Get creative, know your vision, know your customer and know your numbers with Michelle Wilson-Stimson | AHDT S1#15

Michelle Wilson-Stimson is a creative entrepreneur, who is the founder and managing director of 2 limited companies, Eparaplan and Boss Bird.

Eparaplan provides financial services admin, legal, paraplanning, compliant support and coaching to the Financial Advice industry. Boss Bird is a stationery business specialising in desk planners, inspirational to do lists and daily and weekly diary planners which are designed to help business woman or working mums plan and control their lives whilst ensuring wellbeing and good health.

Michelle’s career is split between a creative nature including professional photography and graphic design to that in the financial sector, being a Stockbroker and Financial Adviser. Although these are the 2 domineering industries she now works, she has also worked in hospitality in running public houses with an ex-partner, set up and run a model agency - whilst also modelling herself (something she still dabbles in now and then) and has worked in purchasing control and banking.

Her varied career has given her a huge set of experiences and skills in which she uses in her roles today.

Michelle is an avid reader and has read a number of business and personal development books given her hindsight and a forward thinking approach when working on and in her businesses. Her leadership style is Laissez Faire and Transformational. She allows her eparaplan team of near on 20 people to develop and grow within her business and be proactive members with full autonomy to control their position. She also works with them to grow them both personally and within the business and feels all employees, no matter their background, are capable of taking responsibility for their development with her support and becoming something far greater than the label they may give themselves.

Michelle would describe herself as a lady with her fingers in many pies.... and that she can't quite decide which tastes the best yet and so will keep developing both her current businesses and new ones until she does.

She has a strong sense of family values and prides herself on her honesty and integrity. She states she can challenge some with her honest views but feels it helps prevent any confusion as to where one would stand with both clients and colleagues.

Michelle has been asked to write a number of articles and has been interviewed a great deal in order to pull some of her underlying knowledge and thoughts on certain subject matters.

Outside of work, Michelle enjoys skiing, spending time with her family and taking photographs which, although once was a full time role, is now very much dedicated to capturing her own life events, however - she does have an application form on her photography website for special client requests for weddings and other family photography.

Michelle is an award winning entrepreneur having recently won the femprenuer of the year with the women in Peterborough awards for her inspirational entreprenialship. She is also up for 2 awards with the Peterborough small business awards This year and another award with the national Women in Business awards as the most influential woman. 

As well as these award she has won numerous award for her photography, she is a women of many skills and talents! 

 

This week she discusses her a half dozen things for success in business.......

1. BE present – know your business today
2. Work from the top down – Develop an organisation from the CEO and work down to complete an org chart – detail every role possible and think big.
3. Know your numbers – understand your cash flow and forecast always
4. Know you customer – without these and without understanding your customer you will not appeal to them or be valued by them
5. Be honest – not only with yourself but your customers
6. Be Creative – never stop working on the business – creating new products or diversifying.