Category: Outsourcing

Curiosity in business – understand the human element
People buy from people. It’s an important pillar of marketing, but also of business. Keeping the human element at the centre of your business is one of the best ways to ensure that you remain relevant, attract new customers and retain great staff to help you grow. 

In this blog, we talk to HR expert Nora about why people matter in business, why we should be curious about them and what to do with what we learn.

Why is the human element important in a business?

Nora: It goes without saying that without people, our businesses cannot exist. We need people to buy our products and services. We need people to work for us to deliver the business offering. And we also need other businesses offering services that compliment ours – I work closely with people who provide payroll services, for example. 

But we need to look deeper. For our businesses to succeed, we need to be curious about these people: our customers, colleagues and collaborators. We need to find out what matters to them and how to cultivate our relationships with them. 

What questions should we ask about our clients? 

Nora: Listening to customers and clients is an important way to build a brand, establish a good reputation and grow a business. Market research will help us find out how our customers see our businesses and understand our strengths. But we can dial up our curiosity and find out more about our community in other ways. Consider what else they buy, and why. Consider their lifestyles and families. What makes them tick? Could we refine our offering to make it even more appealing to them? What do they need that we don’t yet offer, and can we plug that gap? 

If you have face-to-face customers and clients, you can answer these questions by simply having an informal chat. You’ll be amazed at what you find out when you listen! Even if you don’t deal directly with your clients, you can find out quite a lot by keeping an eye on social media and the press. What trends can you spot? What opportunities can you leverage? 

What should we find out about our team?

Nora: Whether you’re in the process of recruiting or you have an established team, it’s important to take an interest in the people who work for you. What matters to them? Why do they like working for your business? What are their priorities? With this information, you can understand how your business decisions affect them. You can also consider how best to manage them and how to address any problems that arise. 

What your curiosity will do is make you a stronger business leader. You might gain more liking and more respect from your team or employees. And with a strong team around you, your business is more likely to thrive and grow. 

HR outsourcing from Get Ahead

If our blog has made you think again about the business relationships you have with other people, Get Ahead can help. HR experts like Nora would love to help you with the processes and conversations you need to strengthen your team and grow your business. Meanwhile, our marketing team can advise on market research and reporting, giving you the information you need to take your next step. 

Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director today. 

Hiring your first employee is an exciting step, but there are a few legal and practical things you must do before they start. Here’s the simple checklist small businesses rely on. 

1. Confirm the job details 

Before you recruit, be clear on: 

  • Job title 
  • Hours 
  • Pay 
  • Responsibilities 
  • Location or hybrid terms 

This clarity helps attract the right candidate and reduces future misunderstandings. 

2. Do your right-to-work checks 

This is a legal requirement for all employers. 

Make sure you copy and securely store the documents. 

3. Issue an offer letter 

Short, simple, professional, this confirms key details like: 

  • Salary 
  • Hours 
  • Start date 
  • Conditions of offer 

4. Prepare the employment contract 

You must issue this on or before day one of employment. 

A compliant contract protects both you and your new hire, setting clear expectations from the start. 

5. Share your employee handbook 

Give your new employee the essential policies, such as: 

  • Sickness 
  • Holidays 
  • Conduct 
  • Data protection 
  • Grievance and disciplinary 

Even small businesses need these. 

6. Set up payroll 

Register the employee with HMRC and organise payroll software or support. 

7. Create a new starter checklist 

This helps you remember: 

  • Emergency contact details 
  • Equipment access 
  • System logins 
  • Induction meeting 
  • Policy sign-offs 

You’ll find one included in HR Foundations.  

Ready to hire with confidence? 

Our HR Foundations package includes all the templates and documents you need, plus a consultation to guide you. 

➡ See HR Foundations 

➡ Book a free HR call 

Hiring your first employee is an exciting milestone. It means your business is growing and you’re ready for extra support. But it also means stepping into the world of HR, and that can feel overwhelming if you’re not sure what’s legally required. 

The good news? You don’t need a huge HR department to stay compliant. But you do need a few key documents in place before your new team member starts. 

Here are the five essential HR documents every small or new employer must have. 

1. A Legally Compliant Employment Contract 

Every employee must receive a written statement of terms and conditions on or before their first day. This is usually provided as an employment contract. 

