Claire Morley-Jones - HR180
Who are you? What do you do? Where do you do it?
Claire Morley-Jones, Managing Director of HR 180.
I run an HR Consultancy business, HR180° that provides a range of HR services for companies who either have no need for a full time HR employee or use us because they feel that our services are more efficient in terms of cost and time. This enables already fraught MD’s to spend more time in front of their customers instead of in front of their staff.
We deliver a range of specialist services including designing HR strategy, competency frameworks and HR scorecards, creating policies, contracts of employment and recruitment campaigns or offering immediate telephone and e-mail support to managers. All in all, a whole HR package, covering the entire employee lifecycle – from joining to leaving.
We have an office in the North of Leeds.
Why did you start-up a business?
My very first, full time job after completing my HR degree was assisting companies in achieving the Investors in People Award. This involved visiting various SME’s around Leicestershire advising them on how to achieve the coveted award. I very much enjoyed this business advisory role and knew that I wanted to use my HR experience in the same way. However, I needed substantial commercial experience in order to gain credibility and build trust with clients. In order to achieve this, I chose my jobs very carefully and have worked with law firms, blue chips, academics, charities and local government, all of which has given me the skills and experience I need to assist my clients today.
How (and when) did you start-up a business?
I started my business in April by setting up a Limited Company! Be prepared for the fact that the most difficult part of the process is choosing a name which seemed to take me ages! There are currently two people employed by my business, I am the Managing Director and my husband, Jon, is the Company Secretary and also the IT Director when I need one! I have not found it necessary to borrow any money and started with a modest initial investment! Once I had decided on a start date I knew that I had three months to get everything into place! Therefore, whilst I was still employed by someone else, I put spare money into savings, made phonecalls, worked on building my website and took holiday to do training courses! By April, I was ready to go and set up with a mere £2,000 investment which was rapidly repaid by the income generated from my first 2 clients! In the last six months, after gaining a number of clients, I have turned over a significant amount which has enabled me to employ my first member of staff, design and print brochures, find specialist advice (like an accountant!) and conduct a direct mail campaign with chocolates!
What have been the biggest challenges in running your own business? How have these been overcome?
Actually doing the work for my clients and managing the business at the same time. Working IN the business delivering the work your clients require of you and working ON the business to ensure its continued success is a difficult balance to manage! This is made harder by the number of outside commitments I have, including, youth leader of my local youth group, member of the youth opportunities committee, events coordinator for the IoD Young Directors and now E-Mentor! In order to manage all of this I am super organised, dedicated and work long hours. I have used technology to best effect and can read and respond to e-mails from anywhere in the world, take my laptop with me everywhere to complete work ad hoc and use Project Software to plan what needs doing when! The train journey to London is where I am often at my most productive, particularly as I have no signal on my mobile which means it cannot ring!
What have been your greatest achievements in running your business?
Gaining a number of different clients quickly and building trust with them almost immediately. In the first two months of working with my first client my suggestions improved productivity by 23% and profit by 19%. This was as a result of implementing some key measures that gave immediate results and were quick wins for the business. We are now working on a long term strategy that will see the company grow from 3 offices to 15 over the next 5 years.
What would be your advice to any young aspiring entrepreneurs?
Choose something you love doing, be discerning about the idea you pick and make sure you do research on whether the market requires what you’re offering. Use this information to build a business plan that will give you the route to success. Don’t be too impressed with yourself – remember there is always someone who has done it bigger and better than you and these people can help you if you ask them. Commit to improving something everyday.