OF the many roles performed by a company secretary, PA or office administrator, events coordination often provides the most problems.
Organising catering, entertainment, transport and the like can be a time consuming and, often, frustrating experience.
Much of this frustration is caused by the failure to find quality service providers, according to events coordinator and 2002 40under40 winner Jacqui Jordan.
Having seen this predicament first hand, Ms Jordan has embarked on a new business venture aimed at putting office decision makers in touch with service providers.
Ms Jordan and the team at CorpAssist have compiled an online database of businesses targeted specifically to provide office managers with a comprehensive guide to services across several categories.
“I was getting phone calls from my Jacqui Jordan Events clients asking where to find entertainers or caterers or just about anything for events,” she said.
“That’s where this idea has come from, because over time I became a walking, talking directory.”
The online directory is categorised into six areas – event needs, office, recruitment, travel and transport, gifts, and personal – and Ms Jordan screens advertisers before they receive a listing.
“We are very selective because quality is important to us. We need to make sure that the type of people listed will be able to deliver to that market because they are quite a discerning market,” she said.
Ms Jordan said providing the directory online made good business sense.
“This is a great time for the business because people are really comfortable using the web and portals. Most PAs are online and it makes perfect sense to give them something they can use and help them in their job.”
Ms Jordan said her information website was unlike other trade directories.
“It is very targeted and very niche market. It is not a trade directory; it is very much tailored to the corporate market,” she said.
CorpAssist will also run regular network events aimed to give office staff a chance to network and provide suppliers with great marketing opportunities.
“PAs and secretaries don’t get a chance to network a lot. They often talk to one another but it’s on the phone while their respective businesses interact,” Ms Jordan said.
“They don’t get to meet each other.”
Ms Jordan’s other business, Jacqui Jordan (JJ) Events, is still operating, although she briefly put it on the market earlier this year when a life in London beckoned.
Those plans have changed and, while the events hire arm was sold, Ms Jordan has retained and currently operates JJ Events.
CorpAssist is being launched on December 4 2003.
Nominations for the 2004 40under40 Awards close on December 12.