A Story of Coffee and Love - Bean Burst Ltd & The Women's Organisation...

Here at The Women’s Organisation, we have spoken to a lot of women, we have interviewed a lot of businesses and we have heard a lot of stories, but none of them perhaps as excitable and cheery as Bean Burst who we had the pleasure of meeting a few months back! Jill Dermott, Sarah McGuiness and Samantha Walters are the women who make up Bean Burst Ltd. and it was a joy to get to chat to them and find out about their business, their journey and their plans for the future!

Bean Burst is an all-natural coffee scrub, created by Jill, Sarah and Samantha and was inspired by what they say was; ‘A Mother’s Curiosity’ after Jill’s son Fin developed eczema which was becoming more and more inflamed and agitated through use of the modern medications that were being prescribed. 

Jill says; ‘I began researching articles surrounding natural remedies for eczema. Himalayan salt was widely being used in scrubs, but the surprising ingredient being used more and more in treatments for eczema was coffee. Research showed that coffee, which is full of antioxidants can help to reduce the inflammation by constricting the cells beneath the skin, however anyone with eczema knows that the main frustration is with the dry angry, agitated skin, therefore I needed to add an element of moisture to the formula to help rehydrate Fin’s skin. It was at this point that I started making my own coffee scrub with coconut oil & pink Himalayan salt. His skin started to improve so I used it on myself and my skin seriously felt amazing – I cant explain how soft it felt!'

Once Sarah and Samantha saw the improvements in Fin’s skin and the softness of Jill’s, they began to use it too and it was at that point they knew that they wanted to start making their own scrubs and turn this idea into a business reality. Jill says; ‘There was really nothing out there like this and we thought it could be a good business venture for us. The benefits of coffee on the skin were just starting to be known at that point, so it was the right time to do it. We worked hard together to formulate a coffee scrub that contained only the finest ingredients - ingredients that would benefit the skin’

Bean Burst is the product of much experimenting. The team are proud to say that this product contains NO preservatives and is 100% natural. They now have their three signature blends of coffee scrub; Sweet Orange, Peppermint and Grapefruit and The Women’s Organisation can tell you that they smell…Incredible!

Jill, Sarah and Samantha, all close friends and now business partners blend perfectly as a team too with each individual bringing a different skill and unique take on the business to the mixture. Jill is a doting mum of 2 little boys and also a fully qualified physiotherapist with a background in chemistry and biology. Therefore researching and formulating the products came natural and easy to her. ‘Since having children I have become interested in both researching and sourcing natural products which are free from toxins / nasty chemicals, I’m a believer that nature can cure all’

Whereas on the other side of the coin, Sarah is a trained actress and lives in London, Sarah now splits her time between there and Liverpool and is having a great time experiencing being a business woman as well as continuing to act. ‘I feel really proud of what we’ve created, It’s a fun brand and you can see bits of all of us in it.’

And Samantha considers herself to be more business minded, having 5 years field Sales and Account Management experience, her most recent role working in Medical Device Sales as a Territory Manager. Her interest in Health and Fitness developed after her First Class Honours Degree in Sports Development and Physical Education. Samantha is able to bring acumen to both the team and Bean Burst Ltd. Sam’s passion for travelling has opened her eyes to the difficulties in ethical trading, she is now interested in helping to ethically source the majority of Bean Burst’s ingredients, ensuring Bean Burst use only fair traded goods where possible.

The Bean Burst Team were informed about The Women’s Organisation after going to open the business bank account. Jill, Sarah and Samantha then went for a meeting at The Women’s Organisation and were paired with with Senior Business Adviser, Huda Mamoun who they say is ‘an angel in disguise’. When The Women’s Organisation interview Bean Burst, it is clear that it was a match made in heaven because they have nothing but praise to pile on Huda. Samantha says; ‘She has been absolutely phenomenal since our first encounter.’ And they’ve had a great time with Training Co-Ordinator Bernie Cox taking part in all our courses including ‘Building a Social Media Strategy’ and ‘Understanding Tax and National Insurance’.

