Claire Brewerton of the Virtual Business Centre shares what's happening for them in June!

It’s June already and we’re halfway through the year. It’s also officially the first month of Summer, and the weather has been brilliant albeit a little stormy! This month we’re asking small business owners to tell us more about what’s happening for them throughout June!

Up today is Claire Brewerton who is the co-founder of The Virtual Business Centre based in Brinkworth and provides outsourced services to many business owners including telephone answering, call management, diary management and much more.

JUNE is the first month of Summer what will you be doing this summer in your business?
We have several event household names as clients for whom the summer months are particularly busy, and we manage everything from phone answering to ticketing and customer service calls so it’s significant in that it is always busy!

June 1 to 7 this year was Volunteers Week. Do you volunteer or raise money for charity?
I have! Last year I ran Race for Life in Cheltenham to raise money for Cancer Research- - and raised over £450! This year I am hoping to be a bit more adventurous with my fundraising so you'll have to watch this space!

What tips or advice can you give as the summer is upon us?
My advice is keep the office stocked with ice creams and cold water, it really helps with morale on hot and busy days…..

June 30 is Social Media Day – what does social media mean to you and your business?
Twitter and Facebook are our main platforms for the business. The pros of having social media include having the ability to communicate with our client base easily.

The cons are navigating the platforms to reach new clients. It takes consistency and determination to use social media to identify the sectors who may be interested in what we offer. Not to mention keeping up with the algorithms!

Would you like to provide us with a summer ‘guide’ of some kind?
We are lucky to be based just outside Malmesbury, a beautiful, historic, hilltop Cotswold town with an amazing Abbey. Below are my favourite places to go for different things:

My favourite places to visit locally include:

• Malmesbury Abbey
• The Cotswold Water Park
• Bristol City

And my favourite summer event has got to be the Malmesbury Carnival! I can’t wait for this years!

My favourite place for a holiday is Portugal. We’are very fortunate to have family there and it feels like a home from home so we are relaxed the moment we arrive.

My favourite restaurant close to home has got to be The Old Bell in Malmesbury. It’s a beautiful building and they serve great food. It is a family favourite for all occasions

For more information visit www.virtualbusinesscentre.com