Well, I’ve made it a month being self-employed. It’s been a month of steep learning, getting to grips with setting up on your own, the discipline that comes from working at home and not managing to waste several hours trawling the internet mindlessly, working out budgets and watching your spending when no actual cash is forthcoming and getting used to ‘selling’ yourself at every opportunity and not be embarrassed by it.
What I have learnt over the last four weeks is that I do have many friends and acquaintances that have given great advice, support and also pointed me in the direction of potential work and for this, I’ll be forever grateful. I’ve also learnt that even double-glazed houses get REALLY, REALLY cold during the afternoon when the heating hasn’t been on since 8am that morning. Yes, I am writing this with the blanket around my legs – the woolly hat also made another appearance this week, it was last worn at my desk when the snow was here.
However, if anything, the last month has proved to me that (barring another global economic meltdown) is that I may just make it in this freelance world. From both perspectives, I have seen how some businesses have been set up from home and, over 15years later, are employing a team of staff and are very successful - Sue Sowerby of Sowerby Advertising is a prime example. I’ve also witnessed (on my legendary Tax workshop) how other businesses are set up, managed without any book keeping or common sense, pay hefty fines to the taxman AND still make profit. Both examples, in their own way, make me think that I may just be alright! (let’s hope that I emulate the Sowerby model and not the tax-paying-fine one).
This week has mainly been about mailshotting, cold calling and getting ready for next week’s activities. I have just sent out a large mailshot to local recruitment agencies in Southampton which won’t have their own dedicated marketing department. As mentioned last week, I did start cold calling Estate Agents, however, most of their marketing is done internally or by the property papers which they advertise in and whilst they admit it could be better, they won’t pay money to have this done for them. Dammit.
So I’m now going to play to my experience and hit the recruitment agencies. I’ve called a couple up and I have to say, one of them was immediately struck off the list. He wanted free internet job postings, fair enough, but he wanted me to set it up for him as he didn’t know how to – however, he wouldn’t pay me to manage this ‘Because I want FREE postings, I don’t want to pay you or the job board’. Needless to say, I politely told him I would put something in the post. Hmmmm, not going to waste a stamp on that one...
Next week though looks to be an interesting one. I’m going ‘Speed Dating Networking’. Yup, off the success of speed dating (has it honestly ever worked for anyone?), Business Link have set up an evening of speed networking for local businesses. Now, it could turn out to be a bunch of people, like myself, who have just set up, not got much business and are hoping that this event is going to the holy grail of getting new contracts. However, I think it will be more like a game of ‘see who can get rid of the most business cards’ evening. I’ll be practising my business card shuffle tonight...
I’m also attending another ‘networking event’ later on in the week (honestly, they are like buses these events...) and this is dynamically titled ‘Meet, Greet and Prosper’. Now, it’s safe to say, I’m a little more worried about this one that the speed dating networking one. Meet, Greet and Prosper. Is it me, or does it sound like something out of Star Trek? Am I going to turn up to some convention with middle aged sci-fi enthusiasts clutching prized signed photos of Mr Spock?
Oh well, I’ll boldly go and you never know, they may want a monthly newsletter written and published...
Speaking of which, (apologies for the blatant hard sell here to all my friends who loyally read this each week and have no requirements for marketing, but hey, pimping oneself out is the name of the game and all that) I am offering a 10% discount on all copywriting booked before the end of February. It could be for a newsletter, brochure copy, online website copy, mailshot, press release, love letters (Valentines Day is just around the corner), parole requests (well, I have a wide readership audience).... the list is endless.
So with a Zzing in my step (geddit?!) but with the slight hesitation that next week I am going to be attending a speed dating networking event and a Sci-Fi convention for people who speak Klingon, I spring into February and all that it brings!
Friday 29 January 2010
Friday 22 January 2010
A balancing act...
Apparently the key to running a successful business is balancing the books. Well, I haven’t got much to balance at the moment, several tenders for work out this week and waiting to hear if I am successful so the expenses definitely outweigh the income at the moment. I took a big breath at the start of the week and, through my hands over my eyes, opened up my bank balance to see what hideous impact Christmas and the last few weeks have had on my finances. Breathed a sigh of relief that the mortgage had gone through and bills were all paid.
Realistically though, even if every tender came good, I won’t be paying myself a wage for a few weeks so I need to remain being “self-employed frugal”. During lunch, I scour the paper and internet for savings to be had and ‘money-off’ coupons – I’m turning into my Mum. (Mind you, I got 50% off my MOT which is due next month so can’t be all bad). I’m used to just buying whatever I fancy in the supermarket, but now you will find me stood in the aisle with a pained expression on my face trying doing mental arithmetic working out the value of two for one offers.
