Steph Middleton-Foster – Photo Credit: Edwin Ladd, Mr Ladd Media
Steph Middleton-Foster is founder & CEO of Outhouse-UK and Configure Me This.
As a Business Operations Consultant and Small Business Systems Architect she is passionate about Process Automation and using tech to create robust, scalable businesses that do good in the world.
- About the Business:
Outhouse-UK is a dynamic virtual assistant agency dedicated to maximising business potential for experts, coaches, consultants, and entrepreneurs whilst Configure Me This specialises in systematic automation of business operations, tailoring off-the-shelf software to meet the unique needs of small businesses, creating bespoke, automated processes without the need for custom-built solutions. This approach levels the playing field, allowing our clients to compete globally.
- Entry to the Industry:
I never wanted to be in business. I just wanted to have flexibility in my life and to be able to travel the world and work while I did it. 14 years ago being a digital nomad wasn’t really a thing. I had no idea that I was dreaming up the lifestyle business I have now. I always had a passion for perfection, and project management prowess. Efficiency is something that just comes naturally to me, and it was thanks to this passion and drive to do things in a better way that business has grown the way that it has.
- Opportunities and Challenges:
The biggest opportunity in our industry is technology’s evolving landscape, which allows for innovative business support solutions. The challenge, however, lies in staying ahead of these rapid advancements and continuously adapting to provide cutting-edge support that will shift dynamically as businesses grow and develop.
- Leadership Style:
As a leader, I believe in the power of collaboration. My teams have a culture of transparent communication, mutual respect, and continuous learning. Most of all, I believe that life is too short not to have fun in business or at work – so it’s my mission to ensure my team love and enjoy what they are doing. My leadership is about empowering others to take initiative and be solution-finders, ensuring we all move forward together.
- Getting the Most Out of My Team:
I encourage autonomy and nurture individual strengths. By investing in training and offering opportunities for professional growth, I ensure that my team feels valued and motivated to contribute their best.
- What are the most crucial elements to your business running smoothly and being successful?
It is my firm belief that robust systems and technology are the backbone of any organisation. Without them, you’ll come unstuck. For me, our biggest driver for success is always staying at the forefront of new ideas for business operations and my team are constantly learning. It’s also important that the whole team take responsibility for the ultimate success of the business. “It’s not my job” is not a phrase you’ll hear around here! Every member of the team knows and understands that customer satisfaction and sales are their responsibility – regardless of job role. It means that no matter who you speak to in our organisation, they’ll be able to help you find a solution and keeps things running smoothly
- The Past 12 Months:
It’s been a big year of growth and adaptation. Configure Me This is now taking the forefront of our services and for the first time ever we are spending more time helping people to automate their back office processes using technology than we are giving them a human to just do it for them. This is a big shift, but an important one for our business to remain one of the leading Virtual assistant agencies and for us to truly support businesses with their growth. This unique perspective of telling our clients that we want them to reduce their hours with us has had the effect of strengthening our client relationships and proving the resilience and flexibility of our business model.
- The Next 12 Months:
Looking ahead, we’re focused on expanding our reach. So far we’ve been focussed on proving our unique service offering, but now it’s time to tell the world and help even more businesses to have confidence in scaling their operations, safe in the knowledge their systems can handle a large influx of new customers. We’re also passionate advocates of the Virtual Assistant industry and are pleased to be on the board of the very first Midlands VA Conference taking place in May 2024 – inspiring and empowering VAs nationwide to better service their small business customers
- Career Highlights:
Highlights include winning a lifetime achievement award for International VA of Distinction as the US based International VA conference and co-authoring the #1 best-selling book ‘A Woman’s Work’. I’m also proud to mentor for the Natwest Entrepreneur Accelerator, sharing my knowledge of efficient business systems and operations with entrepreneurs from around the west midlands.
- Biggest Professional Lesson:
The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that every setback is an opportunity to learn and grow. The key is to take these lessons and turn them into the foundation of your next success. That, and never be afraid to ask for help – the sooner you do that, the better!
- Best Professional Advice:
Entrepreneurs by their very nature like to juggle lots of projects at once, but it can be perilous! Multi-tasking is the nemesis of progress in business the key to success is a single-minded focus on one project at a time and see it through to conclusion! I promise it’ll yield better results.
