Over recent months we have introduced guest blog writers and invited them to write business development process related post for us. This week it is our pleasure to be able to show case another great small business but more importantly it’s nice to be able to highlight this particular person as the relationship has developed into a close bond, all stemming from our desire to give back to the community through offering for free our business development process advice to unemployed persons looking to start their own business. Below is Jenny’s blog post describing her experiences with us to date:

Business Development Process

‘It was a visit to the job club that first brought about my introduction to Jules. Attending the club I chatted to a man there about starting your own business, I explained that I did not have many skills that I could provide as a service to others. I then proceeded to give a long list of my abilities which promptly had him reaching for his pen and paper to give me contacts details for Jules. Exchanging emails with Jules we arranged to meet at ‘The Dolphin’ and upon arriving there I could not see any man that looked like he was waiting for someone, I looked round the café a couple of times before a woman approached me and asked if I was Jenny. She then explained that she was Jules, prompting me to do a massive restructuring in my mind that Jules could be a ladies name, for until then it had always been short for Julian. Finding a quiet place to talk, the discussion turned to what business skills I have. When we reached the end of the discussion I still remained uncertain if there was something there that she could find a potential market for. She did not quite say ‘are you nuts, there is a mass of potential there’, but it was a close run thing. Deciding that I was someone she could work with, Jules metaphorically rolled up her sleeves and started bombarding me with tasks to do. The following morning Jules sent her first suggestions for logo designs for the company, I sent back some opinions on them which prompted her to send more and gradually over the next couple of days the ideas for the company, its name (Girl Monday) and objectives began to take shape. With Jules forever snapping at my heels to ‘get moving’ I found my world rapidly turned upside down – I had been out of work for so long that it was quite a shock to suddenly find myself being ‘motivated’, especially being confronted with the motivator that is uniquely Jules. Her persistence paid off, and within three weeks of meeting Jules I had a business name, business cards, a web site, and I had attended my first Towcester Business Club Lunch! The journey continues…’

Business Development Process

Jenny, as you can tell from this post, had very low self confidence. Which IS nuts! As she has a huge skill range… this lady has built an entire fantasy world and populated it, just as a hobby! Her poems are so emotional and speak straight to the heart and her adminstrative skills and data analysis are amazing, as she says on her site, she makes order from chaos.

As part of the business development process we asked Jenny for a complete list of her skills, I think she surprised herself and handed me 4x A4 pages of skills. Also delving deep into where she would like to be in a years time, how can we help her to achieve her goal? I continue to work with Jenny, for an hour a week, completely free of charge, working on the business development process and in turn her confidence and self belief… Why? Because she is worth it! And why not, I am a great believer in giving back to the community and just sometimes, we all find ourselves in a situation where we need a little help. Givers Gain – there we have it out of the mouths of L’oreal and BNI 🙂

Business Development Process

Once we analysed Jenny’s skills and her comfort zone, it quickly became apparent that there is a lot of potential for marketing her as an outsourced admin provider, offering Jenny’s considerable data analytics, PA and administrative skills to local businesses. Jenny and Girl Monday have come a long way in the short time we have been working together and we still have a considerable journey ahead of us. This is how far we have got in the business development process :

• Brainstormed a business name
• Matched the name and her personal style to a logo/brand
• Tutored use of her WordPress blog/website
• Advised on site content (pictures Jenny, pictures!)
• Encouraged social media use
• Buddied with her during her first networking event
• Assisted in her first quotation for services

What’s next in the business development process we will look forward to getting our teeth stuck into some social media marketing now the website has developed nicely. Hoping to drive traffic to the website, build some relationship and raise awareness and profile of Girl Monday.

Particularly challenging has been launching a new business with absolutely no budget. But with determination and our marketing resources we have made an excellent start. I look forward to updating you in a few months with regards to Girl Monday’s progress. Watch out for the next installment of the business development process!

In the meantime you can visit Girl Monday here I highly recommend a visit to the poems!