Balance has also been a theme of my work this week, mainly in proposal and tender work. I have no problem in putting together creative marketing campaigns or a full breakdown of how I will undertake the work but when it comes to costing out my time, I’m still learning. Many people advised me when I first set-out on this self-employed quest “don’t undersell yourself”. Good advice one would assume. However, the balancing act I’ve been learning is trying to sell yourself at an attractive rate in order to have a shot at winning the work whilst also trying to make a living.
Had a coffee this week with an old buddy of mine Gus. He’s a one-man-fundraising-machine and for those of you who have had the pleasure of travelling on the Red Funnel ferries to the tropical Isle of Wight, you may have seen a crazy man either sitting on a rowing machine or push bike on the top deck of the boat (in all weathers), rowing and cycling stationary thousands of miles and raising thousands of pounds for charity. I’m going help Gus out with some PR for one of his next challenges of rowing 100k for Sport Relief – hats off to you Gus. Follow Gus’s challenges on www.bombayduckchallenge.com
In between proposal and tender work this week I’ve also been climbing the social network ladder (to all of the fans of Zzing Marketing on Facebook now – howdy campers!) Yup, the Facebook page for Zzing is set up and linked to Zzing’s Twitter site (@zzingmarketing) and LinkedIn profile. But for all of you techie-kids out there, tapping away on your Macbook or zipping away on your i-phone, Zzing now has a blog too – www.zzingmarketing.blogspot.com ; again linked to all the other Zzing sites and where you can read this rambling montage of a diary online at your leisure.
It’s damn time consuming though. Online marketing is cost effective in comparison to other forms of promotion, however, as I discussed with another good friend Abi Hillier this week - who runs a very funky company called Grasshopper Porridge www.teamgrasshopper.com (beautiful pots of goodness whenever you want) - the real cost to any company is the time it takes to manage your online presence on a daily basis. It’s also a bugger to understand the language and instructions to make the most of your online promotion. Now I know that a lot of the techie-world are Star Trek geeks fans, but do they really need to speak in Klingon when writing online instructions? I’m sure it’s just a cunning ploy to keep tech support people in Atlanta in a job.....
I’ve been on the phone quite a bit this week, catching up with contacts and suppliers, but most of my phone bill this month is going on cold calling as the follow-up to last weeks mailshot to the local politicians. In my previous job, I could tell a cold call from the first utterance the cold-caller made – “Hi! How are you? Did you have a good weekend? Isn’t this weather terrible?.... “ yadder, yadder, yadder. A horrible and ineffective way of trying to make me your best friend and buy your product. But I had to call the politicians up this week so deep breath and dialled the numbers.
Not one of the buggers was in. What do they do all day??? What do we pay our taxes for??? (Oh, I forgot, I can’t grumble about that for a while).
I hate cold-calling.
Next week, Estate Agents! (No, I don’t know why, working as my own boss, I have chosen this as my second target market either).
Mind you, it’s all about building the brand which I am taking the first steps in doing for Zzing. The strength of branding was underlined this week with the story about Cadbury’s being bought by Kraft. The UK public obviously have a huge affinity with the Cadbury brand (or are we all just addicted to Dairy Milk?) and the outpouring in the media from the public about not letting one of the UK’s best loved brands be sold was interesting to see. I’m sure the Radio 2 listeners wouldn’t be as incensed with Greggs the Bakers being taken over by MacDonald’s.
I should use this last point to outline my services in helping building your companies brand to the same echelons’ of Cadburys - but you know the score, give me a call....
Realistically though, even if every tender came good, I won’t be paying myself a wage for a few weeks so I need to remain being “self-employed frugal”. During lunch, I scour the paper and internet for savings to be had and ‘money-off’ coupons – I’m turning into my Mum. (Mind you, I got 50% off my MOT which is due next month so can’t be all bad). I’m used to just buying whatever I fancy in the supermarket, but now you will find me stood in the aisle with a pained expression on my face trying doing mental arithmetic working out the value of two for one offers.
Balance has also been a theme of my work this week, mainly in proposal and tender work. I have no problem in putting together creative marketing campaigns or a full breakdown of how I will undertake the work but when it comes to costing out my time, I’m still learning. Many people advised me when I first set-out on this self-employed quest “don’t undersell yourself”. Good advice one would assume. However, the balancing act I’ve been learning is trying to sell yourself at an attractive rate in order to have a shot at winning the work whilst also trying to make a living.
