AFTER being made redundant due to the pandemic, Steven Jackson decided to use the skills and knowledge he had built up as a virtual assistant to mortgage advisers to set up his own business. He created Precision Admin, which offers bespoke admin support to mortgage providers.
Name: Steven Jackson
Age: 28
Position: Founder
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
Precision Admin Services
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Carluke, South Lanarkshire
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
I WAS furloughed in the early weeks of the pandemic but with the ongoing crisis, the company I worked for had to make people redundant and I found myself without a job.
I had never been unemployed before and while I was figuring out what to do, I was in contact with previous clients who were still keen to work with me.
This encouragement made me realise I could achieve a longstanding dream of setting up my own business by providing a bespoke service to self-employed mortgage advisers that wasn’t offered anywhere else.
My background is predominantly in admin, specifically mortgage admin. I worked in my previous job for more than three years, working with both lenders and mortgage advisers.
I did study hospitality at the City of Glasgow College after leaving school and consequently worked as a chef for four years before changing careers.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
AFTER a mortgage adviser has had an initial call with someone looking for a mortgage, everything is passed to me and I carry out all the admin.
I work on all the paperwork, from the decision in principle, right through to offer, making sure the client and adviser are happy every step of the way.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
MORTGAGE advisers across Scotland.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
I OFFER a bespoke service to my clients that they can’t get anywhere else. There are not many Virtual Assistants with the skills, experience, and knowledge that I have and so they don’t have the ability to offer what I can.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
SCOTLAND is a great place for my business. There are lots of places throughout the country offering great prices for houses and so there are a lot of mortgage advisers that would benefit from my help.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
THE fact I am my own boss and I have flexibility in my working life. I have struggled with my mental health in the past and this has given me the chance to get my life back and enjoy myself.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
MY biggest challenge was how to run a business; I had the knowledge that I needed, but not the know-how in how to be self-employed.
I had heard a lot of good things about The Prince’s Trust, so I reached out for support. Taking part in the online
Enterprise course was fantastic and everything I learned during the sessions has put me in good stead to run Precision Admin Services and get back to helping people with the knowledge I have.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS?
I HOPE to expand and have two businesses running side by side.
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