A clear, up-to-date contract protects both you and your employee. It sets expectations, reduces misunderstandings, and ensures you’re meeting legal obligations around pay, hours, leave, benefits, and notice. 

Many small businesses rely on outdated templates or copy something from the internet, but an inaccurate contract is one of the most common HR risks. A tailored contract gives you peace of mind from day one. 

2. An Offer Letter 

The offer letter confirms the basics: job title, salary, working hours, and start date. It also sets a positive, professional tone and helps your new employee feel confident joining your business. 

It’s also useful if someone needs written proof of employment before their contract is finalised. 

3. Core HR Policies 

You don’t need a full suite of policies at this stage, but you do need the basics in writing, including: 

  • Disciplinary and grievance 
  • Equality and diversity 
  • Health & safety 
  • Data protection/privacy notice 

These are required by law and form the backbone of your HR compliance. They are also a key part of your employee handbook… 

4. A Basic Employee Handbook 

A handbook doesn’t need to be long or complicated; it simply outlines how things work in your business. The essentials usually include: 

  • Sickness and absence 
  • Holiday and time off 
  • Data protection 
  • Health & safety 
  • Code of conduct 
  • Basic well-being or workplace expectations 

This gives employees clarity and ensures consistency. It also helps you, as the employer, handle issues fairly and legally. 

Think of it as the “how we do things around here” guide. 

5. A New Starter Checklist 

When you’re new to hiring, it’s easy to forget the small but essential steps. A checklist helps you stay organised and cover things like: 

  • Right-to-work checks 
  • Payroll setup 
  • Collecting emergency contacts 
  • Sharing company policies 
  • IT or system access 

It also gives your new employee a smooth, structured onboarding experience, which boosts confidence from day one. 

Need Help Getting These in Place? 

Many new employers don’t realise these documents are required or worry about getting them wrong. That’s where our HR Foundations package can help. 

It includes: 

  • A 30-minute HR consultation 
  • Customised employment contract template 
  • Offer letter template 
  • Basic employee handbook, including a set of core HR policies 
  • New starter checklist 

Everything you need to hire confidently, professionally, and legally, without the stress. 

➡ Find out more about HR Foundations 

➡ Book a free HR consultation 

Get Ahead operates across the country, each area run by its own regional director. The regional director is your central point of contact, connecting you with the right virtual experts, managing their output and tailoring the package to meet your business needs.

This blog looks at the role of regional directors and their part in delivering the right support for your business.

Our expertise

All the regional directors have extensive corporate backgrounds with in-depth experience in key areas of HR, marketing, recruitment, operations and client servicing.  We have the industry knowledge, commercial acumen, best practice experience and hard skills to understand your business challenges and suggest the most suitable solutions.

Business Owners

As business owners ourselves, we also understand what’s really involved in running a business and the pressures, challenges and opportunities that can bring. 

Consultative approach

Regional directors can offer a ‘fresh pair of eyes’ and independent view of your business.  Whether the brief is to solve a problem, widen a bottleneck, meet a challenge or achieve a growth target, we can help you break it down into an action plan and provide an outsourcing solution.

You may be completely clear on what you want to outsource, but a lot of the time our clients know they need help but are not sure where to start. As consultants, we will work with you to understand what you are trying to achieve for your business and how we can help to reach your goals.

A trusted pair of hands

Once we have established what you want to achieve and the best solution to get there, we will carefully match you with an individual or a virtual team based on the skills you need and your working style. 

We become your Success Manager.  We will make sure you have what you need to achieve results and that every element is working together, through team and project management.

A central point of contact

You will receive one monthly invoice and one point of contact, but access to a wealth of skills and expertise you would struggle to find in one person.

An evolving relationship

Things change!  We understand that businesses are always evolving and therefore so do your needs and requirements.  We can adapt your virtual team to match this; pulling in additional resources or skill sets as your business needs change. Our agile approach saves you the time and money that would be associated with managing an in-house team.

An adaptable team

We pride ourselves on our customer service and appreciate any feedback during the working relationship.  We understand that personality is a huge element of working together, so if your needs change or for any reason things don’t work out, we can easily look at alternative options for you to save your time and energy with the ‘recruitment process.’