Had a coffee this week with an old buddy of mine Gus. He’s a one-man-fundraising-machine and for those of you who have had the pleasure of travelling on the Red Funnel ferries to the tropical Isle of Wight, you may have seen a crazy man either sitting on a rowing machine or push bike on the top deck of the boat (in all weathers), rowing and cycling stationary thousands of miles and raising thousands of pounds for charity. I’m going help Gus out with some PR for one of his next challenges of rowing 100k for Sport Relief – hats off to you Gus. Follow Gus’s challenges on www.bombayduckchallenge.com
In between proposal and tender work this week I’ve also been climbing the social network ladder (to all of the fans of Zzing Marketing on Facebook now – howdy campers!) Yup, the Facebook page for Zzing is set up and linked to Zzing’s Twitter site (@zzingmarketing) and LinkedIn profile. But for all of you techie-kids out there, tapping away on your Macbook or zipping away on your i-phone, Zzing now has a blog too – www.zzingmarketing.blogspot.com ; again linked to all the other Zzing sites and where you can read this rambling montage of a diary online at your leisure.
It’s damn time consuming though. Online marketing is cost effective in comparison to other forms of promotion, however, as I discussed with another good friend Abi Hillier this week - who runs a very funky company called Grasshopper Porridge www.teamgrasshopper.com (beautiful pots of goodness whenever you want) - the real cost to any company is the time it takes to manage your online presence on a daily basis. It’s also a bugger to understand the language and instructions to make the most of your online promotion. Now I know that a lot of the techie-world are Star Trek geeks fans, but do they really need to speak in Klingon when writing online instructions? I’m sure it’s just a cunning ploy to keep tech support people in Atlanta in a job.....
I’ve been on the phone quite a bit this week, catching up with contacts and suppliers, but most of my phone bill this month is going on cold calling as the follow-up to last weeks mailshot to the local politicians. In my previous job, I could tell a cold call from the first utterance the cold-caller made – “Hi! How are you? Did you have a good weekend? Isn’t this weather terrible?.... “ yadder, yadder, yadder. A horrible and ineffective way of trying to make me your best friend and buy your product. But I had to call the politicians up this week so deep breath and dialled the numbers.
Not one of the buggers was in. What do they do all day??? What do we pay our taxes for??? (Oh, I forgot, I can’t grumble about that for a while).
I hate cold-calling.
Next week, Estate Agents! (No, I don’t know why, working as my own boss, I have chosen this as my second target market either).
Mind you, it’s all about building the brand which I am taking the first steps in doing for Zzing. The strength of branding was underlined this week with the story about Cadbury’s being bought by Kraft. The UK public obviously have a huge affinity with the Cadbury brand (or are we all just addicted to Dairy Milk?) and the outpouring in the media from the public about not letting one of the UK’s best loved brands be sold was interesting to see. I’m sure the Radio 2 listeners wouldn’t be as incensed with Greggs the Bakers being taken over by MacDonald’s.
I should use this last point to outline my services in helping building your companies brand to the same echelons’ of Cadburys - but you know the score, give me a call....
Tuesday 19 January 2010
What a difference a week makes....
What a difference a week makes...
The second week of being self employed is certainly a very different experience to the first week. Firstly, I have actually had some proper work to do which was a relief as there is only so many ways in which to fill your day organising stationary and your desk draw. Secondly, it has been great being able to get out and about to meet with fellow human beings – mind you, the social gathering which was the tax workshop on a ‘guide to becoming self employed’ was an amalgamation of the most random business models which you would ever want to have in one small room.
There were bizarrely several car valeters (who would have thought that car valeting in a recession was big business?), someone who was selling stereos to the yachting fraternity (not VHF radios, just stereos to play music) and then there was the Dance Artist. No, I haven’t got a clue what her business model was either and I spent four hours on Monday sat next to her.
The tax workshop was beneficial for anyone setting up as self-employed - well the work-booklet was. It gave all the information you needed in registering, book keeping, tax and NI examples – the four hours of explanation of this information however isn’t going to win any awards. Whilst the lady running the workshop was lovely, I really wasn’t interested in her husband (self-employed patio builder), two sons (Reading and Edinburgh Uni, one works in a Pizza parlour) and her mother (makes decoupage cards as a hobby).
