Business advice clients

Alphawave Media

Alphawave Media are an online marketing based in Lewes, Sussex. I've been working with Ben Kelly, their MD, on a new business strategy to really move the business forward. The strategy has been particularly focussed on sales and marketing, and this is already starting to pay off as juicy new contracts and opportunities roll in.

Ben Kelly said:

"Running a business on your own can be frustrating. There is no one to bounce ideas off and help you plan the business - and during a busy period you become so fixated on day-to-day activities, it's easy to lose focus on long term goals. Julia has been instrumental in helping me clarify my aims and objectives, has worked with me to put in a workable plan of action to move the business forward. This was done in a no-nonsense fashion with achievable goals, which we are on target to meet. Alongside this, she is an informed and experienced sounding board when I need someone to talk to."

Eco Alchemists

I've been working with Charles Kingsley and Anna Debenham on adapting their successful business to work in the UK market. We've completely repositioned and rebranded Eco-Alchemists (including the great new name) to showcase Charles and Anna's expertise in building and renovating eco homes which feel great.

Charles said:

'Working with Julia has been a big help for getting our small business off the ground in the UK. Not only does she bring a wealth of resources, experience and perspective, she also is fun to work with.

In less than a year we have worked with Julia, we have clarified our business identity, customers and goals. Our business is growing more than we would have imagined and we are enjoying the process. If you want to work with a business development advisor with personality and gravitas, we couldn't recommend Julia high enough.'

Gaia Natural Health

I've been helping Galit and Rob at Gaia Natural Health in Forest Row to build on the success of their wonderful natural remedies shop, and to take the brand online so that everyone can buy all the good stuff. Here's what Rob Hughes said:

“Julia has been of tremendous help coaching and inspiring us to take our business forward to a higher level. We feel very comfortable working with her and can honestly say the meetings are worthwhile in a strategic way. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to develop both their business and their business skills.”

Gaia is now online for beautiful and unusual natural health products, many of which are difficult to find elsewhere.

Wilfi - Douglas Snadden

Douglas says:

"When I first met Julia I knew very quickly that my business could really benefit from her involvement and input and I knew she was someone I could easily work with. She immediately grasped the key issues affecting the business, what we needed to do to address the problems we had and how we might achieve our goals. This was of great help to me as I was running my recently launched property networking website on my own at a critical stage.

Julia helped me focus on the development of the business. She also helped me modify and refine the business plan and investment proposal that I had been working on. Her knowledge, insight, talent and straight talking approach was exactly what I needed to help me move forward and I am now well prepared to approach investors for the funding I require to develop the business into the future."

Julia says:

"If you're buying or selling your house, why not check out wilfi.co.uk and see if you can save those estate agents fees.

Brindley Novak

Michael Brindley and Sonia Novak run the retail design agency, Brindley Novak. They design the layout and structure of shops for major retailers with multiple stores. They are especially skilled at simplifying complex messages and marketing small, detailed products - including technology products like mobile phones and skincare products that present consumers with numerous options.

I've been helping them to accelerate their marketing, particularly with a new website with lots of great video content, be really clear about the potential customers and sectors they want to concentrate on, and to get going with a more proactive sales approach.

They say
"It's been really useful seeing Julia once a fortnight to help us develop our company, and to get her clear advice about what we should be doing to bring in more business. Like lots of businesses, we're often too busy looking after our clients to think about marketing, but Julia has made us focus on the important areas which are going to bring us long term success."

Kingfisher Copy

Working with Julia has been wonderful. Although I've been running my copywriting business for years, Julia has been able to give me some fresh ideas about how to take the business forward, especially in today's very competitive market.

We're repositioning what I provide to bring out my speciality of conversion-based copy for online businesses.

For the first time in a long time, I feel that my business is ready to move to the next level and I'm positive about what the future holds.

I look forward to the sessions with Julia, although she works me hard and challenges a lot of my thinking. We also laugh a lot in our meetings -- so, as her company name suggests, she certainly brings the joy to business!

A loved home - Tamsin Chubb

I had been running my business for one year and struggled to realise my business intentions working home alone, and was then introduced to Julia.

Initially I felt that having a business advisor after one year of getting nowhere was a little premature. However Julia has challenged and pushed me and constantly encouraged and believed in what I am doing. Now, four months after our initial meeting, I am relaunching my business with a clear idea of how to deliver my service, who my clients are and a website that works for me, that will grow with my business as I grow. 

