After using our services, what will you do with all your new-found free time?

Having made the decision to outsource the important, yet possibly (to you anyway) dull admin tasks to us, you will almost certainly find that you now more free time on your hands in the evenings and weekends.

But what are you going to do with all that time, once you have caught up with your friends and family? Need a hobby? We asked some of our customers what they really enjoy doing out of hours. It seems that since the enigmatic Sir Chris Hoy won a fistfull of golds, at 3 successive Olympic Games and the side-burned wonder Bradley Wiggins became the first Brit to win the Tour de France, cycling has become the thing to do in your spare time.

Want to find a group to cycle with? Or perhaps you fancy getting into cycling a bit more, but don’t know where to start? Then Skyride might be just the thing you’ve been looking for!

They offer:

• Guided Routes, with support from trained leaders.
• Big Bike Events - traffic free cycling for all ages and abilities
• Social Rides - rides organised by their social network of cyclists

There is even a terrific blog full of cycling tips and ideas, from ways to store your bike, to how to organise your own charity cycling event!

When it comes to tools of the trade, like most things, you can spend as little, or as much as you like on cycling equipment. You can buy the top of the line super cycling sportswear with prices starting at £140 for some padded shorts or you can go out for a casual Sunday pedal in jogging bottoms and a t-shirt.

Brand new road bikes vary in price from a not insurmountable £300 to an astonishing £12,000 (and it doesn’t even have an engine)! Having said that, one of our girls recently did a 100km charity cycle round London on an old bike that she borrowed from her mum, it’s only upgrades were a comfy saddle and some new brake blocks.

And then there are the cycling gadgets, the variety of these is tremendous. From complete navigation systems for your bike to simple easy-fit lights. But before you go and invest in something bespoke, you could try adding an app to your smartphone. 

Our favourite is Map My Ride, here’s why:

• You can get it for android and iPhones.
• The free version is pretty awesome, but if the ads annoy you, you can upgrade.
• It links with Facebook and Twitter easily so you can compare rides with friends.
• You can use it to find new cycling routes.
• You can also log your food, which is great if you want to watch what you’re eating.
• You can create personal goals - faster, further, longer!
• The app logs your progress.
• You can select lots of different types of work out, including swimming or walking the dog (don’t take your phone in the pool though, they tend to object!).
• It’s really easy to use.

We could go on, but we recon you should just download the free version and try it for yourself.

Do you have a favourite piece of cycling equipment? Have you got a cycling app for your smartphone? Are you a regular on Skyride?

Tell us your cycling stories, we’d love to hear them!

Yopa is 1 year old!

My, haven’t we grown?

A year ago, Yopa Services was just an idea but company founder Melanie, had a vision.

With more than 20 years experience in business both at a strategic and operational level, she knew that the most successful businesses, are built on a foundation of great operations. However, not every business can afford to hire a dedicated team with all the right skills, the drive and the determination to help the business succeed.

Melanie spotted her niche and started Yopa Services Limited, with the aim to provide a team of expert professional people for smaller businesses on an adhoc basis. With a simple pay-as-you-go facility, this allows business owners to be fully in control of their overheads using the services as and when needed.

In the first year of trading, Yopa Services has:

• Employed a team of people
• Helped a number of small businesses become more efficient, improving operations.
• Seen existing clients businesses grow, due to owners having time to concentrate on their sales and customers and not spending time on non-profit office tasks.
• Provided holiday cover for sole traders, so they didn’t miss out on sales when spending time relaxing with friends and family.

And now? Well it’s time to celebrate! We have launched our fantastic new website and we’re now offering more services than ever before through demand of total back office support [link to services page]. We want Yopa to keep growing organically, so that we can continue to offer exceptional and affordable service to many local businesses [link to testimonials]

But most importantly, we want to celebrate our first year with you!

It’s our official birthday. You can’t have a birthday without cake now, can you? There will be birthday cake in the Yopa office and we would welcome existing and new clients to drop in and have a slice with us if you’re passing (don’t worry, there will be plenty to go around!).

Oh and anyone can enter our birthday prize draw, just drop in a business card to the office (or you can post it to us) and Melanie will pick 3 cards out of the hat on Friday 4^th July at midday. Each of the lucky winners will be sent a bottle of bubbles to help us celebrate our first brilliant year!

‘Thank you everyone, we wouldn’t be where we are today, without your faith in us to do an exceptional job’

Welcome to our new blog, this is where we’ll keep you informed of our services, offer tips and tricks to save you time and keep you being productive, and answer any questions that you may have about us.

Until then, feel free to contact us if you’re struggling to find time to do what you do best, because you’re doing what we do best instead!

We’ve had an incredibly busy time at Yopa recently, and it’s going so well we need help too!

We’re looking for a very efficient, conscientious and well-motivated individual with a wealth of experience. You must have excellent administrative, organisational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels.

Are you highly self-motivated and flexible?

Are you able to prioritise demanding workloads?

Do you work effectively under pressure whilst remaining calm during crisis periods?

We’re looking for someone who’s very familiar with modern office technology and has excellent keyboard skills. A Yopa PA necessitates a high degree of confidentiality diplomacy and discretion, which is an aspect of the position that must be taken very seriously.

This is not a full-time position, and the hours are to suit the individual. This position would be Ideal for someone who has childcare commitments or needs a job with part-time flexibility - a role for someone looking for work that can fit in with family/home commitments.

If this describes you, and you would like to work for a professional but fun and energetic team in Leamington Spa then contact us now.

Tel: 01926 355777 Email: [email protected]