Cheryl King – Cheryl King & Associates
- What is the name of your business and what is your role? Cheryl King & Associates cc. I am the owner.
- Describe your business in two sentences. We arrange and manage insurance policies for our client’s assets (eg buildings, home contents, vehicles, businesses as well as body corporate). Our services extend to negotiating with insurers for competitive premiums and also assisting when there is a claim.
- How long have you been in business? 20 years
- How did you get into this business? My now late husband was in the insurance industry on the life/investment side. I took the opportunity of arranging short term insurance on behalf of his clients.
- What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it? My biggest challenge was to balance my commitments to my family (I was a single mum to two small children) and at the same time trying to grow my business and earn enough income to support us all. I had to learn to take control of my time. Fortunately my children would remind me from time to time to stop, breathe and focus on them rather than letting my mind be somewhere else.
- What single trait/skill could you not have succeeded without? My commitment to my clients needs. I am often told “I leave this in your good hands” thus reflecting their trust in my service and advice. As a result I have many clients who have been insured with me since I started my business, and now am starting to insure their children. It’s very exciting.
- What is the best business advice you’ve received? To keep control of finances and to always budget. It is also important to keep track of business gained and business lost and then take steps to rectify any problems that arise as quickly as possible.
- Your secret to business success is? My ‘secret’ is to build strong trusting relationships with people. I have learned never try to oversell myself or my business. Instead, I seek out the client’s best interests and welfare. If the client is comfortable that he/she has made the correct decision, there will be no reason for them to move their business to another broker.
- What is your business goal for 2015? I am busy negotiating in buying my partner out so my goal is to be sole owner of my business.
- Tell us one thing that not many people know about you? I have a bucket list almost as long as a toilet roll. I never stop planning and dreaming of the next ‘tick’. Everytime I fulfill another dream I feel empowered and am reminded of how exciting life can be. I am also always reminded to be intensely grateful.