CASE STUDIES: Helen Down

"Combining business with a semi-rural lifestyle"

When Helen Down stepped out of the corporate tower she made a deliberate decision to establish a business that would give her the work-life balance she craved.

"After 15 years of corporate management and international business travel I wanted the opportunity to establish a business that allowed me to fully utilise my professional skills, while also providing me with the flexibility to be fully involved in family, my sporting interests and community life," she says.

Synthesis Marketing was established on Helen's 20-acre semi-rural lifestyle block in Upper Hutt, and specialises in providing small and medium sized businesses with professional marketing advice and services. Synthesis helps businesses achieve long term sustainable growth by applying practical and effective marketing philosophies and processes. She's created a company based on part-time, flexible hours, where none of her employees work more than 20 hours per week. Despite this the company has experienced 100% year on year growth since its inception in 2001.

Helen believes that working part time has huge professional advantages for companies and individuals. "You build in work efficiencies everywhere," she says. "You prioritise your work better, are more focused, and your concentration is more acute. You concentrate on the things you are expert at and naturally do the things that are most beneficial and profitable for the business and your customers. Every day you make sure you are concentrating your efforts where you are going to make the biggest impact."

The flexible hours work extremely well for staff and customers also. If staff are unable to come in because of last minute childcare difficulties, or they need time during the day to pursue a professional or personal interest, then the company is flexible enough to accommodate this. Though they work semi-regular hours staff always have the option to work from home or to come in at evenings or weekends when necessary.

Customers, all of whom run their own small or medium sized businesses, have reacted positively to the opportunity to organise coaching sessions or marketing training outside of 'normal business hours.'

"Because we're flexible and adaptable we can be available when and where they need us," says Helen. "We tend to attract business people who are also efficiency focused and balancing all sorts of demands on their time and resources. Our flexible approach is a real attraction for them."