Jill says Huda has helped them countless times and to understand things that otherwise, they would just not have known about. ‘It was little things like getting our trademark sorted out. We had no clue how to do it. We thought you had to go through a solicitor because that’s the route it takes you through on the website. We were getting quoted thousands of pounds. But we went to Huda and she gave us a link which saved us £1500! It was that kind of thing, because it’s been a massive learning curve for all of us, we are learning as we go along.’

Bean Burst Ltd is now up, running and raring to go with an incredible website courtesy of the super talented guys at Deerhound creative. The girls have found the perfect words to sum up what they hope the future will hold for them…

‘This is just the start, we are passionate and committed to continually evolve, through research and development, to bring you new and exciting natural products that will #BringYourSkinToLife’

A big thank you to the Bean Burst team for bringing a burst of joy into our day, to find out more about Jill, Samantha and Sarah and their fantastic product, use the contact details below! If you have a business idea that you would like help with, then get in touch with The Women’s Organisation by emailing us on hello@thewo.org.uk or ringing 0151 706 8111

Bean Burst Contact Details

Website

Email: info@beanburst.com

Phone: 07793018799

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Nicole Konigs Balfry Launches Zest After Many Years Managing Events Across Liverpool...

Nicole is the woman to go to if you want to talk about events. With over 5 solid years working on events and festivals across the city before setting up her own business, Zest, she knows her stuff when it comes to putting on fantastic events.

Nicole says; ‘My background is project management and Zest is an events consultancy business. I provide a raft of services ranging from giving advice over managing projects to the actual delivery of events; whatever level of support you are looking for, really!’ Among Zest’s core values are opening good communication channels and allowing her clients to be as little or as much involved as they want. As Nicole knows well; ‘You might have organised a fabulous event but won’t be able to enjoy it fully because you always need to have your eye on the ball. I have the expertise to take the effort and stress off the client so they can sit back and enjoy their own event.’

Prior to setting up Zest in April 2014, Nicole worked for Orb Events managing a range of interesting projects. She was part of the team who organised Liverpool Pride in 2010, her first event: ‘Seeing the work of the past months come to fruition and thousands of happy people celebrating as a result was an incredible feeling and I never looked back.’ Current clients include The Liverpool Mental Health Consortium and the British Association of Hand Therapists. 

Over the last few years, Nicole has worked as a project manager for local events, different companies and community arts charities. Thus, she formed relationships with numerous organisations, building a great network which supported her when she launched Zest last year. One of these organisations was ourselves: Nicole had known about The Women’s Organisation for a few years, having attended our events including our launch of our building of 54 St James Street.

Nicole says; ‘When I started up Zest, I was looking for expert advice and contacted The Women’s Organisation. I was put in touch with one of the Senior Business Advisers, John Jones. One of the great things about working with John is that he asks me strategic questions about my business, which make me stop and think. Once you sit back and talk to someone, you can look at your business from the outside, which has been really useful!’

With experience in business development when she was setting up Zest, Nicole runs her business herself with an accountant on “stand-by” for tricky questions and the annual return. She has been building on her skills steadily, but says ‘I don’t think I would have got my head around setting up the business without the help I’ve received.’ Now that her business is up and running and she is working on her social media skills and her website, she says; ‘I’m quite proud of this and I’m still learning every day, which is great.’

Listening is key to Zest’s core values: ‘Listening to clients and making sure their visions and objectives are being realised is extremely important.’ And the business is now at an exciting stage of growing: with the ground work being done, Nicole is keen to meet new clients, expand her business and continue to put on fantastic events across the city. ‘My objectives are to do a great job every time and to grow my portfolio and client base. I am looking to expand the network of organisations and people that I work with, as feedback, input and mutual support improve work in every respect.’

If you would like to find out more about Nicole and Zest, or if you are putting on an event and would like to see how Nicole can help you with this, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with her using the contact details below!

As well as running and planning events, Nicole is teaching a new course at 54 St James Street to share her knowledge about events! You can contact her for more information using the details below or register for a place on the course on September 24th here! 

