Jools Aspinall (40) is known as the ‘No BS Business Mentor’ for good reason. She is on a mission to help driven but busy business owners grow sustainable businesses, without sacrificing their time or sanity.
A productivity, time management and efficiency expert, Jools has a deep knowledge of powerful tech tools and a no-nonsense approach honed over 15+ years as a high level Executive Assistant, helping to refine, restructure and grow small businesses in a variety of sectors.
She is also a soon-to-be accredited life coach and blends her skills to expertly support her clients who are often at the point of feeling like they have no more time or capacity, are feeling stuck and frustrated, and can’t see a way to improve things.
It was a move from London to Manchester which kick-started Jools’ journey into business ownership. She launched her business in 2017 as a self-employed Executive Assistant, and the same year went through a divorce and severe burnout which left her really sick. Seeing these big life experiences as opportunities, she took time to figure out who she was on her own and what she truly wanted, which enabled her to build a whole new life and future.
She had the flexibility and freedom of being self-employed but wasn’t feeling fulfilled or enjoying what she was doing. It was only in 2019, after she attended a networking event with a group of female freelancers, that Jools realised there was a whole new world out there with the explosion of the online space.
She pivoted her business from being a Virtual Assistant to become an Online Business Manager, helping to audit, suggest strategic changes and implement them for other online brands. She built a fantastic community and had many VAs and OBMs asking her to mentor and teach them, and in 2021 moved in this direction.
By advising, mentoring and coaching online entrepreneurs to harness the power of tech and automation, Jools now helps people to systemise and streamline their businesses (and lives) to prevent burnout, stress and overwhelm.
Jools is now regularly called upon to run training sessions and workshops for other online entrepreneurs who want to streamline and sustainably scale their businesses. She supports her clients through 1:1 mentoring and the Wing Woman Collective® group coaching in which she teaches the 5 Ps of her Fix the Foundations Formula (Productivity, Pricing & Packages, Process, Platforms and People).
Jools’ expertise has already helped many solopreneurs and small business owners to work smarter not harder, and to grow their businesses without sacrificing their time or sanity.
Tell us about your brand Simply Jools?
It is all about no BS business mentoring. I am on a mission to help driven but busy business owners grow sustainable businesses, without sacrificing their time or sanity.
I launched my business in 2016 as a self-employed Executive Assistant, and soon after went through a divorce and severe burnout. Seeing these big life experiences as opportunities, I took time to figure out who I was on my own and what I truly wanted, which enabled me to build a whole new life and future.
I had the flexibility and freedom of being self-employed but wasn’t feeling fulfilled or enjoying what I was doing. It was only in 2019, after I attended a networking event with a group of female freelancers, that I realised there was a whole new world out there with the explosion of the online space.
I pivoted my business from being a Virtual Assistant to become an Online Business Manager, helping to audit, suggest strategic changes and implement them for other online brands. I now work as a mentor teaching other service providers how to do the same.
What made you want to start your own mentoring business?
In all honesty it was a request. I had been running my own successful business for 5 years (working as a Virtual Assistant and then an Online Business Manager) and I had requests from women asking me to mentor them.
I have always really loved supporting people to grow their business, whether as a VA, OBM or Mentor it has been at the crux of what I do. And I have a passion for learning and I don’t like to gate keep, so it felt like the right move. I started mentoring and after a year signed up to do my ICF life coaching qualification to allow me to offer a more holistic approach.
If you could use three words to describe your platform, what would it be and why?
Fun, Innovation and Integrity. These three things are at the heart of everything I do in business. They combine to create a really strong foundation for any sustainable business.
How did you personally prepare for the success your company has achieved?
Investing in myself. Whether that is investing in the best mentors, courses, getting me in rooms that will help my business grow or investing in time away from my business so I don’t fall foul to burnout.
As my business goes from strength to strength I need to make sure that I do too.
Can you share 5 things to automate in your business right now to save time and earn more
Appointment Scheduling: Implement an automated scheduling system that allows clients to book appointments online based on your availability. This eliminates the back-and-forth emails or calls and ensures that appointments are seamlessly organised, saving both your time and your clients’.
Client Communication and Follow-ups: Utilise an automated messaging platform to send appointment reminders, follow-up emails, or thank-you messages. This maintains a professional and personalised touch while reducing the manual effort needed to stay in touch with clients.
Invoicing and Payment Reminders: Consider using an automated invoicing and payment system that generates and sends invoices to clients on a set schedule. Automate payment reminders for outstanding invoices, reducing the time spent on tracking down payments.
Client Onboarding and Documentation: Create automated workflows that guide new clients through the onboarding process. Provide them with necessary documents, forms, and information automatically, ensuring a smooth and consistent experience for every client.
Feedback and Reviews: Implement an automated system for collecting feedback and reviews from clients after you’ve completed your service. This not only helps you gather valuable insights but also boosts your online reputation, potentially attracting more clients.
Remember that automation in a service-based business should enhance the customer experience and streamline operations while maintaining a personal touch. Balancing automation with human interaction is crucial to building trust and lasting client relationships.
What is next for you in entrepreneurship?
I want to continue to build out my group mentoring programme, The Wing Woman Collective, a high-touch, intimate group mentoring and coaching programme for ambitious service providers who want to scale with simplicity, gain clients, and hit their financial goals.
What is your definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles?
She is driven, she is smart and she knows when to take care of herself.
For more information about Jools or Simply Jools, please visit: https://simply-jools.com
