March 6, 2025
Entrepreneurs, Female Founder Spotlight, Latest Articles

IWD Inspirational Female Founder Spotlight: Natalie Mackenzie

Can you tell us a little about your background and your company?

I have a BSc Psychology and MSc Cognitive Neuropsychology, and have worked in neuro rehabilitation since I graduated. My business was formed over a weekend when I was 24 after the company I was working for went into administration. I took the clients with me and the rest is history. My company is called BIS Services, and we provide specialist cognitive rehabilitation assistants to individuals who have sustained a brain injury. We cover the whole of the UK and have won a number of awards.

What inspired you to start your business?

I worked in all sorts of jobs from age 13, all teaching me something different about business, and people. This led me to study psychology, where I found a love of neuro, and since 2002 i’ve worked solely in brain injury rehab. I started my business over a weekend after being made redundant, and ever since have run a company that provides specialist cognitive rehabilitation to brain injury survivors. I didn’t have a clue about business and in hindsight was a pretty risky thing to do! Making a difference to peoples lives who have had their own turned upside down in a moment, inspires me daily.

How did you create awareness for your brand?

Initially it was very much word of mouth and reputation. I didn’t spend any money on marketing for about 10 years, i didn’t need to. However, as the business has grown we have a number of brand awareness strategies, although we are niche the neuro rehab industry is growing fast and brand awareness has set us apart from the rest. We have a very recognisable brand, and our vision to improve neuro rehab support provision and the messaging surrounding that has led us to engage in a number of awareness pieces. My management team hold board positions on charities, engage in a number of initiatives, we hold niche and specialist conferences in our sector and our merchandise is key in awareness. I want to make sure the desk of everyone who would commission us is adorned with BIS merch! I spend far too many hours researching conference merchandise, and it’s become a bit of a thing that people visit us for the best brain merch in the BIS!

What strategies helped you secure funding and scale your business?

My credit cards we my initial funding! I was 24 when i started the business and I know i didn’t pay myself for about 6 months! Needless to say i wouldn’t recommend that approach to someone now, but my 24 year old risk loving brain thought differently. Since then we have only used the covid loans and grants, all of which we have paid back. We have invested in assets and taken investment advice to increase our cash balance as well to fund new initiatives and projects. We are just going through the process of applying for research funding for a innovative research project we have begun, the first of its kind.

What have been your biggest successes so far?

Growing the company from me to a team of 78. Also winning a number of business awards. Two stand out for different reasons. The first being my win for Kent Women in Business Leadership award, that made me feel very proud of the team I have built and the way they support me. Secondly was winning Neuro Rehab Leader of the Year 2024, which was based on industry votes. That was huge for me as i was alongside a number of people i have always looked up to and admired.

What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?

Our clients are challenging everyday, and there is a lot at stake when you are dealing with peoples lives. That tends to put business challenges into perspective. We face the usual staffing and retention issues, and again when you are having to make sure you meet the needs of people in need the pressure is high daily. Our biggest challenge of course was Covid, as we work with vulnerable clients and have frontline staff. We still maintained 50% of face to face for our most vulnerable, but staff support there was key. The other 50% we pivoted to an online service, providing a timetable of cognitive support 5 days a week 10-4. It was exhausting!!

What are your plans for the future?

To continue to grow this business and open an office in the North of England. I have also started two other business, one in the same sector but online, where i provide group memberships and online training around the world. I am also a business strategist now, working with health and wellbeing businesses so am looking to grow both these.

What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?

Get rid of the fear and the what ifs. Strategise and plan in advance exactly what you want to achieve and how to get there. Be realistic that things won’t often go to plan, so always have a contingency. Breathe more. Don’t let people get in your way, but more often than not it’s the individual themselves that are the biggest barrier. Perhaps the biggest piece of advice is to learn to delegate, quickly. Otherwise burn out looms fast and a unhelpful view that you can do things better than everyone else. Often not the case.

What are your top three tips for entrepreneurial success?

Learn to trust and delegate to others sooner rather than later. Utilise technology and have systems and analytics in place from the outset to measure progress. Look after your own health and don’t get stuck in a belief that to be successful you have to work all the hours. Systems, automations and other people mean you don’t have to.

Who are five people who inspire you the most, and why?

Marie Curie was a pretty special woman, and I have to have her as a scientist. Madam CJ Walker for her tenacity and grit. Karen Brady has always been someone i’ve admitted, for forging her way in a male dominated industry. My business mentor and coach Lisa Johnson, has been a huge inspiration to me, and when I started working with her a few years ago, a lot changed for me and she pushed me forward. Finally i have to say my oldest friend, we have been friends from aged 11. She is driven, successful, tenacious and has excellent taste in wine!

What are your favourite inspirational or motivational quotes?

“What if i fall? Oh, but darling, what if you fly?” and “Values are like fingerprints, noones are the same, but you leave them over everything you do” I had to get Elvis in here somewhere!