Our Top 5 Highlights of the Last 5 Years
When we set up Queen Bee, we knew we had the core of something brilliant, but were so focussed on surviving the first couple of years that we never dared think beyond that. Finding our first client, setting up our website and let’s be honest, a little bit of twiddling thumbs in the early days willing the phone to ring.
Flash forward to today and with all the demand and excitement, we nearly missed our official birthday, hitting the big 5! But, we did take a moment to clink glasses and let it sink in that not only do we have a viable business, that is supporting the two of us and the many associates that back us, but we still believe that core of an idea we had 6 years ago (30 years ago if you count our sleepovers as kids hatching plans to conquer the world!) has legs and we’re excited about what the future holds.
Looking back at the last 5 years, we thought we’d share our best bits; the top 5 highlights of the Queen Bee journey so far…
1. When Helen quit!
While I dived in headfirst and started full time, Helen continued her part-time role at Stockport Council for the first few months to give the business time to establish. When it became apparent that there was real interest out there and workload started to mount, I will always remember the day an exhausted Helen, juggling two roles, turned to me and said, “Is it time?” – it was the best feeling in the world to not only decide ‘YES!’ but also know we’d overcome the first survival hurdles. Her team at Stockport Council were so supportive and continue to be some of our biggest champions today!
2. When we secured our dream clients
We are fortunate to work with some incredible brands and gorgeous people who fuel our passion for creativity and marketing. But when those client’s, whom you walk past and think ‘Oh I wish I could work with them!’ actually pick up the phone and enquire, it’s then that we feel like we’re living a dream.
Three of our very early clients, The Flower Lounge in Didsbury, Love Bridal Boutique and Little Belters in Altrincham were just that. The squeals and high fives that ensued following that initial conversation would have shattered glass! And, we’re proud as punch that they are still working with us today 😊
3. When we won an award
Entering awards has never been a vanity exercise for us. It’s always been about having a recognised body endorse what you do to enable us to demonstrate to new prospects and existing clients alike that we know our stuff. But, you always enter these things with an element of trepidation; to put yourself out there can be a hugely daunting experience and so we’ve always been humbled by the fantastic support we received from our friends, connections and network.
To then go on and win is an adrenaline high that can’t compare. We’re so proud to have been finalists for The Manchester PA Awards, North West PA Awards and EVA Awards but beside ourselves to have scooped North West VA of the Year twice (!) and Best SME Business Support at The Talk of Manchester Awards. What a rush!
4. When we revealed our new website
In the early days of setting up a new business, you naturally do as much as you can yourself to save money. This included Helen hiding herself away in a darkened room with YouTube and emerging having learned how to build a website from scratch. I will always be immensely proud of her for that and she instantly became our technical resource (whether she likes the title or not!).
But the day came when we had to recognise that the site didn’t reflect who we were anymore. We’d moved on, niched and needed a much more creative website that reflected our passion and focus. So, in 2018 we practiced what we preach and outsourced to an expert and are absolutely delighted with the results – we still can’t believe it’s ours!
5. When 2 became 4
Partly due to an inability to say no (!) we reached a point around 2017 where there simply weren’t enough hours in the day. We had too much admin, were spending far too long on tasks where we really weren’t adding value and we were neglecting our business. We were beginning to feel exactly like our clients! Time to outsource.
I can still remember the first phone call to Laura to sound her out about a few hours a week – my heart was in my chest worrying she’d say no. And meeting Lucy in the pub, feeling all fingers and thumbs as we tried to sell our idea of virtual working. But them saying yes, was one of the biggest highlights of our journey. What they bring to our dynamic, not only in their work ethic and skill set but infectious personalities has been nothing but positive. So positive in fact that they gave us the confidence to be brave and seek support from other associates and we now work with a number of ultra-talented virtual assistants, all looking to make flexible working, work!
It’s not often you take stock of how far you’ve come. We’re all so busy tackling the present and worrying that we should be planning for the future. It feels particularly fitting as 2019 draws to a close and a new decade is on the doorstep, to reflect, celebrate and give each other a pat on the back. Here’s to the next 5 Mrs B!