A match made in heaven

Sharon Kell is the brainchild behind Coco Moon Matchmaking, a dating agency based in the North East. We asked her how and why she chose to set up her own business and what inspired her to choose a dating agency?

What inspired you to set up your own dating agency?

Several things inspired me to set up my own business and, in particular,Coco Moon.

I am actually remarried now, however some time ago I was in a marriage which broke down and found it very difficult to begin a new life. I wanted to meet new people and hoped one day I would meet someone special again. I felt there were limited options available to me since I was a single parent and had a very demanding senior career.

I joined a dating agency about eight years ago and the experience wasn’t a pleasant one. I promised myself then I would look more closely at the single scene and put the idea of starting my own business on the back burner.

When I decided a couple of years back I wanted a career change, there was only one real option for me… to use my coaching skills to support people to have the life they want… and aspire to. I set up two business, one which is called SK Tipping Point and offers one-to-one coaching, plus business and executive coaching and also Coco Moon, which is a single lifestyle preference company, offering a raft of services, including personalised matchmaking, for single professional people.

What were your qualifications for setting up Coco Moon?

I am educated to degree level in business and finance and I am a qualified coach – covering relationship, business and executive coaching. Previously to setting up my own businesses, I held a very senior position with a blue chip company managing vast numbers of staff. The experience I gained from meeting demanding business targets, achieved by encouraging people to be the best they could be, was what set me apart and contributed hugely to the impressive results I delivered. I have always had an affinity with people and a natural curiosity to understand why some people appear to just breeze through life, while others have more of a rocky ride.

Relationships are key in all areas of our lives, yet we are never really shown or taught how to manage these. I firmly believe that when the relationship element of our lives is as we want it then we can go on to acheive far more in our lives than we ever thought possible.

Would you mind telling us how you funded your set up?

I believed in the concept of my business so much that I used every penny of my savings and hard earned cash to set things up! While this may be viewed as a very risky strategy, I had, and still have, immense confidence in what we offer. I have a view which says if you are prepared to take a risk and gamble with your own money, then banks will take you seriously when you may need their borrowings further down the line. It also says something about your confidence in your own ability. Nothing focuses the mind like knowing you have committed financially to the success or failure of your own business. To this day I still avoid over- committing and budget both sensibly and tightly. Spending my own money feels very different to spending as part of a big corporate business and it has been a big mindset shift for me.

Can you briefly describe how your agency works and your bespoke matchmaking service?

At Coco Moon we offer three very distinct services which cater for today’s single professionals. These are:

Coco Moon Hub, a members-only social scene, where members are invited to fortnightly events and have the opportunity to meet other singles for friendship, fun and maybe more.

Personalised Matchmaking, where we work with members on a one-to-one basis to understand what they want and need from relationships prior to using our skill and expertise to propose appropriate matches. We do not offer internet dating, and we meet all of our members face-to-face prior to accepting membership. Discretion and confidentiality are key to us and we pride ourselves on supporting our members throughout their full membership period.

Relationship Coaching, falling under the banner of self development, a modular programme which supports single people to ensure they have the increased self awareness and the skills needed to find and sustain healthy, fulfilling relationships. This covers both professional and romantic relationships.

Does the agency sit well with your family life?

Yes and no. In the early days I worked the clock around. Setting up a business is never easy. However I was more than prepared to sacrifice whatever was necessary to get things going. I now enjoy a healthier work/home balance, although the nature of working for yourself is always very much when the work is there – you do it. I’d be more concerned if there wasn’t enough work around and I was sitting at home everyday twiddling my thumbs… that’s not my bag at all, and I thrive on new challenges and pushing myself out of my comfort zone, within reason of course!

My family are very important to me, I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. We are a team and when the going gets tough we all pull together, and since my husband Stephen is also self employed, he understands the challenges the business poses and we support one another through the rough and the smooth. My niece Faye also works for me at Coco Moon. She is invaluable and a real star. Knowing I have someone at the helm who is very capable and I can rely on is priceless.

How much does it cost to join and is there any guarantee you will meet someone special?

Our pricing structure at Coco Moon is bespoke and varied. We don’t offer a one size fits all service, instead we agree what every prospective member needs and is looking for. Our prices go right up to 3k plus and start at as little as £30 each month, meaning we have services to cater for all budgets no matter how big or small.

Guarantee wise, no we can’t guarantee you will meet your life long partner with us, although we have plenty of success stories which demonstrate our approach and service works. As with any service of this type, there is an element of risk. However, we find the members we have who are most open and prepared to give it a go are the ones who invariably have the most success.

Our guarantee is to work with members on a personal level, to support them and review progress throughout their full membership and we do also guarantee an element of tangible things, for example how many introductions we will make, to demonstrate our commitment to our members.

Why did you decide to offer relationship coaching as well and can you describe what services you offer?

Relationship coaching is still a relatively new concept in the UK. I am biased because I know it works and, as the saying goes, no one loves your baby like you.

I firmly believe we all share a basic human desire to be loved and love in return. Relationship coaching shows and teaches us how to do this in simplistic layman terms. Coaching is very forward thinking and recognises that, while the past does have a bearing on the future, we can shape our future exactly how we want it by just behaving and thinking in a different way.

Through coaching we learn and use several tools and techniques which totally change how we view the world, none probably as important as understanding that as a starting point, unless we learn to love ourselves we rarely go on to find lasting love with another.

Who would be your typical member, male and female?

Our members vary significantly in age, background and character traits. We have members ranging from their 20s right up to late 70s. All of our members are professional which means they work and their careers are integral to their lives. Whether introvert, extrovert, tall, short, random or conventional we have them all and that is what makes it all worthwhile and, of course, tremendously interesting.

Where do you meet your clients – do they have to come to your offices, do you just serve the North East of the UK or can anyone join?

Coco Moon is North East based. We do have members who live outside of this region and we will consider new member from other regions, providing they fit the membership criteria and are prepared to travel to the North East. The Northern region is renowned for its hospitality and warmth of its people, among other things, something which we find those living outside of the region find very attractive and appealing.

We recently moved to new offices, literally within walking disctance of the Metro Centre in Gateshead. If members want to visit us at the premises we welcome them into our offices. We also arrange to meet members at their homes and meet potential clients wanting to learn more about what we do in mutually convenient places, to have a coffee and discuss things in a relaxed environment.

Our criteria for membership is you must be single, so not in an active relationship. This may mean members are seperated or divorced, or may never have taken the plunge and been married, however they are serious about wanting to meet other single people to form new relationships and their careers and work life are very important to them.

What is your success rate so far?

Nothing could have prepared us for the success of Coco Moon. Our membership base continues to grow month-on-month with great single people from all walks of life. We have fabulous members who we work very closely with and who we grow very fond of. We have lots of great success stories and right now several of our members are in loving relationships, which would not have been possible without Coco Moon. There is nothing more rewarding than our results… who could want any more… a career which supports and finds love for single people… The perfect vocation…

Contact

Coco Moon, www.cocomoon.co.uk, 0800 0856956

Tags: Escape from the comfort zone, Inspirational Women, Sex & Relationships, Women in business