Enterprise Nation

Karen Kennard is on to something. She’s spotted that businesses are increasingly turning to freelancers and sub-contractors to get work done, rather than taking on full time personnel. She’s created a website to facilitate introductions between businesses with a need and freelancers with a skill. She’s a lady in the right place at the right time.

When did you start the business?

I first started the business two years ago, but it was just operating in Hertfordshire

What were you doing before becoming your own boss?

Since my second son was born 12 years ago, I spent periods of being a stay at home Mum, interspersed with freelance marketing work, running a franchise teaching Spanish to kids, and doing translation work. I was searching for something that would challenge me, use my skills but allow me to be there for my children too, and it was hard to come by.

How did you come up with the idea for the business?

Several years back I was approached by an acquaintance who knew I had previously worked in Marketing. He was running a small business and needed someone to help him with his marketing, but only needed them for 7 hours a week, and he was having trouble finding someone who had the knowledge and skills but was happy to only work that few hours, and lived locally. He also didn't have any office space for this person, nor could he afford a recruitment agency, and an advert in the local paper had only generated a stream of unqualified CVs.

As I was spending lots of times with Mums, who were always bemoaning the fact that the only part time jobs you ever see advertised were low level, unskilled jobs, it suddenly struck me that there must be a lot of potential to match up these Mums, with small business owners, needing some flexible support, and somehow keep the costs low enough for SMEs.

How do you find freelancers to populate your database?

The majority of job seekers on my database are parents who are looking for work that will fit in with their family commitments, and on average they will have around 10 years professional experience behind them. I promote the company through kids play areas, kids clubs, mums networks and family magazines, and I also get a lot of referrals by word of mouth. However, because I have not solely positioned the company as just for Mums, it is also attracting established freelancers and many men too who are looking for a better work/life balance.

Are you expanding into new counties yourself, or expanding by some kind of franchise arrangement?

I have just recently expanded in to all the other Home Counties, after having established the business model in Hertfordshire. I am not franchising the business, but have taken on a Sales Development Manager and a PR manager (on a flexible basis of course!) to help me with the expansion.

Do you see an increasing demand coming from home business owners who want to recruit freelancers, rather than recruit full time personnel?

Absolutely. Many of my current clients are home business owners, who don't have the office space to take on staff, and so employing freelancers, or remote based part timers, works perfectly for them. It allows them to have access to all the professional skills they need to grow their business, without any additional costs of desks, computers, and office space. Many of the job seekers are also willing to work on an ad hoc basis, or project basis, so it provides complete flexibility to growing businesses whose needs change daily.

What is the single most effective marketing activity you’ve done to date?

I'm still waiting for it! I don't think any one thing has had a major impact on the business. It is more about a drip, drip effect, looking at organic growth. I am not spending huge amounts of money on marketing, but I am seeing a gradual growth. Email marketing works well, and Ecademy has been great.

Are your two children involved in the business in any way?

They add extra challenges!

What are your plans for the next 6 months?

As we have only recently expanded in to all the other Home Counties, I would like to see the sites in those areas grow to match the Hertfordshire site, where we now get a steady stream of really nice job opportunities, and a trail of happy customers.

Karen Kennard talks to Emma Jones

• Flexibleskillsbank.co.uk