Our role as regional directors or success managers is to form that all-important layer between your virtual expert team and you – we ensure your expectations are understood and delivered, if not exceeded.

If you’ve got a lovely summer holiday coming up, you know it’s your chance to switch off completely and restore yourself after months of hard work. But for you to get the most out of your holiday, you’ll need to know your business is in safe hands while you’re away. In this blog, we look at how to do a holiday handover to reduce stress before and after your break. 

What should you hand over?

Of course, there will be some things that only you can do, like nurturing a client relationship built on a personal touch, or financial responsibilities where you’re a named signatory.  

However, there are plenty of other responsibilities that others can pick up on your behalf. True, the other person won’t do it in exactly the way that you do, but they will keep things ticking over so you don’t have a double workload to come back to. These tasks include:

How to do a holiday handover – what should I consider?
See it as an investment in your business

    Handing over your work before your holiday creates a great opportunity for someone else in your organisation to take on more responsibility and gain more skills. Keep your handover positive – remember, it’s an investment in both your wellbeing and the growth of your business.

    Don’t rush it

    Making time for your handover should make your pre-holiday work week less stressful. It should also mean you don’t have to send last-minute instructions from the airport. 

    Delegate to the right person

    Pick someone whom you trust – this can be more important than their experience.  Choose someone with good judgement who will know when to take the initiative and know when to ask for advice. 

    Keep it simple! 

    You are probably only going away for one or two weeks, so the person you hand over to doesn’t need overly detailed instructions. In fact, if you make the handover too detailed, you risk overwhelming the other person so they can’t do their best work. 

    Make it a two-way process

    Find out what the other person’s knowledge gaps are and focus on filling them. If there’s a process they don’t understand, this is the time to explain it to them. Let them ask questions. Try not to be critical if they ask you something you thought they already knew!

    Can I outsource my work while I’m on holiday?

    Yes! You might be surprised at just what you can outsource. For example, you probably know you can outsource back-office tasks like admin, payroll, marketing and diary management. But did you know you can also outsource your core work? 

    For example, if you run a creative agency, you can outsource design, branding and marketing to Get Ahead. Or if you offer HR or recruitment, you can outsource some of your processes to our team of experts. Your clients will receive a seamless service and you get the full benefit of your holiday into the bargain. 

    You can also outsource to a team of experts. We can assemble a team to cover whatever you need, whether you need email management and graphic design, or social media and business development.

    Explore our site to find out more, follow us on social media, or get in touch for an informal chat. 

    There are always lots of things to do at work before taking a holiday, particularly if you run your own business. Fortunately, when we know what they are and we manage our time well, we don’t have to bookend our holiday with two stressful weeks. 

    We’ve caught up with virtual PA Amanda who shares her list of things to do at work before taking a holiday.

    What should we do at work before going on holiday?

    Tell people

    Amanda: If you do nothing else, tell the people you work with that you are going away and when. Even if you own the business and you don’t have to apply for annual leave, it’s a good idea and common courtesy. Telling others means that they can manage their work accordingly, whether that’s asking you about matters now before you go on holiday, or taking the initiative so they don’t interrupt your break. Let anyone outside your business whom you’re collaborating with know too. 

    Set up email management

     Amanda: We’re all used to out-of-office replies now – they’re a very handy invention. If you’re in danger of forgetting to set yours, write it now and schedule it for your holiday period. 

    While you’re automating emails, take the opportunity to set up the “focused” and “other” inbox system that Outlook provides (if you haven’t already). This can make things smoother when you’re back from your holiday – the messages that need your attention should be easy to find.

    Some of my clients ask me to manage their inboxes while they’re on holiday – it’s a great solution. I create folders for different types of email and I can even field them out to others in your organisation. You won’t come back to thousands of emails and you will be able to pick up where you left off. 

    Test your automation

    Amanda: If you’re going to use, say, social media scheduling software to cover you while you’re away, test it out first. If you trial it while you’re still in the office, you’ll have time to iron out any wrinkles so the system runs perfectly in your absence. 

    Write a to-do list for your return

    Amanda: Writing things down is a great way to get them out of your head, even if you can’t deal with them immediately. I always encourage my clients to write their to-do list for their first day back. Not only does it mean a more organised return, but it gives them more freedom to enjoy their holiday!