However, the worrying part was that this sweet, mumsy lady, who had worked all her life in the tax office and was now employed to give; new self-employed people setting up their own companies; advice, her words of wisdom were:-
a) Don’t trust online banking, or any other online function for that matter – which makes bestowing the benefits of HMRC online tax returns slightly difficult
b) She actually advised us not to get a business bank account – ‘Do it through your current account, they won’t charge you’
c) Don’t bother doing your book keeping on a computer – ‘They aren’t reliable’ – she and her husband undertake all of his company book keeping with actual pen and paper.
You have got to love the civil service. Now, I’m not one for stereotyping, but I have an inkling this lady maybe a Daily Mail reader, believe Jonathan Ross is the antichrist and that Tiger Woods seemed like a ‘nice man’.
It has been a productive week though, tax workshops aside. I’ve been working on some start-up marketing branding and promotion for a local Arborist (tree surgeon to you and me), and I was also asked to put together a market research proposal for a salary survey for a client of Sue Sowerby from Sowerby Advertising. (great advertising & creative agency, have worked with them for nearly 10 years so take it from me, they are good!) so some possible work there – thanks Sue!
I also met up with an old friend, Steve Garratt from The Giggle Group, whose business is producing some amazing animated 30sec segments for branding online – it’s going to revolutionise online branding as the quality is spectacular. Good times.
I have yet to start cold calling, that wonderful job awaits me next week, however, I know who I am going to target as I have already written to them pimping outlining my services. I’m targeting local politicians. Well, if anyone needs a hand with brand promotion, PR and embellishment of services, in the coming months, our political friends are a dream target market.
At least it has been warmer working from home this week. I have managed to dispense with the hat and blanket, just mainly use a scarf for those ‘colder’ days. There are many pros and cons to being self employed and working from home, but, as the boyfriend is finding out, one of the key benefits has been my transformation into a domestic goddess. Not only is a home cooked dinner awaiting his return from work (proper job, regular salary), but the washing and cleaning fairy has also made daily visits leaving only the hint of clean, fresh linen in her wake. Now, I cannot guarantee how long this miracle as my mother would call it will last, but the lack of a commute means that the house can be tidied, washing on and work commenced by 8.30am – a month ago, I would still be waiting to exit the motorway at this time.
Social networking continues to draw me in. I am fascinated by the lives of ‘celebs’ on Twitter – honestly, it could take over your life if you let it. This week, I have learnt that Danni Minogue is pregnant, Katy Perry might be and Duncan Bannatyne is counting his blessings as he was due to be in Haiti this coming Monday. On a serious note, charities in the US are seeing for the first time the power of social networking. In the last two days alone, over $34m has been donated purely through social networking sites and an additional $5m from text messaging services. It’s a shame that the aid cannot get through to the people of Haiti with the same speed.
Thanks for all of your supportive comments from last week’s newsletter – you are all very kind but it has meant that you will continue to receive these weekly ramblings!
PS. Snacks were few and far between at the tax workshop – I knew I should have made vol au vents
The second week of being self employed is certainly a very different experience to the first week. Firstly, I have actually had some proper work to do which was a relief as there is only so many ways in which to fill your day organising stationary and your desk draw. Secondly, it has been great being able to get out and about to meet with fellow human beings – mind you, the social gathering which was the tax workshop on a ‘guide to becoming self employed’ was an amalgamation of the most random business models which you would ever want to have in one small room.
There were bizarrely several car valeters (who would have thought that car valeting in a recession was big business?), someone who was selling stereos to the yachting fraternity (not VHF radios, just stereos to play music) and then there was the Dance Artist. No, I haven’t got a clue what her business model was either and I spent four hours on Monday sat next to her.
The tax workshop was beneficial for anyone setting up as self-employed - well the work-booklet was. It gave all the information you needed in registering, book keeping, tax and NI examples – the four hours of explanation of this information however isn’t going to win any awards. Whilst the lady running the workshop was lovely, I really wasn’t interested in her husband (self-employed patio builder), two sons (Reading and Edinburgh Uni, one works in a Pizza parlour) and her mother (makes decoupage cards as a hobby).
However, the worrying part was that this sweet, mumsy lady, who had worked all her life in the tax office and was now employed to give; new self-employed people setting up their own companies; advice, her words of wisdom were:-
a) Don’t trust online banking, or any other online function for that matter – which makes bestowing the benefits of HMRC online tax returns slightly difficult
b) She actually advised us not to get a business bank account – ‘Do it through your current account, they won’t charge you’
c) Don’t bother doing your book keeping on a computer – ‘They aren’t reliable’ – she and her husband undertake all of his company book keeping with actual pen and paper.
