How It Started
- josephinebeasley84
- Aug 22, 2023
- 3 min read
Starting out in Freelance, is daunting! Especially when you have worked for other people since the age of 15...going it on your own can be a really scary thought. Of course, you still have the same bills to pay, the same rent/mortgage, the same childcare. Nothing changes, apart from the security of a guaranteed income. Yikes!
After having my second child, I went back to work for an old employer for a short time. And it was a....painful.....experience to say the least! My daughter was 3 months old, still breastfeeding, and I suddenly had to figure out how to get work done, around my tiny baby, while going into the office 2-3 days a week....with barely any family support around me and a minimal income to pay for childcare. My employer was a man I had worked for previously and someone I had always admired and respected. However, this was before I discovered the 'motherhood' penalty is a very real thing.
I made the decision to leave after almost a year, I realised that all these years of working for someone else had made me feel so deflated and de-humanised, and that's not right...no matter what job or career you pursue, you are not just a number! Your time, your skills and your abilities are important, your life is important.
While my husband went through the 3 stages of panic about me not having a monthly income, I promised I would set about building my own business and all would be ok.
That was in January 2023, It is now August and I have been steadily gaining a variety of work through my business, mainly brochure design, website management and SEO editing and implementation for a local (Shropshire) construction business and a Dorset based Architecture firm. I am hoping this growth can continue and I can build a steady portfolio of clients.
A Few Recent Projects
Here is a brief overview of the brochure design I have recently completed for a local stonemasonry business. This was completed over a two week period (this was a time intensive project for a fast turn-around), with constant communication with the client. They were fully involved in every aspect of the design process and this worked very well. It is up to the client as to how involved they want to be, I can take a design idea and run with it, or I can work within existing parameters, whatever the best option is for you.
SEO
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Essentially this is how well your website is performing in specific searches online. Organic SEO is still a very important aspect of your marketing strategy and should not be neglected. Especially if your services are not totally unique - (if you are competing with other companies offering similar services), then organic SEO definitely needs to be on your agenda.
I have taken on the management of Search Engine Optimisation for two businesses. This involves analysing a company's website to look at navigation, image quality, keyword programming, SEO headlines and implementing software such as Google Search Console, Google Analytics etc.
I have helped to ensure the websites are optimized for SEO by adding specific calls to action throughout, editing content to ensure a good word count, programming specific keywords throughout and contextual linking.
If you need some help with your website's search engine optimisation, please do get in touch, I would love to help you!
Unfortunately, I am not going to tell you that I am earning huge sums of money and life is now a breeze. Life is more of a juggle (and struggle) than ever, the time and effort you have to put into every part of your business is so much more than if you were working a 9-5. But the feeling of investing in yourself, of being in control of every minute of your day and answering to no-one but yourself...that's a liberating feeling! And yes, I have months where my income is barely the cost of my childcare bill, but right now, I wouldn't change it. I love the work I do and the people I get to know along the way!
After 20 years of experience in marketing and digital design, working around the World, I am confident in my ability to help small businesses across the UK.
If my services sound right for you, please do get in touch. I can't wait to work with you!
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