Case studies
Real businesses
Real results
Three clients, three starting points, one model. The figures are theirs. Open each story for the challenge, the solution and the results in full.
Manufacturing and e-commerce, UK
Strategic marketing, design and tech support
Perfa partnered with Umbrella Connect to scale its team with four Sri Lanka-based agents in under six months, saving £82,444 a year while keeping quality and performance high.
Challenge
An established UK manufacturer, reseller and e-commerce leader in blinds and components, Perfa constantly balances quality, control and efficiency in its operations. Marketing and design were critical for growth, but the usual routes came with trade-offs.
- Agencies provided expertise but limited control and higher costs.
- Local recruitment offered in-house ownership but created high overheads and the risk of mismatched hires.
Rather than accept those limits, Perfa looked for a more sustainable way to support its long-term growth.
Solution
Phase 1: a smart start
- Perfa onboarded a Sri Lanka-based specialist through Umbrella Connect within weeks.
- The assistant quickly mastered complex, industry-specific tasks: blinds measurement, software tools and precision 3D modelling.
- The integration exceeded expectations and showed that global collaboration could match UK standards.
Phase 2: scaling
Encouraged by the results, Perfa expanded to four full-time agents within six months.
- 3D modeller and graphic designer: accurate product visuals that support innovation.
- Marketing manager: targeted campaigns that increased brand reach.
- Administrative assistant: optimised workflows, freeing leadership to focus on growth.
- Web developer: built and customised websites to improve the user experience.
Perfa's training and leadership, combined with Umbrella Connect's recruitment and management support, produced high performance and long-term cost efficiency.
Results
- Cost savings: £82,444 a year across four roles compared with UK hires.
- Operational strength: a stable, reliable team without agency costs or repeated recruitment cycles.
- Strategic focus: leadership redirected its energy to innovation and market expansion.
Recruitment timeline, Perfa against the UK average
- UK average: 4.6 to 6 weeks per hire, often with placement risk.
- Perfa's track: four hires in six months, no failed hires, no onboarding delays, immediate productivity.
Outcome
- Agents consistently meet or exceed UK quality benchmarks.
- The business can scale without operational bottlenecks.
- Perfa is exploring new market segments with Umbrella Connect's continued support.
“We’re working with Umbrella Connect across several positions, and the service is fantastic. Highly recommended!”PERFA, client feedback
Property management, UK
Scaling property management through strategic outsourcing
Open Mind Property grew from 20 to 120 managed properties in under two years, outsourced 80% of its operations to Sri Lanka and cut employment costs by more than 60%, while preparing for another 130 properties in the next 12 months.
Challenge
With 20 properties in its rent-to-rent portfolio, the cost and risk of employing a UK-based administration team was the main barrier to growth.
- Payroll risk: UK staffing cost more than £25,000 per agent a year, before National Insurance, pension, paid leave and sick days.
- Scalability: every new property meant proportionally more admin staff, eroding margins.
- Operational drain: leadership was stuck in daily operations instead of sales, acquisitions and strategic growth.
The team needed a flexible, scalable and cost-effective model that could support rapid expansion without adding payroll risk.
Solution
Phase 1: the first hire
Open Mind onboarded its first Sri Lanka-based agent through Umbrella Connect. The agent took over core administration and tenant-facing tasks, freeing leadership to focus on sales and expansion.
Phase 2: strategic expansion
Over the following 12 months the company added five more agents, each covering a specialist role.
- Customer service: guest and tenant communication.
- Admin and reporting: accurate monthly reporting and compliance.
- Calendar and guest management: bookings and occupancy.
- HMO licensing: tracking renewals and keeping compliant.
- Booking platforms: Airbnb, Booking.com and more.
- Expense tracking: cost monitoring and financial oversight.
- Property coordination: cleaners, photographers and maintenance scheduling.
Umbrella Connect handled training, management and quality control through its Sri Lanka hub, keeping every role consistent and reliable.
Phase 3: diversification
With operations running smoothly, Open Mind launched a serviced accommodation division alongside HMOs and single lets, and expanded to 120 properties without increasing UK payroll risk.
Results
- 6x growth: 20 to 120 managed properties in under two years.
- 80% of operations outsourced to a skilled, managed offshore team.
- Cost savings: more than 60% lower employment costs than UK hiring.
- Strategic focus: leadership now concentrates on sales, acquisitions and scaling.
- Expansion pipeline: targeting a further 130 properties in the next 12 months.
Outcome
- Assistants consistently meet UK operational standards.
- Growth achieved without bottlenecks or added overhead.
- Leadership found that high-quality property operations do not require in-house staffing.
“Excellent service in sourcing a virtual agent. The process took a few weeks, and the company sourced us an excellent agent with years of working experience. Low upfront fee and great value for money.”Open Mind Property, client feedback
Transfer and chauffeur service, UK
A 24/7 transfer operation, run by a dedicated team
Umbrella Transfers improved booking response times by 75%, cut admin costs by 62%, brought booking errors below 1% and now runs 98% of its operations automated and outsourced.
Challenge
Before outsourcing, founder and managing director Lucas handled almost everything himself, from customer bookings and driver coordination to sales, accounting and operational troubleshooting.
- That left little or no time for the real drivers of success: growth, sales and continuous improvement.
- As booking volumes grew after the pandemic, the admin burden became unsustainable, with a real risk of slow responses, missed opportunities and service errors.
- Local staff costs were rising sharply, which made scaling a 24/7, 365-day operation a financial challenge.
Solution
Umbrella Transfers partnered with Umbrella Connect to redesign its operating model around a dedicated offshore team.
- 3 main controllers: managing bookings and operations.
- 3 assistant controllers: supporting daily workflows and client coordination.
- 1 account and sales manager: handling B2B partnerships and revenue growth.
- 1 administrator: managing driver records and document uploads.
- 1 personal assistant: supporting the managing director directly.
Onboarding was completed within two weeks, built on CRM workflows, structured ticketing and AI-assisted online chat, with human agents available 24/7. Automation was rolled out so that 98% of repetitive tasks were systemised and delegated.
Results
- Response time: from 60 minutes to 15 minutes, 75% faster.
- Booking errors: reduced to less than 1%.
- Cost savings: about 62% per calendar month against an equivalent in-house team.
- Leadership refocus: Lucas regained around 29 hours a week for growth, sales and improving operations.
- Customer satisfaction: online reviews improved significantly, reflecting faster service and fewer errors.
- Scalability: the company now runs 24/7, 365 days a year, combining human service with AI-powered chat.
Our own proof
We run on it too
Umbrella Transfers, our group business, is supported by the same managed team. These are the people behind the results.
Figures are from Umbrella Connect's published client case studies and relate to those businesses and periods. They are not a forecast or guarantee for your business.
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