Clearly define each responsibilty and ensure the right people are on hand, from ‘meeters and greeters’ to the ‘stills’, those who stay in one place and to whom invitees are brought.
Everyone involved should be aware that, even though the event may appear to be fun and social, it is window front for the host company. This is important for those who have less client contact day-to-day.
For corporate event planning or ideas, please contact enquiries@emeraldresources.co.uk
Contact: Hannah Hall / enquiries@emeraldresources.co.uk / 01225 482591
Small business owners are facing the same staffing issues as larger corporations, but without the same resources. They too need office staff to handle detailed work while they concentrate on growing their business. However, most just can’t justify another full-time employee.
Emerald Resources in Bath is offering a wide range of office support services to business owners in the South West.
Using an exciting application of the virtual assistant business model, owner Hannah Hall aims to provide a wider range of customer services from a remote location, leveraging the power of the Internet.
“By using a Virtual Assistant instead of hiring someone, business owners and professionals alike can offload administrative tasks allowing them time to focus on other important areas such as company strategy, product development or simply their own personal responsibilities.” Comments Mrs Hall, who has spent over 10 years accumulating the skills her clients need the most. Her company, Emerald Resources, offer basic administrative support through to a wide range of more technical skills such as graphic design, website development and well honed marketing and research expertise.
“Using a virtual assistant can save small businesses on an average nearly 50% compared to hiring a new employee. And, it’s a ‘greener’ way to get business done”, notes Hannah.
By bringing a Virtual Assistant into the business mix, small business owners will overcome the details that can bog them down and keep them from growing.
Hannah says: “With the recent recession, we are anticipating a strong demand for our flexible, high-tech, pay-as-you-go services to cost conscious businesses and time pressured professionals”.
To find out how Emerald Resources can help save you time and money visit www.emeraldresources, or email enquires@emeraldresources.co.uk.
Outsourcing is when you contract out a part of your business to a third party. This third-party takes control of the function and becomes responsible for its success.
Outsourcing allows you to concentrate on what you do best, save money, be more flexible and manage the growth of your business effectively. It also allows your business to gain access to outside expertise and technologies.
Should you outsource?
The benefits of outsourcing can be substantial. As well as cost savings, there are other gains your business can make. To help you make the decision, consider the following questions:
- Will outsourcing free up your business to focus on its strengths? This might benefit your business by allowing your staff to concentrate on their main tasks and on the future strategy.
- Will it improve your efficiency or customer service? Choose an outsourcing company that specialises in the process or service you want them to carry out for you.
- Will your business gain a competitive advantage? Outsourcing can bring flexibility to a business, turning fixed costs into variable costs and freeing up capital. It can also give your business the edge when adapting to changing market conditions.
Consider your options
It may be tempting to rush into outsourcing, but take the time to think through what you need, set the terms and find the right service provider. Consider the following:
- Which are your core strengths and which are secondary? Which processes are you thinking of outsourcing and why?
- What are the costs of doing it in-house? Include hidden costs such as office space and staff costs.
- What are the costs of not outsourcing? Will your business suffer because it cannot afford to invest in the expertise or the facilities that an outsourcing partner might provide?
When looking at outsourcing, you should also ask yourself:
- Are you prepared to spend the time and energy required to manage the outsourcing relationship?
- Are your expectations realistic?
- Is the function a key task which your business needs to control directly to ensure its future competitiveness?
Activities you can outsource
Many businesses now outsource many of their non-strategic activities or more complex tasks in order to access industry best practice and cutting-edge technology.
Processes you could consider outsourcing include:
- IT functions
- Day to day administration
- Business processes and HR
- Finance
- Sales and marketing
- Health and safety
You could also outsource non-business-critical tasks such as cleaning, catering and facilities management as well as deliveries, installation or after-sales service.
E-outsourcing
Electronic outsourcing (e-outsourcing) refers to services that are delivered electronically, usually over the internet. These range from conventional business functions, such as bookkeeping, to technical and IT services, such as website hosting.
The benefits of e-outsourcing
E-outsourcing delivers a range of benefits, including:
- Reduced costs – you pay for services only when you use them, with little or no investment in new equipment, staff or training.
- Greater efficiency – you don’t need a complex IT network or a specialist IT department.
- Commercial advantage – you can work closely with business partners and customers. It also enables staff to work remotely and have access to high-performance software at affordable rates.
- Better use of people – staff can concentrate on business-critical and value-added operations.
Implementing an e-outsourcing solution
Choosing and using an e-outsourcing solution needs careful consideration:
- Do the research – does it make sense for your business? Will it give you access to new markets or technologies? Do your competitors outsource any of their processes – if so, what?
- Identify the advantages – will you save time and money.
- Perform a cost/benefit analysis – what will it cost and how long will it take to pay for itself?
- Assess the suppliers – draw up a supplier shortlist
- Try before you buy – if you take advantage of low cost/no cost trials.
- Regularly review your arrangements – ensure that e-outsourcing delivers what was promised.
To view out outsourcing services visit www.emeraldresources.co.uk
Emerald Resources Virtual PA
