Name: Yopa Services
City: London
Website: www.yopaservices.co.uk
Your Own Personal Assistant (Yopa) was only a concept a year ago. Since then, with focused marketing and PR, business has taken off in a big way. Yopa Services now has more than 30 clients and employs six staff.
Marketing is tough on a budget, you have to be creative. When we first started, Hannah (our first member of staff) and I found a local trade show, we sneaked around the car park putting Yopa leaflets on cars and vans, before being ushered out by the car park attendant.
To grow the business, Melanie threw herself into every seminar and free networking event she could. She also joined the local chapter of BNI which met every Tuesday. Every week you have to give a brand new 60-second pitch to other members and visitors. It was quite nerve wracking at first - I often woke up sweating at 6am on Tuesday mornings thinking “60-second pitch!”. I never needed an alarm clock on Tuesdays.
Melanie Steane is managing director at Yopa Services
