Well I cannot quite believe three whole months have come and gone since going solo!
When they say time flies, it most certainly does…and I have a logo! This has been the fastest learning experience EVER! And I am pleased to say I am still learning, still loving, and have absolutely NO regrets. I do not think you can ever stop learning.
For me, learning how to manage the running of a busy business and keeping on top of the day-to-day aspects of the business has been rewarding especially when you receive positive responses from your clients. I have also learnt so much about Ltd companies, VAT, taxation, alternative pension options, PAYE and how to pay yourself. TBH I have left that to the professionals. One thing I do, is to try and maximise my time so after looking into it, I decided to ask my Accountant (Dean Statham), and for a small fee each quarter it is sorted for me. This is called leveraging my time. I can concentrate my efforts on my business and providing a quality work to my clients.
If you are considering starting a business, you also need to have a reasonable amount of spare cash to start with to pay for childcare, food, and all the other sundries & bills etc, until your bank balance starts to fill up again. In fact, I would say this is probably the most important factor in which to budget. 3 months in and I can breathe a little now.
The flexibility of time is unreal, and I am still having to break down the years of being employed to realise that I can pop for a swim when I want, go to Sports Day, have lunch outside in the garden etc. However, that being said, you have to be self-motivated and I maintain a good structured day, starting work most days at 9am and working through until 4.30pm when the kids come home and then when my workload is heavy working for a couple of hours in the evening, which to be honest I don’t mind. I make sure though that I have quality time with my family as they are very important to me.
Support is essential, and people I know, both personally and professionally, have been amazing. Being creative again and putting my passion for integrating wildlife into new developments has been rewarding. As our need for housing increases, and particularly where housing is located on the outskirts of towns, we inevitably have some impact on the countryside. I feel that it is our responsibility to blend our worlds. As a landscape architect it is a fine balance, but I take pride in designing the landscape to maximise the benefits for my clients, the end users, and also our wildlife. This is proving to be popular and I am keen to explore this further. I am very excited for the future of
awSCAPE and thankful for the support I am receiving.
And on a final note, to be a good business owner always be grateful, stay positive, be kind and generous, work hard, read lots, and be guided by your goals and aspirations, oh and be organised!
Thankyou.