Starting a business from scratch

So this is it, I am officially breaking free from life as an employee and going it alone. Have I done the right thing?

How did this happen?

It is a bold move and it hasn't been easy. However, I knew that in my current situation, if I wanted to continue to have a career it was basically the only real option I had. My husband works in the oil and gas industry and therefore projects abroad are common. In October 2016, we were posted to Angola, having been in France for two years prior to that. Marketing or Communications jobs are not easy to find here and so I was faced with the decision to either change career path and perhaps look at teaching or try and create something of my own. Oh yes and five days into our new life in Angola I found out I was pregnant. Working for myself suddenly seemed very appealing in order to juggle a new life with a little one to care for.

So what lessons did i learn?

1) Motivating yourself is not always easy

One of the first things I found with setting up on my own was that I no longer had the guidance of a manager to steer me in the right direction at work. I had to do that for myself. And I was answerable only to myself. This is not always easy when you don't immediately have lots of clients giving you work and you don't necessarily have impending deadlines. What I had to do was create tasks for all of the preparatory things I had to do to get the business off the ground and set checklists and deadlines each week. That way if I ticked something off the list I felt empowered that I had achieved something even if it was just tidying up my desk or contacting an old colleague to see if they had any work for my new business.

2) Being honest with yourself is key

When you set up on your own you need to be realistic about what you can offer to paying clients. You need

to think about your strengths and all of the skills you have picked up along your work journey to date and dare I say, you also need to be honest about any weaknesses you have. Don't try and offer too many services, be 100% confident in what you can deliver. However it's always good to challenge yourself and start learning some new skills that you think will bolster your offering.

3) You must learn to blow your own trumpet

This can be really tricky, especially if you're not a communications expert and do not know where to start in terms of creating news stories etc. When working for yourself, apart from your clients and maybe friends and family it is your responsibility to get your business name out there. Start listing all the really positive things about you and the service(s) or product(s) you provide and be confident in what you can offer. Look at how your competitors communicate with their clients, look for like minded companies who you may be able to join forces with to get your messages out there.

4) You must learn to say both yes and no!

Since starting out I have found that I have been approached with lots of opportunities for work. While it has been tempting to accept it all, I realised early on to be selective with projects and make sure that I was 100% able to deliver. Working alone means that there is a limit on the amount of time you have and it is definitely better to start small and build up. Once you have got to full capacity you can then look to employ more staff to help with a growing client base.

5) Delegation can be an option even when it's just you in the business

Although I have just said that it is always wise not to YES to everything, at the same time it's worth building a network with fellow businesses/entrepreneurs that may be able to support you in delivering projects for clients. I have only very recently started working in the design space and know that whilst I can create logos, simple flyers, and some online content, I have contacts for more complex design projects that I can link clients up with. And when it comes to managing things like finance and tax returns I have discovered it massively helpful to appoint an accountant.

6) Find a great workspace

For me, having the perfect work environment is crucial to my productivity levels. I am very lucky to work in and manage a shared workspace that has lots of natural light, comfortable desks and chairs, and plants. However I was equally happy working from home in the spare bedroom. The crucial thing is to make sure that your workspace is separate to your living space. Creating that distance from the sofa or the kitchen where chores loom is vitally important to get you in the right headspace to work.

7) The power of social

For me social media opens the window to both ideas and opportunities. The ability to follow thought leaders in marketing, access tech news, and wow at talented designers inspires my work without me even having to leave the office. The great thing about social is that everyone is an equal. Even if you're an individual or small business with no budget to spend on fancy adverts, you can create impactful platforms to generate massive following.

8) Enjoy it!

Many people aspire to someday run their own business so my view is that if you are in a situation where you can do it, then grasp the opportunity and enjoy it! Being in a position where you can control your own destiny is great and although there may be times when you doubt yourself or worry about making ends meet, enjoy the freedom as someday you may be back to the corporate grindstone, wishfully thinking back to the days where you could work from home.

For me social media opens the window to both ideas and opportunities.