RESUMES FOR RESULTS
Name
Liz Foulds
Bio
Living and working in the beautiful Latrobe Valley in Gippsland Victoria with my fiancé and 12yo son I consider myself to be very lucky. With two older children, an 11month old grand-daughter and a son-in-law living in Melbourne I get the best of both worlds – the hustle & bustle of the city and the quiet, quality living that is rural. An experienced business owner I have operated a Beauty Salon, Bookkeeping Consultancy, Earthmoving Plant Hire Agency and now a Career Services Franchise.
What is your business name and website url?
Resumes for Results ~ Gippsland, Melbourne Central and Tasmania
www.resumes.net.au
How long have you been in business?
I have been self employed since 1997 following the birth of my youngest son. Specifically with Resumes for Results I purchased the Gippsland Territory in 2004, originally to supplement my bookkeeping consultancy income when I moved to Gippsland from Melbourne. It did so well that as soon as the Franchisor introduced a Consultancy model in July 2007 I knew it was the only way to grow my business and to eventually allow me to take a step back and manage my team of consultants rather than actually seeing clients. Initially I planned to engage three consultants in Gippsland within six months and start looking at purchasing another territory within twelve months. Luckily the best laid plans can be broken as I placed my first ever Consultant in my territory in August, then went on to purchase Tasmania in October (engaging and training two consultants in the November), followed closely by Melbourne Central in November (with one consultant in December) – what a busy six months it was!
What made you decide to start your own business?
My youngest son was two and a half when I was devastated by divorce. I was determined to buy out the ex-husband to allow my son to stay in the only home he had known. Ten years ago it was virtually unheard of for a sole parent, who happened to be self employed and a female to be able to secure bank finance, this made me even more determined to succeed. I started a bookkeeping consultancy providing on and off site services to small and medium businesses. Moving to Gippsland three years later I succeeded in maintaining the bookkeeping business but was always looking for more, which I found when I purchased a Resumes for Results franchise after browsing the Franchise Council Australia website.
What strategies do you use to keep yourself motivated?
Determination to succeed has always been my main motivation, along with feeding my children. Achieving my goals, often against seemingly insurmountable odds drives me even further. I have a very supportive partner who backs me in every decision I make, he trusts my business judgement. Often I might procrastinate and he will sit there and say ‘just do it will you’, or he will come home and tell me about an opportunity he heard about or saw.
Do you have a current promotion running?
Anyone who mentions wahmbizsuccess.com will be entitled to a cover letter at no charge when purchasing a custom written professional resume or selection criteria response during the month of July. This offer is only available via the Gippsland (Latrobe Valley & Sale), Melbourne Central (Carlton North & Frankston) and Tasmania offices.
What makes your business/products unique?
We create custom written professional marketing documents that enable you to stand out from the hundreds of other applicants. As the largest career services group, with 30 offices throughout Australia we stay up to date with the latest trends in the industry. This gives our clients the edge when it comes to securing a job interview. Our clients range from school leavers, tradesmen, customer service assistants, administration professionals through to all levels of management. Our business is about flexible lifestyles, fitting in with what you want and need to do – whether as a Franchisee or a Consultant. It is especially suitable for parents with young/school age children, or those who are semi retired.
How do you keep the balance between family and work?
This has been tricky for me in the past, until I introduced a team of consultants. I was able to spread the work load out but still struggled with my own referral based work. Recently I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which necessitated some huge changes in my life. We sold our rural property and bought in Traralgon so that I could close the commercial office and work from home again. This gives me time to rest when needed and I get to spend quality time with my son and partner.
Do you have any advice for new WAHMs?
Support is vital and often it is family and friends who can bring you down. Spend time networking in online forums or face to face to get support from other business owners who can relate to the trials and tribulations that you are going through. When it all gets too tough, take a break and smell the roses.