You have got to love the civil service. Now, I’m not one for stereotyping, but I have an inkling this lady maybe a Daily Mail reader, believe Jonathan Ross is the antichrist and that Tiger Woods seemed like a ‘nice man’.
It has been a productive week though, tax workshops aside. I’ve been working on some start-up marketing branding and promotion for a local Arborist (tree surgeon to you and me), and I was also asked to put together a market research proposal for a salary survey for a client of Sue Sowerby from Sowerby Advertising. (great advertising & creative agency, have worked with them for nearly 10 years so take it from me, they are good!) so some possible work there – thanks Sue!
I also met up with an old friend, Steve Garratt from The Giggle Group, whose business is producing some amazing animated 30sec segments for branding online – it’s going to revolutionise online branding as the quality is spectacular. Good times.
I have yet to start cold calling, that wonderful job awaits me next week, however, I know who I am going to target as I have already written to them pimping outlining my services. I’m targeting local politicians. Well, if anyone needs a hand with brand promotion, PR and embellishment of services, in the coming months, our political friends are a dream target market.
At least it has been warmer working from home this week. I have managed to dispense with the hat and blanket, just mainly use a scarf for those ‘colder’ days. There are many pros and cons to being self employed and working from home, but, as the boyfriend is finding out, one of the key benefits has been my transformation into a domestic goddess. Not only is a home cooked dinner awaiting his return from work (proper job, regular salary), but the washing and cleaning fairy has also made daily visits leaving only the hint of clean, fresh linen in her wake. Now, I cannot guarantee how long this miracle as my mother would call it will last, but the lack of a commute means that the house can be tidied, washing on and work commenced by 8.30am – a month ago, I would still be waiting to exit the motorway at this time.
Social networking continues to draw me in. I am fascinated by the lives of ‘celebs’ on Twitter – honestly, it could take over your life if you let it. This week, I have learnt that Danni Minogue is pregnant, Katy Perry might be and Duncan Bannatyne is counting his blessings as he was due to be in Haiti this coming Monday. On a serious note, charities in the US are seeing for the first time the power of social networking. In the last two days alone, over $34m has been donated purely through social networking sites and an additional $5m from text messaging services. It’s a shame that the aid cannot get through to the people of Haiti with the same speed.
Thanks for all of your supportive comments from last week’s newsletter – you are all very kind but it has meant that you will continue to receive these weekly ramblings!
PS. Snacks were few and far between at the tax workshop – I knew I should have made vol au vents
Week one at Zzing marketing - it feels like I am skivving...
Week One of being self-employed – it feel likes I am skiving...
Some may say that I was mad for leaving a paid job which I had held for 11 years to start up my own freelance marketing business, however, whether I’m mad or not, I took the plunge and here I am, sat at my desk in the old spare room, now my office, five days into running my own company.
After eleven years slogging it out, late hours and working non-stop, I spent the first three days of bumbling around the office, arranging files, setting up spreadsheets and sending letters out to potential clients. It all seemed lovely and I had a great ‘work-life-balance’.
However, five days in, I’m beginning to wonder how many more days I can go without doing what I consider ‘proper’ work – it feels like I am skiving.
I’m sure I am experiencing what many people who work from home undertake on a daily basis. You start the day brightly, clicking on ‘check email’ in case, during the hours of 10pm and 7am (when the computer was turned off) someone has sent an urgent email requesting your services as their business will simply not be able to function without your services and you find that actually, no, there are no new emails. Companies remarkably seem to be able to be functioning without my help.
So then you link onto Facebook and Twitter (I now know why so many companies ban these as time-wasting devices) and check and update your statuses. I am convincing myself that social networking is essential to my business. What other marketing consultancy wouldn’t be completely au fait with social networking sites? We keep being told that having a presence on these sites will increase business and sales, well, unless one of the 19 year old rowing club members is a decision maker at a blue-chip company which requires a freelance marketing consultant, I highly disagree. Mind you, Twitter – or celebrity-stalking as it should be known – is highly entertaining and Paris Hilton IS as blonde and dumb as she seems.
Still, I do have my website to keep me entertained flummoxed for the rest of my life. How long will it take me to learn this black-magic of techie-gobbeldy-gook? No matter how the website looks on the ‘preview’ page, when I make it go live, you need a telescope to actually read the copy. The American support desk people speak to me via email in what I imagine they believe is easy-to-follow steps, however, they could be speaking in Portuguese for all I can make out.