 And if you are setting up your own business, The Women’s Organisation are here to help you! Contact hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111 to find out what we can do to support you…

Nicole Konigs Balfry – Zest

Website: https://www.zesteventmanagement.com/about/

Paula James Launches PJ's Kitchen After Deciding 'Life Is Too Short'

Paula James is an expert in making healthy food look, and most importantly, taste fantastic, with her Café and Takeaway; PJ’s Kitchen based in Litherland. At PJ’s (Named so after her full name; Paula James) is a Health Food Café and Takeaway that specialises in gluten free foods and desserts. With the demand for gluten free offerings reaching the highest it has ever been, Paula definitely has her finger on the pulse when it comes to this type of food.

And she is well qualified too as well having graduated with a BSc Hons in Nutrition and Health, as well as having a Business Management BTEC, so she could get ahead of the game when it came to starting up her own business. Paula is also currently re-training in Sports and Exercise Nutrition online. After her training and education, Paula says; ‘I worked for a charity which was working with disadvantaged young people. I had always wanted to set up my own business but I was too scared to take the risk. Until one day I decided that life is too short and I needed to give it a try!’

Something that was incredibly difficult for Paula when she decided to start her own business was funding and where to find it, if even there is any available. With a record breaking number of businesses starting up across the UK last year, and an incredible 6,000 businesses starting up in Liverpool alone in 2014, it could be argued that it’s easy to see why the funding is hard to find and difficult to navigate.

Paula says; ‘I think that there could be more financial help and support for women in business.’, and when Paula was put in touch with The Women’s Organisation and worked with our Business Advisor Yan, she was able to receive some pointers in the right direction. ‘I received support from The Women’s Organisation and had help completing my business plan, cash-flow and forecast, as well as signposting towards MSIF for funding. I found this service very helpful, and I’m not sure I could have done it without the help of The Women’s Organisation!’

As well as receiving advice and support from The Women’s Organisation, Paula took other steps to get the ball rolling with her business; ‘I set up all the Social Media sites and tested the water with complimentary meals.’ The Women’s Org are sure her complimentary meals went down a treat with the type of food that she has displayed on her website! Main meals like ‘The Frenchy – Garlic chicken breast cooked with mushrooms, onions and fat free natural yoghurt’ and ‘PJ’s Fave – Sweet potato rosti with spinach and poached egg.’ All of her delicious treats are available to order and have delivered online.

Paula’s food looks incredible and she says; ‘Our menu offers a variety of nutritious, fresh and satisfying meals, with the added extra of detox juices and even the odd healthy desserts threw in there somewhere, we also cater for Slimming World users, and most of our meals are Slimming World safe.’

With such a large market of health conscious people to cater for, how is Paula’s business going so far? ‘So far, I am breaking event, and I’m happy with this, as I have only been trading for 6 months. The best thing about running the business is the freedom and being able to make my own decisions.’ And if a friend of hers was thinking about starting their own business; ‘I would say do it! You only live once, and what’s the worst that could happen. Right now I am proud of myself, and I aim to keep going, and hope to have a chain of PJ’s Kitchen’s in the future.

We hope so too! Perhaps we can persuade Paula to have a PJ’s just round the corner from our offices? If you would like to find out more about Paula and PJ’s Kitchen, you can visit her website, pop into the Café in Litherland, or use the contact details below!

PJ's Kitchen, Litherland, L21 2PA

T: 07939881993

E: pjskitchen@outlook.com

Facebook
Twitter

If you are thinking about starting up your business, like Paula, then we can offer you help, advice and support from our talented team of Business Advisors, as well as so much more! 

Get in touch with us by emailing hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111. 

Sid Moore Is Growing Moore Accountancy And Has Taken On Her First Apprentice

‘We have a motto that no question is a stupid question’, says Sid Moore as The Women’s Organisation chats with her; ‘That’s what we want our clients to know.’ Sid is the founder and director of Moore Accountancy which she set up in 2010 in South Manchester. ‘I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the late 1990’s in London, and after spending time in practice, working for Merrill Lynch, time out travelling and starting a family, we made the move to Manchester.’

