BIG SISTER

PROJECTS

What do you do?

I work with businesses to get them into a more efficient, effective and, ultimately, successful place.

It’s Management Consultancy, but a more hands-on version.

Typically, I work by interrogating all the different points of the customer journey, and the Operations aspects that support it.

I make sure that the people who want to find you, can find you; that the people who don’t know about you yet, do; that once they’ve found you, they understand exactly what you can offer them; and that now they know your offer, they know how to engage with you, for that first transaction and beyond.

It doesn’t stop there though - we can look at how your business is structured, how your collateral appears to the world, whether your team are spending their time on the tasks that matter most, whether it could make sense to develop or bring in new service lines, if your financial model is set up to allow you to scale, and whether there are any automations, digitisations or refinements we can make to your internal processes to get things working smarter.

What does that look like?

In practice this can include:

  • Reviewing your online presence - Reviewing your website, social media presence, apps and online booking or purchase flows to make sure that everything is as impactful and easy to use as possible.

  • Streamlining business operations – Reviewing workflows, processes, and systems to find better, more efficient ways of working.

  • Modernising processes – Updating and digitising operations to save time and improve effectiveness.

  • Reviewing communications - Ensuring that your audience understand your offer, and how to engage with you.

  • Managing content creation - Managing teams so you don’t have to! This can incude everything from writing and producing copy, visuals, videos, and other assets for everything from social media, websites, print collateral and newsletters, to presentation decks and policy documents.

  • Providing interim management – Stepping in to provide leadership, direction, training and hands-on support when needed.

Do you do everything yourself?

In a word, no.

Where I am not best-placed to provide a certain service or output, I have amassed a healthy Little Black Book of trusted and experienced contacts, and often work alongside them on briefs, or - depending on the requirements - am more than happy to provide an introduction.

I’m lucky enough to now know a great, like-minded network of social media and content strategists, graphic and print designers, web, app and AI developers, paid advertising executives, photographers, videographers, merchandise producers and information governance advisers.

Who have you worked with?

I work, and have worked, with businesses of all natures and sizes, from sole traders to nationwide FTSE-listed companies.

Current clients include a large private mental health clinic, numerous individual mental health practitioners, a retreat and leadership company, an international recruitment agency, and both industrial and Cat A+ office commercial property companies.

I have also worked with personal trainers, jewellery designers, an award-winning granola bakery, freight haulage companies, nuclear safety operators, IoT start-ups, and online social networking sites, to name a few.

Who do you work with now?

These days, I like working with owner-operators, or director-operators, on small to medium size businesses.

It allows me to get into the weeds on a project from the outset, and together we’re able to make decisions, and improvements, quickly.

I can work on short-term projects, or alongside you in a retained fashion for longer periods. Some clients come back to me ad hoc, for particular projects or briefs, while with others the relationship has been maintained and developed over years - with growth there’s always new challenges.

In my current client roster, the newest relationship is at the two month mark, with the most established at eight years and counting.

I have a particular passion for, and depth of experience in, the mental health space, but you might be surprised at how applicable that thinking can be in other sectors.

And, sorry, who are you?

It’s a fair question. My name is Christine. Hi!

I’ve been (in order) a personal assistant, a project manager, a digital marketing manager, a strategist, a director, a consultant and a trustee.

I like to come up with neat solutions to knotty problems, and I believe that the work is best when it’s objectively good, and intrinsically honest.

My favourite thing about the work I get to do - other than the fact that it allows me to occasionally take off around the world - is that, when done well, it gets better results in less time. It gives owners and directors back their evenings and weekends, and it gives teams chance to breathe, and stretch out their ideas.

I have spent eight years freelance, six years in agencies and one year in-house (I missed the variety that year).

Outside of the 9 - 5, I spend some time as a Trustee on the Board of a mental health charity.

Coffee?

Words on a page are useful but its invaluable to talk through your particular company, the challenges you might be facing, and what you’re hoping for in the future.

I’m based in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex, but am frequently in London and always welcome an invitation for a coffee and a roving chat.

You can write to me on christine@bigsisterprojects.co.uk