Integration Training

"If you've got a problem, if no one else can solve it, call Julia, because when it comes to small business advice she kicks the A-Team's butt. Seriously, Julia is an excellent business adviser and someone who I have found it valuable to really listen to, I recommend her highly."

Integration Training are specialists in embodied management training. I've been helping Mark to deal with some of the growing pains as he expands operations, so we've been looking at rebranding, marketing and business processes.

Sue Popper - Joogleberry Acts

Sue says
"After selling my Joogleberry venue, I came back from a year abroad to set up my new business promoting, organising and booking all of the wonderful acts I'd come across at Joogleberry into events and venues everywhere.

When I met Julia, I knew I wanted to gain from her business expertise during the crucial set up phase of my company. I needed someone I could trust to discuss plans and issues with, who would help to steer things in a healthy direction from the outset.

Julia was brilliant. She's full of ideas with a clear head, a fantastic sense of how to run a business and the ability to communicate this. I learned a great deal from her business knowledge and most of all I appreciated her ongoing guidance and feedback whenever I needed it.

I'm really glad that I hooked up with Julia and highly recommend her. Her input has had a huge impact on the progress of Joogleberry Acts and I look forward to working with her again."

And Julia says
"And of course, if your business wants to make a good impression with clients, organise some corporate hospitality, or say thank you to staff, you should be on the phone to Sue, getting her to organise some brilliant entertainment. Mention my name, when you book at Joogleberry Acts"

Simon O'Hare - Curve IT

Simon and I worked together for a few months when he was reviewing the direction of his business, and wanted some help to explore his options.

Simon says
"Julia helped me to think through what was important for the business, at a time when I wasn't sure of the best way forward. She came to meetings with me when I was looking at a potential merger, and helped me to decide that there was more value in Curve IT if I didn't join with someone else. Her help was invaluable in making sure that I made the right decision and didn't miss anything"

Since working with Julia, Curve IT has gone from strength to strength, and is now one of Brighton's best respected computer and IT support companies.

Nigel Berman - Nigel's Eco Store

"I've been working with Julia for quite a while now. She's been here for me during all the important growth stages of the business. Julia's full of great advice about marketing, sales, finances, staff, and all the practical things you need to run a business. Because she's run her own businesses and worked with lots of other people, Julia knows what works, and what doesn't.

"But the best thing about working with Julia is the feeling that you're not doing all of this alone - I know that when I'm not sure about something I can pick up the phone and ask Julia her opinion. She really cares about the business and believes in it, and having someone on your side makes a huge difference when you're growing a business this fast."

Since working with Julia, Nigel's Eco Store has doubled its turnover, taken over one of its competitors, and become the best place to buy environmentally friendly and energy saving products.

If you'd like to check out the shop, you can get 10% off by using the code ECOJOY at the checkout.

Rosie Sherry - Schux

Rosie is a business woman with hidden depths. She's well known for her expertise in social media strategy, and getting the Werks up and running, but what's really interesting about Rosie is how she puts this knowledge into practice, by actually running online communities which are valued by their members. Have a look at Software Testing Club, and The Crowd.

"I wanted to work with Julia to take my different businesses and communities to the next stage, and make sure that everyone working on developing the communities are recompensed for their work- including me.

"Julia helped me to prioritise what I work on, so I could be at my most effective. This is incredibly important when you're trying to run a serious business and bring up two children. Julia is very focussed on how to make money, and she's helped me to realise that having more money coming into the business means I have more options for the fun stuff.

ia helped me get a Train to Gain grant to pay for her services, but even without this it was a good investment."

Suzy Miller - Starting Over Show

Suzy Miller runs the Starting Over Show - you've probably read about her in the paper, or heard her on the radio.

"The reason I like working with Julia is that she is able to look at both the financial and the marketing aspects of a business - she has both sides of her brain working at the same time and not many people can do this.

Julia helped me to work out if there was a real business behind the Starting Over Shows, and put together a financial plan to demonstrate that this could be sustainable in the long run. She helped me to make the event into something truly unique. Julia was able to put me on the right track and help me concentrate on doing the essential things, and getting them finished, before rushing into the next great idea. It's made a huge difference."

Learning Consultancy Partnership

Julia Chanteray has been working with Claire Walsh of Learning Consultancy Partnership on a grand marketing strategy.

LCP are experts in management development and executive coaching. Although this is a very crowded market place, with Julia's help, Claire has been able to show people the unique selling points of LCP-bespoke programmes of leadership development, based on a fantastic understanding of how training for managers can really help an organisation to grow and develop.

