Perfa, a UK-based manufacturer, reseller, and e-commerce leader in blinds and components, faced a persistent hiring challenge.

• Multiple failed UK recruitment attempts- candidates lacked the right skills, commitment, or cultural fit.
• Each failed hire meant costly, time-consuming training, only to end in dismissal.
• This cycle created financial strain, operational disruption, and high stress for the leadership team.
• In-house staffing for design, marketing, admin, and web development was projected to exceed £166,000 annually, a figure unsustainable for the company’s growth plans.

Impact: Key strategic goals – innovation, brand growth, and operational improvement- were repeatedly delayed.

Phase 1 – Breaking the Cycle

• Umbrella Connect recruited and onboarded a specialist virtual assistant in Sri Lanka within weeks.
• The assistant mastered complex, industry-specific tasks such as blinds measurement, software tool operation, and high-precision 3D modelling.
• Integration into Perfa’s processes was seamless, with quality matching or exceeding in-house standards.

Phase 2 – Scaling for Impact

• Based on the success of the first hire, Perfa expanded to four full-time agents in six months:
• 3D Modeller / Graphic Designer – Delivered precise product visuals to support innovation.
• Marketing Manager – Executed targeted campaigns boosting brand reach.
• Administrative Assistant – Handled operational workflows, freeing leadership time.
• Web Developer – Created and customised websites to enhance user experience.
• All training, management, and quality control were handled by Umbrella Connect’s Sri Lanka operations hub, ensuring consistency and reliability.

• Cost Savings: £82,444 saved annually across 4 roles versus UK hires.
• Efficiency Gains: Project timelines cut by 50% (from 10 days to 5 days).
• Business Growth: Enabled launch of two new e-commerce lines in just four months.
• Operational Stability: Eliminated the UK hiring/re-hiring cycle and associated stress.
• Strategic Advantage: Leadership now focuses on innovation and market expansion.

Recruitment Timeline – Perfa vs UK Average

• UK Average: 4.6 – 6 weeks per hire (application to filled role), often with risk of failed placements.
• Perfa’s Track: 4 hires in 6 months (avg. ~6 weeks per hire) with zero failed hires, no onboarding delays, and immediate productivity.

Outcome & Strategic Impact 🚀

• Performance Excellence: Agents consistently meet or exceed UK quality benchmarks.
• Seamless Scalability: Expansion without operational bottlenecks or recruitment setbacks.
• Trusted Partnership: Perfa is now exploring new market segments with Umbrella Connect’s support.
• Mindset Shift: Leadership embraced the fact that physical presence isn’t required for a high-performing team.

Client Quote

”We’re working with Umbrella Connect with several positions and the service is fantastic. Highly recommended!”

When Open Mind Property had just 20 properties in its Rent-to-Rent (R2R) portfolio, the cost and risk of employing a UK-based administration team was a major barrier to growth.

• Payroll risk: UK staffing costs exceeded £25,000 per agent annually, plus National Insurance, pensions, paid leave, and sick days.
• Scalability challenge: More properties meant proportionally more admin staff – eroding margins.
• Operational drain: Leadership was stuck in daily operations instead of driving sales, acquisitions, and strategic growth.

The team needed a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective model that would support rapid portfolio expansion without increasing payroll risk.

Phase 1 – First Hire

• 1 year and 10 months ago, Open Mind onboarded its first Sri Lanka-based agent through Umbrella Connect.
• This agent took over core administrative and tenant-facing tasks, freeing leadership to focus on sales and expansion.

Phase 2 – Strategic Expansion

Over the next 12 months, the company added five more agents, each covering specialist roles:

💬 Customer Service – Guest and tenant communication.

🧾 Admin & Reporting – Accurate monthly reporting and compliance.

📅 Calendar & Guest Management – Optimising bookings and occupancy.

🏘 HMO Licensing  – Tracking renewals and ensuring compliance.

📥 Booking Platforms – Managing Airbnb, Booking.com, and more.

📊 Expense Tracking – Cost monitoring and financial oversight.

📸 Property Coordination – Cleaners, photographers, and maintenance scheduling.

Umbrella Connect Advantage

• Umbrella handled training, management, and quality control via its Sri Lanka hub-ensuring consistency, reliability, and scalability across all roles.

Phase 3 – Sector Diversification

• With operations running smoothly, Open Mind launched a Serviced Accommodation division in addition to HMOs and Single Lets.
• Expanded to 120 properties under management without increasing UK payroll risk.

• 6x Growth: 20 → 120 managed properties in under 2 years.
• 80% of operations outsourced to a skilled, managed offshore team.
• Cost Savings: Over 60% reduction in employment costs compared to UK hiring.
• Strategic Focus: Leadership now concentrates on sales, acquisitions, and scaling.
• Expansion Pipeline: Targeting an additional 130 properties in the next 12 months.

Outcome & Strategic Impact 🚀

• Performance Excellence: VAs consistently meet UK operational standards.
• Seamless Scalability: Growth achieved without bottlenecks or added overhead.
• Trusted Partnership: Umbrella Connect now powers ongoing portfolio expansion.
• Mindset Shift: Leadership realised high-quality property operations don’t require in-house staffing.

Client Quote

“Excellent service in sourcing virtual agent. The process took few weeks, the company has sourced us excellent agent with years of working experience. Low upfront fee and great value for money.”

Before outsourcing, Founder and Managing Director Lucas handled almost everything himself – from customer bookings and driver coordination to sales, accounting, and operational troubleshooting.

• This left little to no time to focus on the most important drivers of success: growth, sales, and continuous operational improvement.
• As booking volumes increased post-pandemic, the admin burden became unsustainable, creating risks of delayed responses, missed opportunities, and service errors.
• Staff costs for local hires were rising sharply, making scalability a financial challenge for a 24/7/365 operation.

Umbrella Transfers partnered with Umbrella Connect to fully redesign its operations model.

• Deployment of a dedicated offshore team:
• 3 Main Controllers – managing bookings and operations
• 3 Assistant Controllers – supporting daily workflows and client coordination
• 1 Account & Sales Manager – handling B2B partnerships and revenue growth
• 1 Administrator – managing driver records and document uploads
• 1 Personal Assistant (PA) – supporting the Managing Director directly
• Integrated onboarding completed within two weeks, leveraging CRM workflows, structured ticketing systems, and AI-enhanced online chat for customer support – while keeping HUMAN agents available 24/7.
• Operational automation rolled out so that 98% of repetitive tasks were systemised and delegated.

• Response time improved from 60 minutes to 15 minutes (75% faster).
• Booking errors reduced to less than 1%.
• Cost savings of approximately 62% per calendar month compared to an equivalent in-house team.
• Leadership refocus: Lucas regained ~29 hours/week to focus on growth, sales, and improving operations.
• Customer satisfaction: Online reviews improved significantly, reflecting faster service and fewer errors.
• Scalability: The company now operates seamlessly 24/7, 365 days a year, with a combination of human service and AI-powered chat, enabling rapid post-pandemic growth.