    Plan for core work and big projects

    Amanda: How you cover bigger projects depends on many factors. However, it’s important to remember that everything won’t grind to a halt without you. You might choose to put work on hold while you’re on holiday. Or you might choose to set it up in advance so it can run well in your absence.

     If you’re a good employer or collaborator (and I’m sure you are!) your team should feel empowered to carry on without you and act on their own initiative. Maybe the team could use your holiday time to address the areas that don’t need your specific input, like the actual printing of a new publication. Or maybe you could set up a task in your last week and they could use your holiday to put it into action. 

    Virtual PA services from Get Ahead

    Get Ahead has built up a team of nearly a hundred virtual PAs, VAs and sector experts to support your business while you’re away on holiday. We’re here for when you get back too! Follow us on social media to find out how we work, and get in touch whenever you’re ready. 

    We all feel energised as the days get longer and the sun comes out. And if you’ve ever thought about working for yourself, why not use this positivity to make it happen?

    In this blog, we look at the benefits of working for yourself and what support there is to help you.

    Why should you choose working for yourself?

    There are loads of great reasons to set up on your own. We meet a lot of business owners and we’ve learned that each one has a specific reason that made them decide to run their own business.

    Flexibility

    Many business owners found that being tied down to a nine-to-five schedule just didn’t work for them. Some wanted to enjoy more time with their children (they grow up so quick!), while others had caring responsibilities for family members. Others wanted to have time for hobbies and interests – there’s more to life than work!

    Values

    Another big group of self-employed people are those who have a clear set of values that they didn’t feel the corporate world embodied. They love their sector, but they recognised independence would offer them more of a chance to share their skills in the way that felt right to them.

    Challenge

    Other people simply love a challenge! Working for yourself is full of challenges, but the knowledge that you are behind every one of your business’s achievements is exceptionally satisfying. If you’re stuck in a rut and not taking your best self to work every day, it could be time to do it differently.

    Working for yourself – what do you need?
    Budget

    Start by working out your budget. Obviously, you will need to consider business costs – remember that even home-based businesses will need a website and hosting. You also need to work out personal expenses. Look at your monthly outgoings like mortgage repayments and car finance, and work out what you need to earn to cover them.

    Business plan

    Your business plan maps out what you offer and how you will grow. It’s an important document – you will need to show it to the bank if you apply for a business loan. And if you want to connect with investors or form a partnership, the other people involved will want to see it.

    Registration for self-assessment

    You need to register for self-assessment so you pay the right tax on the amount your business has earned.

    Record keeping

    Businesses need to record their income and outgoings, as well as customer and client information, and details of products and services. You might think you’ll remember but trust us, you won’t (sorry!). You will also need to provide financial records to HMRC so these need to be accurate and accessible.

    Support for new businesses

    Fortunately, there is loads of support out there. From online guides to writing business plans to plain English guides to registering your business, any new entrepreneur can find what they need to get started on the UK government website.

    Fill your skills gaps with outsourcing

    If you love the idea of starting your own business but you’re worried about financial records, tax and invoicing, you’re not alone. In our experience of supporting business owners, we’ve seen that finance is the number one area of difficulty. Not feeling confident about finance means maths (yikes!), getting to grips with invoicing software, praying you’re doing your tax return properly and having to admit you’re not actually Alan Sugar.

    But it doesn’t have to be scary. The good news is that you can outsource almost anything you don’t know how to do yourself. Finance, tax and admin are some of Get Ahead’s most popular services, with our admin assistants, accountants and bookkeepers all on hand to provide what you need quickly and accurately.

    Get Ahead also supports businesses with writing business plans, as well as creating websites and managing social media – all great ways to get your business out there.

    If it’s time you started working for yourself, remember that Get Ahead are here to help. All our services are fully flexible and we don’t tie you into long contracts. Whether you need just a few hours’ support to get you started, or monthly help with invoice reconciliation, our virtual experts are ready to meet your needs. Check out our site to find out more, or follow us on social media.

    When you outsource website development, it’s a great opportunity to tap into expertise and improve customer experience (CX). In this blog, we look at three ways you can use your website and other tech to take your CX to the next level.