After taking a four year career break to focus on her family, Sid realised that in order to balance her career aspirations with her family, starting her own accountancy practice was the way forward. Five years on and Moore Accountancy consists of Sid, a part-time qualified accountant and also a recently recruited apprentice. Apprenticeships are a growing trend in the UK, and research from last year revealed that apprenticeships would contribute £34 billion to the UK economy in 2014. For many business owners, like Sid, apprenticeships and apprentices are a fantastic addition to their companies.

‘We are supporting a local girl who attends a local college. The apprentice programmes are great, it’s supporting us as a business, it’s giving something back to the community, and it’s giving us an asset who will hopefully grow with the business over the next couple of years.’

‘The fact that we’ve made a commitment to support a local student has been a big move for us as business. It has always been myself with another part-time team member, but now Ellen is there for more hours than I am, and the group dynamics have changed. She’s really enjoying it, and she has got a real passion for her work. We’ve chosen the right person, and she fits in with our values, so it’s a win win.’

Sid's Team!

 Another reason Sid’s apprentice, Ellen, is such a help to the business, is the extra capacity that she has been able to give to Moore Accountancy. Sid is able to work around her children, their school days and their activities, which for her is an ideal situation. She is able to drop them off at school, and work nearly a full day before picking them up and ferrying them to their many different after-school activities. She admits; ‘It’s a constant juggle, but it’s the only way I could still be there for them, and be doing something intellectual that I enjoy. If I was working for someone else, I wouldn’t be there at all to support them, after working a 40 hour week plus travelling or commuting. Yes I’m compromising on income, but I’m getting a massive lifestyle benefit instead.’

As Moore Accountancy grows, The Women’s Organisation is proud to support Sid and her colleagues. We first met Sid when our Manchester based Business Advisor, Mike Marsden spoke at a networking group which Sid was the treasurer of; ‘Mike came to Handbags and Briefcases last year and spoke about the support that The Women’s Organisation could give, and it really rang a bell.’ At that point we had been plodding along quite nicely, but another injection of support was really what we needed. Mike has given a different focus to what we do, helped to guide us to new information and given us leads to new contacts. He’s helped to mould our new direction.’

One thing that has always remained the same though, is the values behind Moore Accountancy. Sid is passionate about the practice, and the accountants being proactive; ‘This is where we try and differentiate ourselves from other accountants who you might just see once a year and they “just do your accounts”. We want to be more than that. If a client doesn’t know how to record a transaction, they can give us a call and we’ll explain it to them. There are so many accountancy practices out there who are just selling that one service, but we want to be there to support our clients.’

Through growing the business, Sid has learnt a valuable lesson; ‘I’ve learnt that you can’t do everything yourself, even if you want to.’ She admits that she is the type of person who likes to do everything herself, and when she started the business, in an effort to save money she attempted to build the website, do her own marketing, and throw herself into the sales of the company; ‘I then realised that if I spent some time investing in other people, it would grow the business faster. It took some time for me realise that it’s more time efficient for others to do tasks for me if they are better suited to them.’

Even if she still sometimes sits up all night trying to figure out how to make her website mobile friendly! Sid knows there is a line when she will pass a task onto someone else; ‘TO want to do everything yourself is the way a lot of small business owners are, because the business is your baby! I’ve got the same mentality and ideology, but I am learning to delegate!’ 

If you would like to find our more about Sid's Accountancy practice then please visit her website or use the contact details below! If her story has inspired you and you are a woman in Manchester or Merseyside who is interested in starting up your own business, or growing your business, then please get in touch with us! Email on hello@thewo.org.uk or ring us on 0151 706 8111

Tel: 07542 299 247
LinkedIn: Sudipta Moore
Twitter: @sidmooremanc
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Moore.Accountancy

Kate Williams Got Her Creative Spark Back When She Set Up Her Business

Kate Williams has her hands full at the moment as she grows her young business Kate Williams Photography, especially now as the summer season has started which means one big thing for photographers, lots and lots of weddings!

Kate is a Wedding and Portraiture specialist who describes her style as a mixture of ‘Fine Art and Reportage’ She says; ‘I am passionate about capturing real moments as they happen, but also love creating those stand out and unique shots that people will remember’ as her fantastic portfolio on her website (kate-williams.co.uk) clearly shows.

