Success leaves clues. Finance Strategists sat down with Emma Jackson, founder of Bee Money Savvy. She shared her thoughts on the past, present, and future of the company, as well as the insights she has gained from running the business. Q: Who are you and what’s your background? Hi, I’m Emma, and I’m originally from Sheffield - now living in Leeds (UK). When I’m not working for the NHS as an Organizational Development Practitioner I’m running my financial education website BeeMoneySavvy.com. I remember ‘careers day’ at school where we were encouraged to think about the careers we wanted and I had no idea what I wanted to do. I really enjoyed sports at school so I ended up studying for a Sports Development degree. It sounds irrelevant to the work I do today, but it actually helped me figure out what I wanted in life and gave me loads of transferable skills that have led me to help teams within the NHS and run my own business. Q: Who has been your biggest influence, and why did they have such a significant effect on you? My dad has always been my biggest influence. For as long as I can remember my dad hated his job and he encouraged me to find a job I love and a career I’m passionate about. My dad also encouraged my love of sport and my money-savvy ways. In fact, it was while I was out for a walk with my dad that I came up with the idea to start my own financial education website. Q: Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given your younger self? Honestly, if I could go back the only thing I’d do differently is starting sooner. A business takes time, there are lessons to be learned along the way, and the sooner you jump in the sooner you can learn, adapt and develop. Q: What is Bee Money Savvy? Bee Money Savvy is a financial education website built from personal experience. I’ve tested hundreds of money-making apps, discovered ways to claim an array of free stuff, won holidays and gadgets, and tried every side hustle there is. I share all my money-saving discoveries on Bee Money Savvy to help boost your bank balance. Q: What makes Bee Money Savvy different from other financial education blogs? I’m not a financial expert. I don’t have an accountancy qualification. I simply share the money-making tricks that work for me. Q: What led you to start Bee Money Savvy? When my parents were in their early 20’s they were given some bad financial advice from a bank that left them in debt. They did everything they could to pay off that debt, and I’ve spent my whole life admiring their money-saving mentality. When I started to earn my own money I wanted to help my parents gain control over their finances so I found new ways to earn more and spend less. I became the person my friends and colleagues would come to for money advice so I decided to start sharing my tips online and in 2017 I bought the domain name I’m still using. Q: What has the experience of building the business taught you? Your network is your net worth. Finding a community of like-minded people is priceless when it comes to building a business. My website wouldn’t be where it is today if I’d not found a community of money bloggers - I’ve learned so much from them. Also, perfectionism is overrated. I used to think that it was a positive trait but sometimes it can stop you from starting. These days I’m aiming for progress, not perfection. Finally, investing in yourself is the best investment you’ll ever make. You can’t put a value on your health; a happy, healthy you is the best thing for your business. Q: Where do you see things headed for you in the next five years? Every month I see growth from my website and I hope that growth continues. My aim has always been to love what I do. In five years’ time, I’d love to turn my part-time side hustle into a full-time business. Learn more at BeeMoneySavvy.com.
Introduction
Who is Emma Jackson?
Business
True Tamplin is a published author, public speaker, CEO of UpDigital, and founder of Finance Strategists.
True is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF®), author of The Handy Financial Ratios Guide, a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, contributes to his financial education site, Finance Strategists, and has spoken to various financial communities such as the CFA Institute, as well as university students like his Alma mater, Biola University, where he received a bachelor of science in business and data analytics.
To learn more about True, visit his personal website or view his author profiles on Amazon, Nasdaq and Forbes.
