“I think to be a business owner you need to be incredibly optimistic – to know with hard work, education and effort, it will turn out alright in the end.”
Early in her career, Natasha Hawker of Employee Matters worked in Banking and Finance and as a Recruiter before focusing on Human Resources. Natasha now has over 22 years’ experience and has worked and lived in Australia, the UK and India. Natasha has managed employees across all aspects of HR and has sensitively and compliantly terminated hundreds if not thousands of employees in her career.
Together, Natasha and her team have over 190 years of hands-on experience – and are happy to have those difficult conversations you may not wish to have yourself, script them for you or sit with you and support you through the process. They know what you, as an employer, should and shouldn’t do when managing your employees.
Natasha says that exceptional HR doesn’t just fix people-issues, or even prevent them from happening again. Exceptional HR ensures your People become the competitive edge you need to drive your profit, your growth and the sustainability of your business.
Natasha has been a member of the HerBusiness Network for more than a decade, and says that the Network – in the early days in particular – was such a font of education, learning, connection and support.
Outside of work, Natasha is a qualified yacht skipper, plays squash at 6am a couple of mornings a week and is a mum to three fabulous kids; and enjoys a glass of wine or two!
Who’s your favourite entrepreneur and why?
Richard Branson – passion, fire and disruptor “Clients don’t come first your employees come first if you look after your people they will look after your clients.” Branson
Why did you start your business and what gave you the idea?
There was a gap in the market – I could see small to medium businesses really struggled with their employees. I had a client who is now a friend that said “having a business would be such fun if I didn’t have employees.” She is not alone.
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
I love building something. I see building a business is like sport – you need to be match fit and upskilling all the time. You also need to practise and learn from your mistakes.
What three pieces of advice do you wish you’d been given when you started?
- It’s going to be harder that you think
- Network is everything
- Invest from really early in your business education, it’s not good enough to just be good or even great at HR and Recruitment
What advice would YOU give someone thinking about starting a business?
I think to be a business owner you need:
- To be incredibly resilient to take the ‘knocks’ and quickly ‘dust yourself off’ and get back up
- To be incredibly optimistic to know with hard work, education and effort, it will turn out alright in the end
- To be a little naive because that if we knew then, what we know now we might not have been brave enough to start
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
Financials and marketing. If you can’t get clients you won’t have a business and if you can’t price right you will not be in business very long at all.
What does your IDEAL business look like? Even if you’re not there yet, what would it look like if your business was ideal?
We will have been acquired within 7 years and I will be spending half of every year in Europe!
What problem does being a Member of the HerBusiness Network solve for you and your business? And, how?
Having a Network – in the early days in particular with education, learning and support through the online networking events.
Learn more about Natasha and Employee Matters.