As well as running and growing her business, Kate is also a part time Art and Photography teacher at Byrchall High School two days a week, leaving every other day, minute and hour spare to run her business. ‘For the most part of my working career, I’ve been a teacher and my creative energies have been fuelled towards developing that spark and practice in others. This has been incredibly fulfilling, but I reached a point for a variety of reasons where I knew I couldn’t ignore my own creativeness any more,’ This is when Kate made the decision to start exploring the possibilities of running her own business, and delving back into her photography and using this to be able to make a living; ‘It’s weird, but not having that in my life made me feel slightly incomplete, and it took me a while to realise what was missing!’ Kate says that she wanted to have more energy, and to feel more balanced, she needed to make a change.

Rather than jumping head first into this decision as you may expect a typically creative person to do, Kate very much thought through her decision and spent a great amount of time preparing herself and getting the ball rolling. ‘I tried to fully re-immerse myself back into the world of art and photography. Obviously I had never really left it, but I needed to do things to get back in tune.’ Kate did this by attending lots of exhibitions, taking her own photographs and creating her own work. 

Next she researched the areas of photography she knew she wanted to specialise in and made sure she brushed up own her own skills that she knew needed improving; ‘I undertook some training to develop in areas that would enhance my skill set, things like working with light in a studio environment and specialist editing techniques’ as well as researching her competition in the local area. Only when she had ticked all of these tasks off of her to-do list did she feel totally ready to make the leap!

After photographing many of her friend’s weddings over that summer, building her own website ‘A massive learning curve!’, and signing up to every Social Media platform that she could, Kate began to get bookings for her business.

To balance starting her own business with still being a part-time teacher has been something of a juggling act for Kate, as she gradually reduces the time spent at school as she gets more and more work. ‘It’s been hard in terms of sharing my time, and I have to be quite disciplined about when I work on the different parts. I still absolutely adore working with young people, and have found that doing both jobs gives me more energy in both areas!’

But for Kate it wasn’t the balancing act that she found most difficult about starting up her own business, it was, in fact, more of a psychological barrier that she faced. As she moved away from her five days a week secure job, and took the risk, it was something that she found quite daunting, as many women who start their own businesses do. ‘I guess it was the fear of failure’, as well as the confidence that she needed to put herself out there, and show her work to others; ‘I think when you work in the creative industry, it feels very personal to share your work, and this can be quite hard to overcome at first. That was a leap of faith and it meant that I really had to try and build up lots of confidence. I was lucky to have the support of an amazing husband and supportive friends.’

As well as having the support of family and friends, Kate also got in touch with The Women’s Organisation and has been working with Senior Business Advisor, Claire Pedersen; ‘Initially being able to talk through my ideas with my advisor was really helpful, and that little bit of reassurance and direction went a long way. More recently Claire has been helping me to organise my ideas and think about the future with planning strategies.’ Kate has also attended our courses on Tax and National Insurance and Bookkeeping which have helped her with the practicalities of business management. ‘The support from The Women’s Organisation has been absolutely fantastic. People are always amazed, as I was, when I first found out that this level of support is there for women who are trying to start their own business. I also just find being at The Women’s Organisation and being around other women who are doing the same thing really inspirational’.

At the moment, Kate says she is loving running her own business, especially the flexibility that it gives her. ‘I have time to think and reflect. But I can also be integral to my own creative intentions and there is a great sense of satisfaction from when I see people’s reactions when I deliver the work!’ Kate already has lots of weddings booked for next year which she is looking forward to, being a self-confessed wedding lover herself! ‘I’m so excited at the thought of working with more amazing couples. I’m a total sucker for a wedding and I always cry during the ceremony! It’s such a joyful and happy experience to be a part of!’

And finally, Kate’s advice to any women out there who are looking to start up their own business! One of our firm favourites; ‘Do it!’ Kate says; ‘I think a lot of women, understandably, feel really nervous about doing something different, or about taking the risk, but I believe it’s all about confidence and there is no reason why women are any less capable – it’s all in our heads! Get involved with The Women’s Organisation and speak to other women who are doing the same things.’

