Catherine Cocklin is founder of virtual assistant business Quality Time PA Services. The company was founded in 2019 and Catherine received support from Boost's Flying Start programme in the early stages of her business to help understand her strategy and the different aspects of operating a company.
Quality Time PA Services is continuing to grow and Catherine now has a small team working with her. She discusses business inspirations, the Boost support she received and why Lancashire is a great place to do business.
I took part in Boost's Flying Start programme following a referral from the Growth Support Service. I was appointed a Boost adviser and attended a range of startup workshops. The programme gave me knowledge, practical tools and the confidence to actually get on with building my business.
Not to be too general with my target market, to value the service I offer and the benefit my clients get from that.
Oh, this is hard to answer! There are lots of local business owners who I look up to. My initial inspiration was a virtual assistant called Catherine Gladwyn, she mentored and encouraged me in my very early days, before I had heard of Boost.
She has created a fantastic business and helped hundreds of others set up as virtual assistants, all the while suffering with brain tumours and having multiple operations. She is incredible, definitely an inspiration to me.
Helping my customers and seeing their lives improve as a result of what I do for them. I love being part of the team/work wife for all my clients. I also love the fact I am building a team, it’s not just me anymore.
In doing so, I am helping them grow their businesses. How do you like to start your working day? I nip on LinkedIn to see what my connections are up to, pint of water, then crack on (sometimes in my dressing gown!!)
I think Lancashire is a very positive place to be in business. It is only a small county and we all support each other, we certainly don’t seem to be letting the general doom and gloom within the country affect us. We are pulling together. I feel very lucky to be in business here.
Do it. Not only do you get great advice and free workshops from experts, you also get personal support from the Boost business advisers. Through both good and bad times, they are a sounding board for your ideas and can point you on the right direction.
As well as this, you get to meet many of the amazing business owners in your area, who will support and cheer you on.
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