Claire said "Whenever I meet with Julia I feel inspired and reactivated. She has some fantastic marketing ideas, and knows what doesn't work, saving me time and money. Since we started I've been able to get senior staff onto my courses, and the sales "conveyor belt" is filling up nicely."

Preloaded

Preloaded are an award winning digital creative consultancy, specialising in wonderful games, virals and interactive websites. They're so highly rated in their industry that they don't have enough shelf space for all their awards.
Preloaded have been working with Julia Chanteray at The Joy of Business to make sure that they can expand and grow the business, while maintaining the extremely high level of work that they do, and keep Preloaded as the place where people want to work.

Paul Canty said:

"Working with Julia has meant that all the directors have been able to agree on how we move the business forward, and concentrate on what's really important for the business. We meet with Julia every two weeks and every time she challenges our thinking and makes us realise what the priorities really are."

David Maslen Estate Agents

Maslen Estate Agents is one of the leading independent estate agents in Brighton, and is growing fast, with a new office opening in Fiveways at the end of 2007, and further expansion planned for 2008. Julia Chanteray has been working with Managing Director and founder David Maslen as he grows the company.

It's been great to work with a business with such a great reputation locally, where customer service, honesty and a commitment to staff development are seen as the way to improve market share and keep expanding.

A key element of the work has been to improve the marketing of the business, so that more people get to know that Maslen Estate Agents are not your usual kind of estate agents.

David Maslen said:
"Working with Julia has meant that I've had someone to bounce ideas off, and make sure that the company grows into the sort of business that I want it to become. She's been able to see exactly what we need to do, and help us find the best way to go forward."

Brighton and Hove LGBT Switchboard

After changing it's name, Switchboard knew that they needed to look carefully at their marketing. Julia Chanteray volunteered some of her time through the Brighton Community Partnership Prohelp programme to help Switchboard to bring their marketing up to date.

Natalie Woods, Manager, Brighton and Hove LGBT Switchboard.

Rachel Roberts

"After getting along as a fairly succesful freelance journalist for several years, I needed a boost to help me realise some of my long-held dreams. Expanding my ledgling TV career was my top priority and after working with Julia for just three months, I've had a showreel cut and have been approached by two influential commissioning editors for meetings to discuss possible projects. I'm a fairly pro-active person already, but having Julia fighting in my corner with me has given me a much-needed confidence boost."
- Rachel Roberts, Popular Culture Journalist

Unique To...

Sue Korman runs Unique To... a wonderful website that showcases the independent, specialist retailers of Brighton and Hove. Sue has worked with The Joy of Business to find the best way of realising her vision of making Unique To into a grown up business that provides a really useful service and campaigns to keep the spotlight on local choice.

Sue says:
"Working with Julia has been great. She has helped me to prioritise in what I need to do, and has helped me to set pricing, market the business, and to feel more confident about the campaign's potential. It's fantastic have someone on my side who really believes in what I'm doing. As Julia works with a number of independent retailers in Brighton, I've been really impressed with how she knows her stuff."

Toby Boyle

Toby Boyle manages a number of bands for corporate and party functions. He's been working with Julia Chanteray at The Joy of Business to improve the way that he markets the bands, plus how to successfully launch some of his ideas for new bands.

Toby said:
"It's been incredibly useful to have someone to talk to about what needs to happen with my business. Julia has given me some great advice about marketing, and has helped me to focus on what I need to do to make a real success out of this."

White Hat Media

White Hat Media is a professional web design agency that specialises in SEO services and online marketing. White Hat has been working with Julia Chanteray for the past year, as it has faced several challenges as it grows rapidly.

Managing Director Jeremy Spiller says:
"Since our first meeting with Julia, we knew that she could help us stay on the right track. She's been with us through the good times and the scary times that come with running a company like this, and it's been great to have someone that you can rely on 100 percent."

Andrew Chapman

Andrew Chapman runs Chapman Design, a graphic design studio in Brighton. Andrew wanted to expand his business, but wasn't sure of the best route to take and wanted to avoid risking the successful practice he had already built up.

Since working with Julia, Andrew has taken on new staff, moved into new premises, and been able to take on a lot more work. He's also been able to develop good relationships with several new clients.

Andrew says
"Working with Julia has been incredibly useful. She was very quickly able to see what I needed to do to take the business to the next stage, and helped me to put plans into action."

If this sounds like you, and you're in Brighton, Sussex or London, do get in touch and see if Julia and The Joy of Business can help you.