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Continuing on the theme of balance
Rhonda reflects upon her early years with the
business: “I do agree that women may have
to share more of the burden sometimes but
again, in my own world we are very much a
family business, supported by some excellent
people. My husband and sons work with me
in the business and we achieve a good balance
between work and life. When I started Ab
Initio and launched AdminBase in the late
nineties we also had a young family and
that was a testing time simply because there
were not enough hours in the day. But I was
convinced that I had the right product, it
was being well received when I pitched it
to potential customers and indeed, many of
those who put their faith in me when I began,
remain loyal customers today.
“That in itself was a great motivator: I
worked all hours, fitting everything in around
a young family of course – though so too
did my husband Mark – but I was driven,
determined that this would work. And
actually, any resistance I may have found was
simply commercial – we have always found
that our main competitor was habit – ‘we do
it this way and have always done it this way’ –
not any notion of bias.”
When asked about her proudest moments
perhaps it is not surprising that AdminBase
comes close to the top, though with her
family leading. But such is the passion for
her product and business, that a more casual
conversation might suggest otherwise: ‘I might
be accused of being quite obsessed about my
business,” says Rhonda, “but I believe that
may be better described as ‘passion’. Family
is first in everything, but as we are privileged
to be largely in control of both, I am able to
balance my attention to both.”
Reflecting on the business, would Rhonda
have changed anything? “Actually, nothing
really significant,” she replies. “You can
consider that as being either very lucky or
perhaps we have generally done things the
right way, made mostly the correct decisions.
But actually, I do not believe that there are
many totally right or totally wrong decisions,
just some that might be better than others.
And, where we are today is the sum of that I
believe.
“By that I believe that I am now able to
take a more strategic view of the business,
looking at the bigger picture, howe we may
improve key aspects for our customers, look
at new technological innovations such as
Artificial Intelligence, advanced interfaces
to look at how we may input data, talk to
our machines and so forth, to make the
AdminBase experience better, to always move
forward. But I am as motivated as I have ever
been…because I genuinely think that we are
better than we have ever been….as a business,
but also as a family…But I am far too young
to consider retirement,” Rhonda says with a
flourish.
We asked Rhonda what advice she would
give herself at the start of her career? “Cliches
I know, but I would tell her – and more to the
point perhaps any young person today - that it
is all about hard work…and belief,” responds
Rhonda. “Belief in yourself, in your product
and in your ability to bring it all together, to
make it happen.”
AdminBase has achieved the status of being
the UK window and door industry’s most
prolific window and door installer back office
management system, something that offers
Rhonda immense pride. But what is next for
AdminBase? “In just the past year alone we
have introduced mobile tablet-based apps that
take AdminBase into the customer’s home
for the salesperson, the surveyor, the installer
and the remedial engineer for when they go to
sign the installation off. Those added a huge
dimension to the system.
“And recently AdminBase became available
as a web-based version, allowing users that
require it, convenient and secure remote
access to their company’s data, at any time.
This allows installers to effectively run their
businesses from anywhere in the world,
although actually, it brings the flexibility that
our restricted, lockdown-threatened businesses
need to prosper.
“Our lives have been changed forever with
the disease that has stricken our planet this
year. What we are doing is as relevant as it
ever was, though perhaps now with a fresh
imperative,” concludes Rhonda.
The right thing at the right time then; just
as it was in 1995.
CLEARVIEW-UK.COM » SEP 2020 » 55