Interview with Rebecca West, founder of Funnel Metrics
When Rebecca West was faced with the reality of returning to work – and a daily commute from the Midlands to London – after maternity leave she decided to make the leap and start her own business instead. This is how Funnel Metrics was born.
What’s your career background?
My career history starts in computer games where I was lucky enough to have launched Tomb Raider. I left London and moved back to the Midlands where I started working for e2save who are now part of the Carphone Warehouse group, where I was Head of Marketing.
I then moved on to Phones 4U (if you can work there, you can work anywhere!) where I was Head of Ecommerce. My last fully employed role was with a retail technology company called Intelligent Reach where I was Marketing & Insight Director.
How did your career change when you became a mum?
I was 39 when I fell pregnant. My first worries were about being an old mum, but in this day and age it is more and more common to have your career first then family after. That said, it doesn’t mean that once you have a family that your career comes to an end.
My initial intention was to return to work after six months, but when the time came I delayed my return. Then I finally decided that travelling down to London each week from the Midlands was not going to work with my family, so I resigned and decided to do something that would fit in with my daughter, Mabel, that also inspired me.
What motivated you to start your own business?
At the end of the day, if I was going to give up time with my daughter, I wanted it to be worthwhile. Mabel started nursery two mornings a week and I started to work.
The most difficult thing for me was thinking that my brain had melted and my confidence was lacking, but, not as much had changed in the world outside my house as I thought. Businesses still have the same issues, are still asking the same questions and technology is more or less where it was when I went on maternity.
So I setup Funnel Metrics. I am an avid user and devotee of web analytics tools such as Google Analytics and Adobe Marketing Cloud – I suppose I am a geek when it comes to numbers and how to increase website conversion while educating companies on overall capability.
What does Funnel Metrics do?
Most businesses have web analytics on their sites but not all use it or understand what they can do with it. Funnel Metrics provides full service web analytics support and training at all levels of business, both B2B and B2C.
Every website has a funnel, regardless of what they do. Visitors come to a site to perform an action, whether to buy, read, register, view etc. But what happens to all those visitors who don’t perform the desired action? This is what I help decipher, then get more people performing the desired action.
How is the business doing so far, and what are your plans?
Funnel Metrics is currently in its infancy, but I am excited about the doors that are opening and the interest I am generating.
Most success has come from people that I already know, re-connecting with people is more successful than trying to connect with businesses cold, but obviously there is a balance across both. My plan is to grow the business in line with my family, taking hours up to full time when my daughter starts school.
What tips would you give other aspiring entrepreneurs?
Based on my experience, I would recommend the following:
- Do it – for me, getting the work life balance with your family is vital, these little people grow up so fast, blink and you will miss so much.
- Believe in yourself – just because you have been away from the work environment, not that much changes, it’s only the detail of conversations over a coffee that have changed. Look at what you like to do, what inspires you and what you are good at and make that your career. Go to the beat of your own drum, not someone else’s.
- Reach out to your network – tell those you already know both professionally and personally what you are doing, you will be surprised on how this leads to new contacts and work opportunities.
You can find out more about Funnel Metrics on their website.
