Member Article

Washington entrepreneurs offered a helping hand

It’s been a busy few weeks for Washington entrepreneur Susan Lang who has moved her rapidly growing business into new premises and employed two people to help deal with the extra workload.

Now Susan is urging small businesses in the area looking to grow to get in touch so she can help them to greater success.

The move into offices comes after seven years as a self-employed bookkeeper and Accounts Software trainer, Sage Specialist, which has seen Susan take the brave step of not just signing-up for an office but taking on employees too.

Susan and her new colleagues – business admin apprentice Lauren Murray and office manager Sue Woodhouse – can now be found in the town’s Speculation Business Centre, behind Concord Front Street, which had lain empty for more than a year .

Susan says: “I have spent the past few years working from my conservatory but I have been very busy working for a range of clients and was beginning to outgrow my space so I began looking for an office.

“Eventually, my search brought me to the Speculation Business Centre which I really liked. In the course of negotiations I went from wanting to rent office space to renting the whole building!”

Offices to rent in Washington

Now Susan Lang Consultancy Ltd occupies some of the office space and there are three refurbished offices – though one used to be a treatment room – being offered to rent to other business owners.

The mum-of-two added: “There’s also a conference room in the building which is proving useful and we also offer businesses a virtual office address for which we will handle their post and phone calls.

“However, as a sole trader I know how lonely and frustrating it can be while trying to grow a business and I want to help others in the area achieve greater success.”

In addition to the Susan Lang Consultancy, Susan also runs The Account Department which specialises in offering a growing list of satisfied clients bookeeping, payroll and accounts services.

In her bid to help other entrepreneurs, Susan will be running a series of events at the business centre which will offer help and advice – as well as innovative co-working days where entrepreneurs can get together for a day, make new friends and contacts and enjoy working with like-minded people.

Business coaching and networking sessions for entrepreneurs

To that end, Susan has been signed-up as an associate host with ‘Colleagues on Tap’ and will stage regular co-working days at the centre.

Susan says: “I went from being a sole trader to becoming a limited company in 2012 and I’ve never looked back – along the way I have helped other firms become more successful and profitable.

“I want to help other firms do the same and we will have regular events that will help everyone who takes part in them.”

In addition to the co-working days, Speculation Business Centre will be playing host in the coming weeks to a breakfast meeting of the Sunderland Business Network, a business coaching session on how to grow a business and Sage Accounts software training.

For more information about the events and the Speculation Business Centre offering, call Susan or her team on 0843 886 8130 or visit their website at speculationbusinesscentre.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lauren Murray .