To find out more about Kate and her photography, you can use the contact details below! And if you were inspired by Kate’s story and want to find out more about starting up your own business, please get in touch with us by emailing hello@thewo.org.uk or telephoning 0151 706 8111.

W: www.kate-williams.co.uk

E: kate@kate-williams.co.uk

T: 07930270138

Twitter: @KateWillPhotos

Photography by Kate! (Please check out her other fantastic photographs that Kate has taken of our clients like; Joanne Finnerty, Nicola Cookson and Erica Wildflower) 

After 20 Years Working in Recruitment, Joanne Finnerty Made The Leap To Start Her Own Business

Joanne Finnerty has the perfect strapline for her business, JF Recruitment, it’s punchy and snappy and would definitely make you stop and listen if you met her at a networking event; ‘I’m Joanne Finnerty, and I help companies make more money by recruiting the right staff for them.’ – And she does, and has done since she launched her business in June 2013. After working for 20 years in the recruitment industry, and at companies like Adecco and Kelly Recruitment, Joanne finally took the plunge (after much pestering from her husband), and started her own business.

‘I kept saying yes, yes, I’ll get around to it, but you just carry on and you think it’s going to be easier just to stay safe and not take the risk. But I really wasn’t happy and I wanted to do my own thing.’ – So after returning from a holiday, Joanne handed in her notice and that very evening wrote the business plan for JF Recruitment. She had clear ideas about what running her own business was going to be like, saying she wanted to work Monday to Thursday only, play golf on Friday and get a dog, joking; ‘I’ve always wanted a dog, one of the main reasons I started my own business was to get a dog!’. But it soon became clear the JF Recruitment wasn’t going to be a 4 day-a-week, work from home business.

‘Within the first year, I realised that I had so much business that I needed to recruit staff to help me. I’d attended the opening of every envelope across Liverpool and the Wirral; and networked like crazy. I was starting to have to turn away business, and that’s when I knew, I needed to take staff on, and if I have to take staff on, then I’m going to need premises!’

Something that has always stayed with Joanne throughout her working life has been the idea of having her offices in Hamilton Square in Birkenhead, as she lives in the Wirral and has always liked the area. Fate was on Joanne’s side, as one of her business networks let her know that there was an office available on the ground floor of a building in Hamilton Square. ‘I had a look, and it was beautiful!’ Now, settled into her office in Hamilton Square, with enough space to grow, Joanne took on her first member of staff, Julie in October 2014, and her second member of staff, Natalie in February 2015. In the future Joanne is looking to grow her own consultants from scratch and take on an apprentice. But is still incredibly careful, and forward thinking; ‘I won’t be in debt, I don’t want to owe any money, so I will only take a member of staff on when I know there is enough money in the bank to cover 6 months of wages.’

Being in the office is a great step forward for Joanne, after working from home at the inception of the business, which she found to be one of the more difficult parts of setting up the company. ‘It can be quite lonely, working from home, even though I am in the ‘people’ business. I’m constantly speaking to clients and candidates, but to actually run the business on your own, and make all of those decisions, can be quite lonely.’ The things that helped her through this first year were, she says; ‘The Women’s Organisation, BNI (Business Network International), Wirral Chamber of Commerce and Liverpool Chamber of Commerce.’

Joanne heard about The Women’s Organisation about four months after she started the business and came to see Senior Business Advisor, John Jones. She took advantage of the courses available such as Building a Social Media Strategy, Understanding Tax and National Insurance and Basic Bookkeeping, all great resources for women who are newly starting up their own businesses or want to brush up on those skills.

As well as getting support and advice from The Women’s Organisation, Joanne is a business owner who thrives on surrounding herself with other business owners, in particular; ‘people who are doing better than you are.’ Joanne says; ‘You have to meet with those people and surround yourself with them. Because you will learn so much, I’m like a sponge, I will sit with people and listen to what they’ve done, and the struggles they’ve gone through, and how they have got to where they are.’

By using these support networks, and running a tight ship, Joanne’s business is growing and growing and she has big plans for the future to expand into other areas of recruitment!  Joanne also met James Caan from Dragon’s Den, who was interested in helping Joanne make this growth vision a reality.

