My Connection Statement

Sohovian helps under-resourced and overworked small business owners to grow their businesses.  We are specialists in taking care of their customers, with our virtual customer care services. We also offer small co-working offices and meeting rooms in Cleveland.

About Me - My Biography

I started my career straight out of school at 16. I scored my first real job at the local council as a data entry clerk and worked my way around the office, getting incredible exposure to all the administrative back office functions: accounts payable and receivable, payroll, and water billing.

I moved into the electricity industry in 1992 and honed my skills in back office services, customer service and management accounting.

I studied accountancy at university, changing to an IT degree halfway through. I lacked the maths background though, not having done the HSC, so I changed back and completed the business degree in 1997.

From time to time, in my job, I dabbled in some programming (even COBOL!!) and report writing using SQL. I had an affinity with technology, but I wasn’t committed enough to become a full-blown programmer. I also had an affinity with back office processes, but I wasn’t diligent enough to be an excellent accountant. I found my sweet spot when I stumbled into business systems analysis and design.

Through the course of my time in the electricity industry, I led a number of project teams whose job it was to analyse and consolidate multiple, disparate processes and systems, most particularly in the amalgamation of separate corporate entities. We would have to identify and document similarities as well as defining new processes to overcome and eliminate disparities between the two businesses.

Eventually, I accepted an executive position in a newly created shared services entity. We provided all the billing and associated back office services to the retail arms of the two Queensland electricity distributors. I managed a team of business analysts before morphing my role into Organisational Development so I could address the training and development of the people in our new business.

In 2006, following the announcement of the sale of the retail arms of the Queensland distributors, I took a voluntary redundancy and bought a serviced office business in Cleveland. In 2007, I bought a second one in Toowong.

Since then, I have worked with 100s of small business owners. I regularly tap into the skills I’ve learned through my corporate career for my own business and for my clients. I operate from the perspective that we must pay attention to the entire customer life cycle, not just sales. I strongly believe that good customer service comes from managing expectations and then delivering on those expectations, which in turn ensures long term retention. And long term clients are good for business.

My Expertise

Managing virtual teams

I am experienced in leading teams of people spread over multiple locations. I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. The advent of web based chat and video conferencing has made the job miles easier! The challenges are still there though. It takes processes and systems to keep it all together. A client’s customer may speak with up to 5 different people in our business, in 4 different locations, not to mention how many locations our client may have! That customer must have a seamless experience, starting with our team. We give them that with our own communication protocols.

Customer support

I have a knack of being able to anticipate a lot of our clients’ needs, before they ask. This expertise has been built up over 37 years of working with customers, both external and internal. I started working in a local takeaway at 14 (and 9 months!! I was legal ;-) ) where our customers were hungry and sometimes hangry, so we fed them lots of fried chicken. Eventually I found myself running an Organisational Development team, reporting directly to the CEO of much larger organisation. Our customers there were the staff of the organisation, and this time we were feeding their brains with knowledge and skills. And sometimes food. It was here that I led a project that culminated in the organisation winning a Special Award in the Australian Customer Service Awards. We put on a presentation for the judges that so impressed them in both content and format, they created the award category just for us.

Business systems

I love automating processes in my business and my clients’ businesses. For my clients, I have built mini-CRMs, created booking systems and overhauled outdated procedures in a quest to provide as much value as possible.

I have invested a lot of time into ensuring that Sohovian’s own systems are as integrated as possible, although it’s a never-ending job as the technology is always evolving.

 

My Passions

Small business

I am passionate about helping small businesses to overcome some of the obstacles that come with being small. A lack of resources, ie not enough time, staff, knowledge, or money, is a key challenge for small business. Sohovian helps to circumvent at least some of these resourcing challenges through a shared services model.

Technology

I am a geek. I love the things that we can do with technology today. There is so much more that can be done for small businesses, using today’s technology. Many businesses do not have a functional CRM, instead relying on Excel spreadsheets and/or Mailchimp lists. Still many more, who do have some sort of system, can’t take full advantage of it because they just don’t know how to integrate it into their processes. I have been there myself and I know that pain.

Roosters 

That’s the NRL team. Not the feathered kind.

My Interests

Camping – there’s nothing better than getting out into the bush or by the beach, with a campfire, under the stars. Magic!

Wine – well, I am from Mudgee. And I grew up visiting many of the more established wineries there when my Dad was doing earthworks for them.  I’m no connoisseur, but I know what I like.

Anything to do with space or science fiction – there’s a reason we’re called Sohovian: it’s as close to Whovian as I can get without coming off as a right nerd!

How I Can Help Other Members

I can work with members who need help with their customer service. We can provide a simple answering service right through to a full blown, small inbound customer contact centre solution.

I can help members in Brisbane with casual meeting room hire and coworking offices. They can escape the distractions of the home office or the coffee shop and get the headspace they need to work on their business.

I can assist members who want to have a more professional business presence in Brisbane, without leaving the house. We provide these businesses with a virtual office address. They use our address on their website etc and can meet their clients and prospects in our centres. They look bigger and more professional, and they protect the privacy of their home address.

Why I Became a HerBusiness Member

I joined HerBusiness to improve my own skills and knowledge as a business owner. It’s an investment that’s paid off in more ways than one. I have grown personally as a result of the exposure to so many inspiring business owners and of course, the mentoring from PJ. But an unexpected bonus was the clients that I’ve gained simply from being a member.