www . simplybizmortgages . co . uk 35
When out in the field , planes , trains and automobiles spring to mind as the best way to describe getting around the country to attend the variety of meetings that make up my day . I could be in Scotland , then Cornwall , in the course of one of our event runs . When travelling up and down the country the glamour life on the road is usually punctuated by carefully planned toilet stops and catching trains by the skin of my teeth .
BRIGHT AND EARLY
When working from home , my workday usually begins bright and early and , after exercising the hound , and with a bucket of tea inside and beside me , I become an inanimate object at the laptop for the next xx hours . Snatched conversations with my wife or children sometimes end up taking place in front of colleagues and peers via a virtual meeting screen , sometimes with family members , including my dog Rollo , popping up to say hi to new faces . On days that I am working from home , the return of the family from school must be particularly entertaining for my audience , I suspect .
Normally , whether out in the field or working from home , the first thing I can be found doing is checking and replying
... you must make time for yourself , friends and family and respect your work / life balance – perhaps keep the mantra that we should be ‘ working to live , not living to work ’...
to emails whilst prioritising the day and , usually , the week ahead , after which my days can be broken down into a few main areas :
Lender and service provider review meetings
This is a huge part of what I do , the clue is in the job title , and I attempt to meet all lenders , referral partners , technology , and GI providers on SimplyBiz Mortgages ’ panel , with a view to negotiating better terms , rates , service , and support for our members – to name a few items on my agenda . Additionally , I work with our providers collaboratively on a programme of marketing to cover educational support for events and digital marketing to assist with distribution . This also opens opportunities to support providers with product and propositional development which can often lead to pilots and trials .
Team meetings
For their sins , the Business Development Managers , Helpdesk and data functions report into me and I am responsible for driving strategy within these teams , as well as setting up and hosting team meetings . These meetings vary from weekly , bi-weekly , monthly , and half yearly . I often invite guests to our meetings , internal and external , to impart knowledge in regard to their area of expertise , to upskill our team .
Event planning
Another major element of responsibilities is seen in our events programme , striving for events excellence . Daily activities include support in the design of our educational agendas , inviting providers and presenters , hosting some events , and arranging resources . In conjunction with our Marketing team , I often take personal responsibility in supporting member messaging , highlighting events and educational opportunity , whilst supporting providers to help shape their presentations .
People management
If you ’ ve ever managed people before , you will know this can be the most rewarding and maddeningly frustrating activities . However , at SimplyBiz Mortgages , we have the most fabulous team , and it is thoroughly enjoyable dealing with the daily challenges and triumphs people management brings .
Project work
Although not an everyday task , project work is frequent and can be time consuming but is essential for the businesses to develop and thrive . I ’ m working on a particularly exciting data project at the moment which will benefit all areas of SimplyBiz Mortgages .
Curve balls
Life wouldn ’ t be life without curve balls , and these are frequent ! They come in all shapes and sizes from a lender or member complaint to sickness and everything in between . Having such an experienced and multifaceted team ensures that life ’ s curve balls don ’ t snowball .
What ’ s the moral of my story / message ?
This was a brief window into my working day , where I am not an island , I do work with a strong supportive team on many aspects to ensure we bring you the best experiences possible . However , we are all busy and have pressures and stresses inside and outside of work that we have to deal with on a daily basis , and it ’ s no longer unusual that our workloads can feel insurmountable and overwhelming at times .
Despite this , you must make time for yourself , friends and family and respect your work / life balance – perhaps keep the mantra that we should be ‘ working to live , not living to work ’ and you won ’ t go far wrong .
To get in touch with the team – call 01484 439160 and we will be pleased to assist .