[ad_1]
Born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, in 1961, Karen Mooney studied business at the University of London and began her career with the Metropolitan Police, setting up the Royal Diplomatic Protection Service at Buckingham Palace. In 1988, she started the marriage services Sara (meaning Princess) and Eden (meaning Paradise and Love). The service is still going strong 36 years later, with more than 2,000 members and thousands of satisfied clients. She is divorced and lives in Surrey with her 26-year-old son Cameron.
What’s in your wallet?
Gone are the days of using cash for me. There are no banks in Windsor, where my headquarters are, so you certainly can’t withdraw cash from a branch. All of them have closed. There is nothing. I was disappointed when Barclays closed. It has been there since the days of donkeys. My wallet only has cards in it and I miss cash. I prefer to use cash rather than contactless cards. I like the feeling of actually holding and touching cash rather than just holding a modern contactless card.
Are you fancy or frugal?
I think I’m somewhere in between. I can be flashy, but I can also be very frugal. it depends. As I am a director, I received nothing from the government during the coronavirus pandemic, and if I didn’t have savings, it would have been very difficult for me to survive this situation. Her mother used to say to me, “Karen, take care of Penny and Pound will take care of himself.” So she strongly believes that I should put something aside.
Do you own real estate?
i will do it. The property I live in now is just outside the center of Windsor, and I moved into it on December 21, 1990 with the money I earned in my first 18 months in business. Since then, I have been married and divorced many times, but I still live here. It’s the same property.
What was it like growing up for you?
My parents had completely different ideas about money. My father was a spendthrift and very generous. Although he was a BA pilot, he could be too generous at times. My mother was the smart one to take care of Penny.
Have you ever struggled financially?
yes. When the roof fell on my office in Windsor in 2006, it was a really scary situation. I lost so much money. Long story short, my insurance didn’t cover it and I ended up losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. I still don’t trust insurance companies at all. Even though I said I’d help you, you’d do anything, but somehow I got through it. I had no choice but to do so. We had to pay our staff and keep our businesses running. If you are a strong person, you will just get through it and come out the other side. I decided to do it because there was no other option. We had no choice but to do so, and we were able to do great business.
How much did you get paid in your first job?
My first job was with the Metropolitan Police, but after Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace in 1982, I was seconded to set up the civil service side of the Royal Diplomatic Protection Service. I was paid about £18,000 a year to him about £20,000 a year and I loved it. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive any tips from the royal family.
My degree, which the police sponsored me to obtain, was in business administration. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit since my school days and wanted to start my own business. We did it on September 19, 1988, at a time when there was nothing else like it around and a lot of change was happening.
For the first time, women were able to obtain home loans, giving them more control over their careers. My goal was to convince young professionals that if they came to me, they could meet other young professionals, and that’s exactly what happened.
When I first started, membership fees were £230 for both men and women, and unlike dating apps, every member is personally vetted by an agent, making it very easy to make anything happen financially. can. Currently, prices are £6,500 plus VAT for both men and women, with each gender accounting for around 50 per cent.
It’s not uncommon for men to be matched with women who are 10 to 12 years younger than themselves. The oldest male subscriber is 90, maybe 91, and he gets quite a few dates.
Do you want to invest in stocks?
I’m too busy to spend enough time to do it myself, so I have a man who does it for me. I wish I could.
What is your best investment?
I just started playing Sara Eden. It was a big gamble. I could have lost everything. Initially I invested £2,000. If you wanted to buy my business now, it would cost a lot of money. We believe in value for money and a friendly, approachable style which has earned us great goodwill and great reviews.
Worst investment?
I stayed in my old property too long and paid all that money with insurance, only to find out it wouldn’t pay out. I was too trusting.
Money weakness?
shoes. I have a pair of boots with beautiful gold heels that I bought from Russell & Bromley five years ago, but I’ve never worn them. How many pairs in total? Dozens. There are too many to count. The most expensive item was Stuart’s Weitzman sparkly pyrolite over-the-knee boots, which cost around £700.
What is your greatest luxury?
I also like handbags. I have a lot of luggage that I have never used. I’ve paid over £1,000 for a handbag before, and when I make a purchase like that I think, ‘Wow, I did my best.’ I deserve this. I’ll get it for you. ”
What are your financial priorities for 2024?
All we have to do is continue to provide good service and make healthy profits. That’s the bottom line.
Karen Mooney is the CEO of marriage agency Sarah Eden.
[ad_2]
Source link