    1. Use analytics software to track customer activity

    Reporting tools like Google Analytics and social media analytics can give you fantastic insights about your customers. Used correctly, analytics software can help you identify who is visiting your website or social media pages, how old they are and where they live. The software can also show you how they found your website. Did they look on Google, for example, or did they click on a link they saw on social media? What web pages were they interested in? What element of your content marketing appealed most to your customers?

    You can use this information to strengthen your customer experience strategy. If you notice that most of your customers are coming to your website via social media channels, you might decide to focus your energy on great Instagram posts rather than SEO. Or if you see that your videos get more views than your blogs, consider sharing future information in video format.

    2. Embrace automation 

    It can be very easy to hide behind “tradition” and “we’ve always done it this way.” But automation can give us some great tools to improve CX. For example, creating an app to help your customers access your products or services might give them a smoother experience. An app allows them to use your services without having to make a phone call or visit your premises. It will probably speed up your processes, reduce staff costs and minimise the risk of human error. 

    Booking software has revolutionised the way customers plan nights out! You can link to platforms like Eventbrite and OpenTable so your guests can make bookings quickly and smoothly from their phones.

    Whatever service you offer, consider offering automation to help your customers access it. If you’re stuck, give Get Ahead a shout! Our resourceful web development experts have a wide variety of experience and might know the perfect platform for your business.

    3. Use automation alongside human interactions

    While automated services and AI do bring many advantages, it’s important work how much human interaction to balance it with. There is no formula for this – it depends on your business and your customers. For example, customers might not feel the need of an in-person interaction with a utility company, but might feel more welcome in a restaurant if staff take them to the table. Think about your customers and what a good experience looks like to them. If you need help pinning this down, our business development experts can help. Check out our page on customer segmentation analysis for more information. 

    You can also improve customer experience by aligning automation with human interactions. For example, a common customer frustration is putting details into an automated platform or app at the beginning of a transaction and then having to repeat those details to the employee they then speak to. You can avoid this by giving your team access to the information the customers have already inputted. This will speed up the process, keep everyone informed and the interactions positive. 

    Outsource website development with Get Ahead

    If you think your customers deserve a better experience, our experienced web developers can help. They’ll review your website, ask pertinent questions and suggest ways to adapt it and improve CX at the same time. Explore our website services pages to find out more, or contact your local regional director. 

    When you outsource business development, it’s a good idea to bring customer experience (CX) into the mix too. If you’re already familiar with the term then you’re on track for successful business development. But if it’s new to you, or it’s not something you’d considered before, now is the time for you to find out more about it so you can take your business to the next level.

    In this blog, regional director Sarah Yandell explains customer experience and shares her knowledge of the 80/20 rule too.

    What is customer experience?

    Sarah: Customer experience, sometimes abbreviated to CX, is the whole experience that a customer has of your business. Customer service is part of it, but CX is broader. For example, standards like answering a phone call in five rings or sending communications promptly are good customer service. But customer experience covers things like how easy it was to find the phone number, and whether good FAQs removed the need for the call completely. 

    The choices you make about your CX should reflect your customer base. For example, if you hear from most of your customers via social media, prompt replies to direct messages are more important for CX than manning the office phoneline. 

    Why does customer experience matter?

    Sarah: CX is an important part of business development. In order to grow your business, you need to ensure that every one of your customers has the best experience possible. This is because your customers are your greatest asset. They are the ones who will buy your products and services; they’re also the people who will recommend you to their wider network. If a customer has a good experience, they are more likely to buy from you again. 

    I’ve run a number of businesses over the years, including heading up the Suffolk and Essex office for Get Ahead. One of the most valuable ideas I’ve picked up is the 80/20 rule, which we can apply in a variety of different situations. 

    In the case of customer experience, we need to remember that 80% of our business comes from 20% of our customers. It’s important to look after all of our customers, but place our biggest focus on the top 20%. This is because the top 20% are the ones who will help our businesses to grow.

    Who makes up the top 20% of customers?

    Sarah: Who these customers are depends on your business. A good CRM (customer relationship management) system will usually show you who your best customers are and how much they spend with you. However, it’s important to remember that CRM is only an enabler. Your CRM system will show you who your best customers are but it’s up to you to use that information in the correct way. This will help you make any customer interaction as personal as it needs to be. 

