Lets Save Some Money

What was your first job and what did your responsibilities include?

Apart from the £1.81 I earned delivering 101 newspapers, after university I went to work for Planet Hollywood as European development co-ordinator where I was responsible for co-ordinating the expansion of Planet Hollywood across Europe.

How much was in your first pay packet and what did you spend it on?

I do not remember my first pay packet but my salary was £26,000. As I lived in central London I suppose it mainly went on rent!

Describe how your career developed to the present day.

After Planet Hollywood I went on to Pizza Express and it was while I was there that I decided to strike out on my own. I had seen a small chain of Indian restaurants called the Bombay Bicycle Club and I went to the board of Pizza Express to propose buying them. They looked at me as if I was mad so I decided I wanted to do it myself.

After buying, growing and then selling the chain I got involved in television with BBC’s The Restaurant which enabled me to invest in the London Cocktail Club with the winners of the final series.

I have sat on the board of a number of different businesses but it was a call from ITV’s This Morning that prompted my latest move. They were keen for me to become a consumer champion. That led me to launch the website LetsSaveSomeMoney.com in 2012 and put me where I am today.

What are the key responsibilities in your position?

I spend my day flying the flag and making sure people are getting good deals. I deal with the media on a day to day basis, writing columns and articles for Mail Online, Huffington Post, and The Sun and I work with PR agencies helping to develop campaigns and stories. As co-founder of the site (with my husband Michael) I am responsible for growing the business and creating real value.

Describe a typical day As a startup we always joke that you could be cleaning the toilet one day and sitting on the sofa at Sky News the next. I have four young children, so the mornings are usually spent doing the school run, getting packed lunches and swimming kits organised before I head into the office. I try and spend as much time in the office as I can developing the site, writing columns and articles, responding to media enquiries, speaking to potential investors and preparing for my weekly TV slot on Sky.

Who/what have been the biggest influences on your career?

Definitely my parents. They taught me anything is possible and that you should question everything. This definitely inspired the entrepreneur in me. I am inspired by people who change things.

What has been your best decision?

Marrying my husband Michael. We met in business and now work together every day with LetsSaveSomeMoney.com And your worst?

I regret not taking a year off in between university and going to work. I wish I had as there has not been time since What is the secret of good management?

Be accessible, listen, be straight with people and inspire your team.

Do you have a good work/life balance?

With four children — Minnie, Monti, Nelly and Marly — between the ages of two and seven and several demanding businesses to run, finding a good work/life balance is most important.

The only way to achieve it is to have a solid structure of systems and routines and a great team. When your priority is balance, you have to maximise every moment to get the job done. When I am at home, I am 100 per cent a mum and at work, I focus on the business.

What are the biggest challenges facing your business today?

Cashflow is key.

Is there anything in business that really irritates you?

Dishonesty, lack of integrity, bad ethics, disrespect and rudeness How do you see your company developing over the next five years?

Watch this space!

What has been your most satisfying moment?

Probably the day LetsSaveSomeMoney.com went live. It was incredible to turn on a switch and see people using our site.

How much do you use social media and how effective is it?

We use it a lot and think it is very effective.

We had a Facebook group before we launched the site to build up a follower base and now it is how we let people know about new content on the site straight away or good deals and offers that we have found.

It is the same with Twitter and social media always explodes for us after my appearances on Sky.

What is your attitude to the environment and do you have any green policies in place?

We do not have any specific green policies but all try and do our bit by recycling and not printing unnecessarily. As money savers we are fanatical about turning off lights and gadgets.

What do you do to motivate your workforce?

We have weekly meetings and try to be in the office together as much as possible. We also have our own piggy pseudonyms and logos — I am Mummy Pig, Michael is Daddy Pig and others include Groovy, Clever, Magic, Chunky and Mystic Pig — it amuses us and keeps us laughing Is there any other job you would like to have done and why?

I am lucky because being an entrepreneur means that I have the opportunity to try lots of different businesses.

What would you like to do when you retire?

Spend more time with the kids, travel and invest in brilliant people. 

Sarah Willingham
40
Founder LetsSaveSomeMoney.com
Time in job: Two years
Contact:
01491 875092
Web: www.letssavesomemoney.com