Client Spotlight: Helen Christopher - Beansprout

As a Virtual Assistant, I get to work behind the scenes with some fabulous and inspiring business owners, people who are passionate about what they do, but who also recognise they don’t have to do it all alone.

In the second of my Client Spotlight series, I talk to Helen Christopher, the founder of Beansprout.

Tell us about your business – what do you do and who do you help?

Beansprout is an Accountancy and Business Mentoring Company who are far more than a traditional accountant. We support ambitious service-based business owners wanting to grow sustainable businesses that align with their personal goals. Whilst we deliver all the traditional compliance services you would expect, such as Accounts, tax returns, VAT, and payroll we offer so much more.

Through our 3N’s approach, Numbers, Narrative and Nurture we help business owners understand their numbers with clarity and confidence, nurturing them to make informed decisions that take their businesses forward.

What inspired you to start your business?

After 28 years in a corporate position, I had often considered starting my own business but never been brave enough. But then things changed and the firm I was working for changed ownership. My values no longer aligned with the business, and I felt it was time to move on. When I started Beansprout, I knew we wanted to be different, and we wanted to break the stereotype that surrounds a lot of Accountants.  We wanted our clients to feel that we were approachable, that they could ask us anything without fear. It was important to me that clients felt genuinely supported, that we build relationships that supported them on their journey and that we showed up more than at the year end.

What made you decide to work with a Virtual Assistant?

The business grew quite quickly, but it wasn’t always at an even pace. We knew we needed help but were nervous about committing to an employee until we were confident that we could sustain the position. Engaging with a VA was the obvious solution.

What tasks or areas do I support you with?

You have assisted with maintaining our client database, chased in outstanding information, updated email lists, scheduled and managed the sending of newsletters. You have set up and managed email funnels for events and some of our lead magnets. You were also a huge help in scheduling our social media posts 7 days a week over three platforms. You created and managed our customer survey and have helped organise many events.

How has working with a VA benefited you and your business?

Time – I gained my Sunday afternoons back when you began to schedule our social media – it was a godsend! Time to focus on supporting our clients, rather than admin tasks has been the biggest benefit and just knowing I have someone there who can take on whatever I need them to when things get busy. I tend to have quite a few ideas and it’s been great being able to ask you to support us get them organised. It means that they are more likely to happen as I know it’s not all going to fall on my shoulders.

What would you say to someone thinking about hiring a VA?

Go for it. You have nothing to lose and all to gain. A VA is a flexible solution to your capacity needs, and it really does free up your time for what you should be doing with clients. Also, if you are wondering if a VA can help you, ask them. Its only when you start to chat you realise exactly what they can do to help.

Find out more about Beansprout and Helen's work here:

Website: www.bean-sprout.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beansproutltd/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/helenchristophercharteredaccountant

I must also add that as well as being a whizz with numbers, Helen is the most fantastic cook and interior designer - a businesswoman with many talents!

If you're wondering whether working with a VA could help you, feel free to reach out or check out my free guide: Working with a VA - A Business Owners Guide. This useful guide contains tips on how to find a VA that suits you and includes a work page for you to work out what task you have and what you can/want to outsource.