Soul Spaces, Why, How, Where Next!

For any venture or idea the why has to be the most important thing. Why we started Soul Spaces? There are a few why’s but I think the key one was we were tired of working for soul-less establishments and thought we could do better and in many ways, we already have. Our google reviews and client feedback displays this.

The soul is the intangible part of any process, soul food for example, soul isn’t an ingredient, it is a process, a way of making the food and then sharing it in tight communities. I suppose it is a mindset, for us the name Soul Spaces is a daily gut check for the business. Are we energised and ready to give this project our heart and soul? Are we showing passion and soul to our teammates via our behaviours and language in the office? Are our team going the extra mile and providing a soul-full service? Our aim is to ensure we are ticking all these boxes.

How we do what we do for our clients, it isn’t much different to our competitors or previous employers. We use the same or similar software(s), parts of our documents will look similar. The USP or niche in how we do it is down to our experience and beliefs. Prior to working on the front line or within the sales teams, we had our boots on the ground, we have done the hard yards which I think really shows and our clients really see. We have principles within our business which every client facing member of the team must follow.

• Experience must include some kind of service work (bar, gym, retail)
• Response time for clients must be no longer than 9 hours, preferably 6 hours
• Work should be triple checked before sending out to clients.
• We keep our promises and do our follow up. Trust is hard earned and easily lost. Do what you say you.
• We are always early, if you are on time, you’re late
• Small details are huge. Communicate constantly.

Following these principles gives us an edge, a standardised level of service and articulates our soul in a more tangible meaningful way.

So far we have hit most of the targets we’ve set as a business. Hitting the £1,000,000 mark was pretty fun and weird and exciting for a moment or two! Then you quickly re-set and think about how to double that in the next 12 months. At the time of writing, we are on track to do so but the market is tough and the conditions tricky, nothing can be taken for granted.

It is tricky to look too far down the line, I believe in setting loose 12-36 month targets and re-assessing every 6 months or so. Our key initiatives are to keep improving our new business process, make stronger and more meaningful relationships and networks to help tell our story to more people and keep the soul within the business at all costs!

We have always said, we are here for the long haul, we aren’t in the industry as a get rich quick scheme, we want to be an alternative option for clients who want a more genuine, honest and soulful experience with the workplace. We will stick to our business principles, keep trying to improve and see where that takes us.

Author – Joe Gillam, Co-Founder