Business Profile
A Family Tree for Me is a genealogy / family history research company, with a diverse range of offerings to our various target markets. We have two main objectives for this business, the first being the public / private sector and the second being the education sector.
- The public / private initiative aim is to provide our clients with a cost-effective professional, personalised genealogical – family history research service.
- The educational aim is to work with the local authority here in Sheffield, with bringing genealogy into the classroom for all key stages in education. With a possible outcome of trying to bring this if successful to the national curriculum.
Right from the start, as part of our high quality personalised service to our clients, we will endeavour to create a unique proposal together which will fulfil the specific aims and objectives of their genealogical research.
We are a committed company whose other main aim is to bring genealogy into the classroom for all key stages of education here in the United Kingdom. We hope this will bring families together giving a sense of shared discovery and heritage and support the celebration of diversity in schools.
The inspirational idea behind starting this business came one day while sitting in the library café at Sheffield Hallam University, where instead of working on my dissertation, I was working on a piece of family history research for a friend and neighbour. I was approached by several students during the course of the day asking what I was doing. When I explained and the challenge and methodology behind what I was doing, they became as engrossed in seeing the results as I was in doing the actual research. The concept of starting a genealogy business came from remarks by several of the students that were part of the captive audience, (germinating a seed which had been planted many years previously), who said that I should seriously think about doing genealogy as a business.
The business concept came from my experience of researching my own family history and was again confirmed at university. My own investigative research resulted in difficulties trying to distinguish or uncover the professional researcher from the hobby researcher in the field of genealogy and family history research. There seemed to be great inconsistency in the research being offered by these two distinct groups of researchers and the charges that they were making for their research services.
In carefully evaluating the issues that have been mentioned above and many others that had been unearthed along the way, I felt that I could compete by offering a clearer and more professional research service.
There have been many challenges in starting this business, particularly getting to grips with the business concepts, rules and regulations and the financial implications. I would have said one of the main challenges was the one of overcoming the fear of failure phase. By believing in myself and the services that I offered, I have proved to myself and my supporters that I have overcome that first initial hurdle.
One of my main challenges was to create the type of internet presence that would be innovative and inspirational. This turned out to be one of the most difficult and frustrating tasks I have ever come across.
From the initial web developer, we ended up having four before the website was completed. The main problem appeared to be that there is no code of professionalism for these developers; they did not seem to want to listen to me the clients and my aims and objectives not only for the website, but for the business. Because of my own inexperience in dealing with such situations, I then lost money because I did not understand business etiquette. It was the fourth web developer we took on who finally took a holistic approach and tried to encompass my thoughts and the aspirations of the business to become the site we are so proud of today.
I overcame this problem through taking advice from the Sheffield Enterprise Agency, Steel City, and Sheffield Hallam University who helped me access the funding needed to see the website through to its successful conclusion.
After being made redundant in February 2007 for the sixth time in my working career, I tried to keep myself active by applying up until now for over 4000 jobs with only eleven interviews in that whole time. Keeping motivated and purposeful through such a massive series of setbacks and the gradual erosion of self-esteem such long term unemployment brings was a massive challenge. I felt I needed to occupy myself to remain purposeful and motivated, so despite adversity and illness I have striven to the complete or be accepted on the following: an ILM management diploma which I completed in September of 2007, going back to university completing and gaining a degree in computer studies and graduating in November 2009, and this year a distance learning course that will aid me in my business venture doing a post graduate degree in local and family history.
Despite all this, I have remained committed and motivated to completing my education and establishing my successful business.
The future business plans of A Family Tree for Me include targeting a diverse range of markets. We are currently creating communication strategies with schools and curriculum bodies, overseas visitors through tourism agencies, all the UK armed forces bases, and of course our primary family market. This is just for starters!
One of the key areas that I have planned that this business needs to go is into the education sector. I am currently working on the marketing and needs assessment for the education market, where I could target the independent and state run schools at both primary and secondary levels. We anticipate a knock on benefit to the company, with requests for research from the parents or guardians into their family history.
Recent research by the Scottish tourist board and research carried out by one of the leading database providers of genealogy sources show that there is an emerging market which combines tourism and family history. One of my main aims is to see how I can develop this side of the business.
I have recently come back from a family reunion on an American airbase here in the United Kingdom. Through discussion with leading officers on site I have found there to be a perceived need or requirement for the services of a professional researcher. It became clear there are a significant number of services personnel on these bases in the UK looking to trace their British ancestry or roots.
A Family Tree for Me also has exciting plans to develop our new PR strategy further, targeting well-known local personalities, leading industry figures, and figures in the local media initially to help us spread the word and generate a considerable buzz. We are excited about our plans and the future and committed to the success of A Family Tree for Me. Thanks again to all who have helped us on our way.