    For example, if you offer business coaching, your CRM might show you that your top 20% are employed by big organisations. Their individual coaching sessions might grow into all-day workshops for whole teams, bringing you more work. In this example, you would tailor your customer experience to meet the needs of people in the corporate world. 

    Or you might run a café at a leisure centre, and note that your top 20% are parents bringing their children to after-school clubs. While a leisure centre setting suggests you’d be making money from bottled water and bananas, this is not the reality. Instead, comfy seats, good coffee and staff who like a chat will create the right experience for your best customers. 

    What does CX mean for business development?

    Sarah: Once you’ve identified your 20%, you can use your knowledge of them to improve CX and develop your business. You might like to think about what customers expect from your website and how they like to communicate with you. Think about what their overall goals are and how you can help them achieve them. This information will help you come up with the business development strategy that most likely to work. 

    For example, networking is an important part of my own business development. I’ve seen that this is where I meet clients who end up using services from Get Ahead in a regular, ongoing way. I believe it’s because they get to meet me face to face – an important customer experience that helps us both build trust and establish a strong working relationship. 

    Outsource business development to Get Ahead

    If reading Sarah’s insights have got you thinking about how you could improve customer experience and develop your business, Get Ahead can help. Our experienced business development managers will delve deep into your operation, finding out what makes it tick so they can find the best way to move it forward. They might also make suggestions for how you can strengthen your CX, boosting your business at the same time.

    Follow us on LinkedIn to find out more or contact your local regional director today. 

    If you’re planning to outsource PR to enhance your marketing, you might be wondering, “how do I gain national press coverage?” National press coverage can really increase your visibility and it’s great for brand awareness.

    In this blog, we look at how to decide if national press coverage is the best PR strategy for you, how to get the press’s attention and when to send out your press release.

    Is national press coverage the right strategy?

    Having your products featured in Good Housekeeping or your story told in the Financial Times both feel like big wins. If you’re looking to have everyone talking about your products, services or business journey, the national press is a great way to increase awareness of your brand.

    However, before you throw all your energy at getting your business in a national publication, take time to consider whether it’s the best place for your story. Remember, if your story has a niche audience, like a new product aimed at a specific industry, national publications are unlikely to take it up.

    If that’s made you decide to target your PR specifically and promote yourself within your industry, read our interview with PR expert Caroline here: PR ideas for small businesses – maximise your marketing 

    And if you’re confident a national campaign is right for you, read on.

    How to get the attention of the national press
    Understand your lead times

    Different publications have different lead times. In general:

    Remember to factor these timings into your PR operation.

    Forward planning is essential for magazine coverage – if you want your business to feature in a Christmas edition, you need to share your story in July.

    Equally important: be ready to share your breaking story. If your business is responding to an unfolding crisis and mitigating against disaster, send your press release out immediately. This should get you the coverage your business deserves.

    If you’re sharing a news story, it’s generally agreed that the best times to send out a press release are Wednesday and Thursday. There’s often a big rush at the start of the week, with journalists catching up on everything that’s happened over the weekend. Friday, on the other hand, can see offices winding down. Aim for the middle of the week instead.  

    Think about readership

    Not all national publications are equal. Before you start reaching out to them, think about which ones your target market reads. If you don’t know, buy a copy or check the website. For example, if you’re hoping to build awareness of your product, check whether a publication promotes luxury items or budget solutions. And if there’s a political angle to your story, target the broadsheet that will consider it good news.

    Build a relationship

    The first time you reach out to a publication, you might not hear anything back. Don’t take it personally – instead, think about how many communications a journalist receives every day and accept that they can’t reply to them all.

    It’s also important not to be discouraged. Keep going! Send out your next press release or product sample just like you’d planned – it might get picked up next time.

    If you succeed and a journalist responds to you, keep a record of it. You can connect with them on LinkedIn and start to build a professional relationship or use them as your first point of contact for that publication. Don’t just advertise – network as well.

    Outsource PR to Get Ahead

    PR can be a highly effective way of promoting your brand. However, it’s also complicated and time consuming, especially if you’re running a business as well. If this blog has made you think about harnessing the power of PR, our PR experts would love to help. Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director today.