Working on a project basis, offering practical help and guidance around business planning, strategy, streamlining, leadership, team motivation and HR processes.

Developed Don’t Panic from an owner/manager style business to a business with structure, scaleability, growth and profitability. Achievements included implementing a management structure, introducing and managing financial forecasting, defining and setting growth and profit targets, increasing staff retention, job costing, HR practices, setting and leading the management team’s annual strategy and objectives, project management and supporting sales, marketing and IT.

Supporting this fast paced digital marketing agency by building a scalable model for delivery, including managing profitability, resourcing and capacity planning, establishing processes and best practice, HR, working closely with the Client Services Team to ensure SLAs are met and contributing to key decision making for the agency. Also contributed to devising the team engagement programme, setting KPIs and overseeing the office management element of the agency.

Worked with ShootCutGo on a consultancy / advisory level as a startup video provider in the region.

Working on a project basis within this busy, city centre marketing, design and advertising agency including a range of internal marketing activities, HR, operational and CPD for the agency.

Overall efficiency & productivity of the agencySetting & working to KPIsProvide positive support to colleagues & team members with clear objectives & guidanceStaff engagement & motivationStaff management & appraisalsDriving change & continuous improvementSales & marketingContribute to the decision making and planning within the management team

National Government business support service. Working with businesses in the creative / media / digital sector to help grow / overcome challenges and barriers to growth via 121 support, telephone and email support. I worked with over 100 businesses in the North West and thoroughly enjoyed trouble shooting problems and supporting the business owners, drawing on my experiences and empathy. It was also a massive education for me, experiencing how a large public sector business operates.

After having established a training presence in the region, employing skilled Mac Operators and Designers, it was a natural progression to start hiring out these talented people on a temporary basis to agencies and corporate marketing teams to help cover busy times, holidays and sickness. There was nothing like this at the time. Very quickly the demand grew and so did the business, doubling turnover year-on-year. We established ourselves as a fully responsive, 24 hours a day service with rapid turnaround from request to supply. Our record was to place someone within the hour! We matched the pace and unpredictability of the creative industry with a dependable service our customers could rely upon in their hour of need, such as a last minute pitch resulting in a night shift!This progressed in to helping source and place new permanent staff members. Our reputation was built on understanding the brief, skills testing and thoroughly vetting all our candidates and only ever sending a small selection of candidates who were ideally suited to the job, including chemistry and 'fit'.As the creative industry evolved, so did our offering. We added developers, technical and animation professionals to our candidate base and set up the 'Suits' division as a specialised resource for account management.After a successful run of 12 years, building the business from the ground up, opening two offices and developing a high functioning management team, I took a step back and went on to sell the business via an MBO.

Founding Partner of a Mac training business at a pivotal time in the evolution of Graphic Design to digital techniques. With a wealth of Mac knowledge gained from experience at an Accredited Apple Training Centre and working with design and advertising agencies to 'go digital' it was a natural progression to take the next step and set up a bespoke training service for this sector. As the first dedicated, independent Mac training company in the area, the business experienced rapid growth and attracted large corporate clients with in-house graphic departments as well as many respected Manchester design and advertising agencies.