With a little help from our friends: Finding the Right Support

I love insurance. I love the resilience, confidence, and safety it provides to the very committed, passionate, and interesting people we work with day to day. My husband and business partner loves it even more—he finds great satisfaction in helping people control, mitigate, and manage their risks, solving tricky policy conundrums, and stepping up to help manage a crisis.

It’s very likely that you don’t share my enthusiasm. It’s possible your eyes are glazing over at the very thought of policy wordings, premiums, and claims. But that’s okay! In fact, that’s wonderful.

At a recent Digital Sparkles networking event at the Keepers Café in Dipton, we were struck by the diversity of businesses represented, but also the uniting passion we all shared.

• Host Nicola Little loves social media, training and mentoring those who find it a chore and a challenge.

• Helena Borthwick Hill of 49digital creates websites for the digitally challenged.

• Michelle Nicol of Wordstruck helps businesses find the right words.

• Hollie Ellis Design (hollie-ellis.co.uk) brings brands to life with logos and marketing materials.

• Rachel Locke of Arlo Private PA Services gets all the admin tasks done and out of the way for small businesses.

And then there’s the wonderful Claire Robson!

Playing to Your Strengths

With the same drive and passion, Reliant Robson rocked up to my doorstep last week with a cheerful smile and a box of cleaning products. She spent two hours finishing off the deep clean I’d started, so the house would be spic and span for the weekend.

“Are you feeling flush?!” my mum asked when I told her I was getting a cleaner in.

No—not flush at all. I was feeling (time) poor, tired, and jaded. Two efficient, focused hours from Claire saved me many more hours of housework and freed up the weekend for my family to enjoy some quality, relaxed time together. It was just lovely.

And Claire left with a smile—proud of a job well done, satisfied to have left my very sorry-looking bathroom grouting white and gleaming again. It really made sense to hand over to an expert.

Why It Works

Isn’t it great that we all have different skills, preferences, and interests? And isn’t it fantastic when those elements perfectly align with our ideal roles?

I could do Claire’s job, but not with her skill or passion. She could do mine, but likely without the same pleasure.

Eighty-four percent of self-employed workers agree they’re more satisfied in their working lives than they would be in a conventional job—perhaps because they’ve created roles that suit their skills and passions.

The Business Triangle: Make It, Market It, Manage the Money

I recently heard a business theory that rings true:

To have a successful business, you need to Make it, Market it, and Manage the Money.

No single entrepreneur is strong in all three. That means taking the scary—but necessary—step of asking for help (and sometimes paying for it).

There’s lots of free help available:

• The BIPC Clinic at Newcastle City Library offers expert advice for start-ups.

• NBSL schemes provide invaluable, high-quality support for North East businesses.

But sometimes, it’s worth putting your hand in your pocket.

When Paying Is Worth It

This year, we used an accountant for the first time. As a limited company, that’s a requirement—but we’d recommend it to sole traders, too.

It massively freed up our time, and we even saved more than the cost of the accountant’s fees through accurate tax returns.

Although we’ve both built websites before, we hired a designer to build ours professionally—so it met high standards and reflected our brand values. It saved time, stress, and frustration—a worthwhile investment.

It can be hard to spend money when profits are low (or non-existent), but it’s often wise to pay for areas where you lack time or expertise. Get your website, logo, branding, and words right from the outset.

Of course, don’t throw money away—get a few perspectives from trusted sources before committing.

Building Your Support Network

If there’s an area of your business that’s hard to manage, don’t worry—Bill Gates, Richard Branson, and every successful businessperson you can name didn’t do it alone.

They built trusted teams and moved forward together.

Groups like The Inspire Network, Forward Ladies, and #DoDigital have been indispensable in supporting and advising us on our journey.

With these networks, we can build a team of other entrepreneurs who support our growth.

Final Thoughts

It’s worth getting help—whether hiring a cleaner, accountant, or web designer, or paying for social media or content-writing training—so you can focus on doing what you’re great at for your business.

What do you need help with in your business?
Who can you turn to for support?
If you need some suggestions, we’d be happy to direct you.
We have an awesome tribe behind us!

Talbot Jones Risk Solutions is an insurance brokerage specialising in Charity and SME Insurance.
Get in touch here if you’d value a free insurance review, advice, or quotation — we’d be more than happy to help.