Although, she is clear to point out, that, although her business is very important, she wants to be able to live her life, and show her team that it’s possible to do this too. ‘Recruitment can be seen as quite a ruthless industry to get into and stay in successfully, long hours, late nights and weekends. But it doesn’t have to be! I want to have the ethos that you can work 9-5, 5 days a week with an hour for lunch and still provide a great service to candidates and clients – and make money!’, Joanne is keen to show her team that if a job becomes more than a job, then you can start to resent it and end up not enjoying it, which is the last thing she wants for her team!

So as her business grows, her team grows, but her working hours will stay the same, has Joanne Finnerty got the ultimate work/life balance figured out? We think she might have!

To find out more about JF Recruitment, please use the contact details below. And if you are a woman starting up your own business, or growing your business, then get in contact with The Women’s Organisation by ringing us on 0151 706 8111 or emailing hello@thewo.org.uk

Joanne Finnerty Recruitment Limited

49 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead CH41 5AR

T: 0151 601 5288
F: 0151 601 5299

M: 07952139740

W: www.joannefinnertyrecruitment.co.uk

Photography by Kate Williams

Nicola Cookson Runs Charlton Recruitment With Teamwork At The Forefront Of Her Business

Nicola Cookson, founder and director of Charlton Recruitment enjoys her job and that’s easy to see from the smile on her face as she talks to us at our PR Day back in March. Charlton Recruitment is a hospitality recruitment agency that supplies staff, whether these are waiting-on staff, bar staff, Event Managers or chefs to clients around Liverpool.  Nicola has branched out with Charlton Recruitment and has been working also in Manchester and London too as the business grows month by month.

She is well versed in the management and organisation of staff as she was Staffing Manager at Compass Group for 15 years and says ‘I wanted a change, and thought, let’s give it a go!’, Leaving the security of a job you’ve been in for such a long time was never going to be easy, but at that point Nicola had a good group of contacts and networks and was able to start up contracts when she began Charlton Recruitment.

It wasn't until January 2015 that Nicola came across The Women’s Organisation on the internet after being ‘nosey on the internet’, and rang to see what we could do for her. After meeting with Senior Business Advisor; John Jones, Nicola was able to attend our fantastic Planning for Success Course and spend many hours with John speaking about her plans for Charlton Recruitment.

At the moment the system is simple for Charlton Recruitment and Nicola. She has a book of staff that she sends out the events to and those that can make it get back in touch with her and attend the events. But running a recruitment business isn’t as simple as it looks on the surface, and a lot of work goes on behind the scenes. As well as recruiting the staff and interviewing the staff, Nicola trains the staff to and ensures they are fully briefed on what they will be asked to do.

But one of the most important parts of running a successful business for Nicola is making sure the team that she sends out to events are happy and work well together. She says; ‘Team mentality is important. It’s great because a lot of the teams become friends, they work together and socialise together.’ Nicola likes to send the same team to the same client time after time, whenever possible and has received great feedback from her clients about her team. ‘I always pass this onto the team, it’s really important. It’s not me the client should be thanking, I just got them there, and they did the work!’

One of the things that Nicola did find a struggle when starting Charlton Recruitment, was the hard selling that is involved in recruitment; ‘You’ve got to be quite motivated to get onto the phones and continue to interact with new people. But you’ve got to do it, because when you meet a new potential client, that’s the moment that you get excited and carry on.’

As well as juggling the many roles of heading up Charlton Recruitment, Nicola also has an 8 year old son, but has found becoming self-employed has made juggling these roles easier. ‘Having the flexibility is great. When I worked at Compass, if there was ever a race on at the weekends, then I had to be there. So I did miss quite a few things when he was younger. Now it’s great, I can pick him up from school which I was never able to do, and work from home.’

And for the future? Nicola is currently securing more contracts, always looking for staff and growing her business step by step; ‘It would be great to take someone on in the next year or so, and in the long term get a premises if I had more staff.’ The Women’s Organisation are sure the future is bright for Nicola and wish her the very best of luck with Charlton Recruitment!

Photography by Kate Williams