Archives for September 2017

New Virtual Assistant Franchises Launched This Month

24 September 2017 by admin

Four new franchisees went through training and launched their business this month.
From left to right: Michelle Kaberry, Peterborough & Surrounds, Caroline Gowing Co-founder, Debbie Tilley, Crystal Palace, Croydon & Caterham, Vicky Matthews, Co-founder, Nicola Case, Milton Keynes & Surrounds and Lisa Cox, Mid Staffordshire.

Two of the new franchisees were featured in their local news, following press releases that are prepared. Inside Croydon featured Debbie, click here to read the full article, and Lisa Cox was featured by her local press, click here to read the full article.

Pink Spaghetti’s First Franchise Reaches its 5th Birthday

21 September 2017 by Vicky

It’s quite a milestone when your first baby turns 5, and after initially offering UK wide franchises in 2012, Pink Spaghetti’s very first franchise in South Hampshire has now celebrated its 5^th birthday.

To mark the special occasion, we’ve asked Andrea, our first franchisee, about her business and her plans for the future.

What did you do in corporate life before Pink Spaghetti?

I worked in Financial Services for 12 years and as an Internal Auditor for 8 of those years.

Did you always want to run your own business or did circumstances dictate a change in direction?

I always liked the idea of having the freedom to be my own boss, but it was falling pregnant with my third child whilst also having a 2 and 4 year old and needing that flexibility that really pushed me to look into the possibility of doing it.

Why did you decide to buy a franchise rather than setting up from scratch on your own? What attracted you to Pink Spaghetti?

I was so keen to be a Pink Spaghetti franchisee I stalked them online for a year before they even started franchising! I found them online when I was searching for ideas to bring more flexibility into my working life, and I really fell in love with the Pink Spaghetti branding and offering, and felt that I could take huge advantage from learning from Caroline and Vicky who had been through the process already.

Did you have any doubts before you started?

None! I was nervous starting out but just totally focused on building a really successful business from day one. A press release to my local paper brought my first customer on my second day of business and things took off from there. I broke even in my fourth month and now employ staff.

What was the toughest thing about starting up, and how did you overcome it?

It’s a steep learning curve running your own business and being responsible for all elements of it. I was so passionate about making it work that I took a lot of things personally if they didn’t go to plan. I think confidence grows in time and you are able to be more objective about things, think with a “business head” and realise that everything is an experience you can learn from.

What changes have you seen take place in your business over the last 5 years? What changes have you seen in Pink Spaghetti as a whole?

This year I’ve just become an employer myself and have 2 employees and a freelancer who work for me. I’ve grown a team so that I can take my business to the next level.

Pink Spaghetti as a whole have become much slicker in their processes. We have regular training and a whole community that supports and helps each other. They are continually refining their offering to reflect what our customers want.

What advice would you give to new franchisees, or people setting up their own business?

I think you need to just go for it 100%. Believe in yourself and what you are doing and be committed to making a success of your business every day. There will be ups and downs but if you are consistent you will achieve your goals and be successful in business.

What would you say are your regular tasks? Have you been asked to do anything particularly unusual?

I do a lot of social media for clients and regular admin tasks, such as sending out newsletters, updating websites and publishing blogs.

I’ve been asked to do a few random tasks like sourcing 1000 unbranded chopsticks for a client’s promotion or the time I needed to phone around women’s prisons for a client’s charity work. No two days are ever the same which is what I love about what I do.

How do you see your business developing in the next 5 years?

I want to continue to grow Pink Spaghetti. I now have 3 amazing team members who all work virtually and all bring their own skills and experience to the team, and I want to utilise this and be able to offer my clients a wealth of knowledge and experience. Who knows we may even be in our own offices in the next 5 years!

Small Business Saturday Recognise Michelle from our Chester Office

13 September 2017 by admin

We are proud that our franchisee covering Chester & North Wales, Michelle, has been announced as one of the 100 UK businesses to be featured in their Small Business Saturday campaign. She will have a whole day with her business being promoted across the UK, in the run-up to Small Business Saturday in early December. Read the full press release from The Guardian.

Networking Not Working?

4 September 2017 by Vicky

Love it or loathe it?

Do you think of it as a welcome opportunity or just an uncomfortable get-together with strangers over breakfast?

In reality, networking is nothing to be scared of. Many of the people you meet at networking events will feel the same way you do, and like all such things, it gets easier with practice. Just remember that everyone is there for the same reason as you are.

But what if it’s not working? Spending time going to networking events can seem like a waste if business is not being generated, so what might be the problem? Here are some things to think about:

• Are you at the right networking group? Do some research before you attend, for example at an industry conference you may be able to contact last year’s attendees – was it worth it for them? For local events, will you be the only representative from your field or is it open to all?

• Always prepare. Practice giving a succinct description of your business and what you can offer (this is sometimes known as your ‘elevator pitch’, i.e. a speech you can give in the time it takes for a lift to go down a couple of floors). You don’t want to stumble over your words or get tongue-tied, and the secret to avoiding this is practice.

• Listen. And that doesn’t mean wait for gaps in the conversation so you can speak – really listen to what people are saying and ask questions. Being interested in what someone is telling you is the greatest compliment you can pay and a good way to get to know someone. People are likely to remember you for your interest.

• Be a farmer rather than a hunter. You may feel you have to track down your prey at networking events to make a sale, but you are more likely to find success by sowing seeds of interest and watching them grow over time. Making an immediate sale is great, but how much better would it be if the contact you nurtured over several months recommended you to five of their contacts? The secret to successful networking is building relationships which will become fruitful over time.

• Follow up. Make notes about the people you’ve met, file business cards, and contact them as soon as possible after the meeting. Why not ask if they would like to receive your regular newsletter?

Why not set up your own networking group? Ann Little who owns Pink Spaghetti Luton, Bedford and Surrounds set up her own group – Business Buzz Flitwick – and here are her top tips for getting started:

“Use social media as much as you can to publicise the events, and utilise all the platforms. For the group to work, you definitely need to choose a structure/group that fits with you, that you believe in, and then talking about it with passion comes naturally. Talk about it to everyone – the more the merrier. Don’t assume that people won’t be interested, even if they aren’t you don’t know who they know.”