Sarah Green is the Director of Win That Bid, the UK’s largest bid writing and proposal specialists. Helping businesses across the country to secure big new contracts through her bid management expertise and proposal writing prowess, Sarah is a successful entrepreneur with a fascinating business journey behind her. This is her story.
What is your product or service and what need does it meet? Who are your customers?
We provide companies in the waste, construction, rail and FM sectors with bid support and consultancy. We operate out of London and Doha and established the business in 2009 from our London offices. The Doha office was launched this year and is already doing well out there. We have a team of three Directors and around 20 bid writers, formatters and managers. Companies hire us either on a project by project basis to help pull together a stand out bid, or we work on a retained basis acting as their outsourced bid team.
How would you describe yourself? What did you do before you started your business and how has that experience helped your venture?
I’m a highly motivated entrepreneur with experience of understanding business needs, creating transformative solutions and delivering results within dynamic business environments. My background is in sales and marketing, project management and general business management. Since 2003, I have set up and managed 6 businesses including the sale of one. Working in a bidding environment uses all of my business skills from being able to sell, discuss complicated bid structures with clients and project managing bids, large or small.
If relevant how does family fit alongside the business? What do you do to relax?
Juggling work and family life is definitely the biggest challenge I have had so far – both of my children are under 3. Before children, I enjoyed running and cycling which I’m getting back into – the adrenaline and journey towards fitness is the best part of being fit. Life is so busy, and to be able to lie in front of the TV doing nothing is my favourite way to relax if I’m not signing up for my next running race.
What are your values and what role do they play in the business?
My values are reliability, honesty, efficiency, innovation and being positive. I think that these values are core to how we deal with our clients and the service that we deliver.
What are the high points?
My business highlights with Win That Bid have been winning our first client and helping them win work for the Olympics, delivering training in Iceland and Austria and working day and night on our first large scale bid.
What were the toughest challenges and how did you get over them?
The bid environment is very stressful for clients and it is our job to help them – examples that spring to mind are times when the client hasn’t anticipated how much help they actually need, which means working right down to the wire.
Where do you get support from?
My business partner, my coach and my family.
Who has inspired you and why?
Steve Jobs – for pushing boundaries and innovating.
What are your future plans or goals?
We want to launch into new markets with new services whilst developing the UK business further.
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Sarah Green is Director and co-founder of the UK’s largest bid and proposal writing company, Win That Bid – and Fanbed, the ultimate UK provider of accommodation for all major sporting events.