The weather has been the biggest bug-bear of my working week so far. Not only is half of the UK not in work this week and therefore are not picking up my highly professional and creative emails offering my services, but - my god - it has been cold working from home. When you are watching every penny you spend, putting on the heating is deemed a luxury akin to eating caviar washed down with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot. If there is one thing I have learnt this week it is a) you really miss company paid for heating along with unlimited tea and coffee, and b) wearing a hat and scarf whilst sat at your desk along with a blanket over your knees does really help you keep warm.
Cycling to my meeting with the bank on Tuesday was also an adventure and it provided me with the “doh!” quote of the week. The Bank Manager looked at me and said “So....Zzing Marketing – what does your business do?”. Genius.
My week ahead will undoubtedly be much the same, however, I do have the uber exciting HM Revenue & Customs workshop ‘A guide to becoming Self Employed’ to look forward to on Monday morning. Four weeks ago, I would have eaten off my own arm in order to not sit through four hours of a workshop at the local tax office, however, after a week of working by myself and not having contact with any other humans apart from the boyfriend and Bank Manager, I am giddy with anticipation. I am already planning in my head what to wear, what route I will take, where I will park etc. They also suggested that I bring ‘snacks’ as the workshop runs over lunchtime without a lunch break. Does this mean I have to make flapjacks? Will others attending bring cheese straws or perhaps cocktail sausages? The mind boggles.
Still, besides all of the above, I am actually still genuinely excited about my new venture. I dreamt the other night that I was one of the Dragons on Dragons Den – I just need that luxury speedboat and apartment in Monet Carlo. Perhaps once I’ve done some proper work they may ask me...
Here’s to next week’s exciting and enlightening instalment from Zzing!
Some may say that I was mad for leaving a paid job which I had held for 11 years to start up my own freelance marketing business, however, whether I’m mad or not, I took the plunge and here I am, sat at my desk in the old spare room, now my office, five days into running my own company.
After eleven years slogging it out, late hours and working non-stop, I spent the first three days of bumbling around the office, arranging files, setting up spreadsheets and sending letters out to potential clients. It all seemed lovely and I had a great ‘work-life-balance’.
However, five days in, I’m beginning to wonder how many more days I can go without doing what I consider ‘proper’ work – it feels like I am skiving.
I’m sure I am experiencing what many people who work from home undertake on a daily basis. You start the day brightly, clicking on ‘check email’ in case, during the hours of 10pm and 7am (when the computer was turned off) someone has sent an urgent email requesting your services as their business will simply not be able to function without your services and you find that actually, no, there are no new emails. Companies remarkably seem to be able to be functioning without my help.
So then you link onto Facebook and Twitter (I now know why so many companies ban these as time-wasting devices) and check and update your statuses. I am convincing myself that social networking is essential to my business. What other marketing consultancy wouldn’t be completely au fait with social networking sites? We keep being told that having a presence on these sites will increase business and sales, well, unless one of the 19 year old rowing club members is a decision maker at a blue-chip company which requires a freelance marketing consultant, I highly disagree. Mind you, Twitter – or celebrity-stalking as it should be known – is highly entertaining and Paris Hilton IS as blonde and dumb as she seems.
Still, I do have my website to keep me entertained flummoxed for the rest of my life. How long will it take me to learn this black-magic of techie-gobbeldy-gook? No matter how the website looks on the ‘preview’ page, when I make it go live, you need a telescope to actually read the copy. The American support desk people speak to me via email in what I imagine they believe is easy-to-follow steps, however, they could be speaking in Portuguese for all I can make out.
The weather has been the biggest bug-bear of my working week so far. Not only is half of the UK not in work this week and therefore are not picking up my highly professional and creative emails offering my services, but - my god - it has been cold working from home. When you are watching every penny you spend, putting on the heating is deemed a luxury akin to eating caviar washed down with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot. If there is one thing I have learnt this week it is a) you really miss company paid for heating along with unlimited tea and coffee, and b) wearing a hat and scarf whilst sat at your desk along with a blanket over your knees does really help you keep warm.
Cycling to my meeting with the bank on Tuesday was also an adventure and it provided me with the “doh!” quote of the week. The Bank Manager looked at me and said “So....Zzing Marketing – what does your business do?”. Genius.
My week ahead will undoubtedly be much the same, however, I do have the uber exciting HM Revenue & Customs workshop ‘A guide to becoming Self Employed’ to look forward to on Monday morning. Four weeks ago, I would have eaten off my own arm in order to not sit through four hours of a workshop at the local tax office, however, after a week of working by myself and not having contact with any other humans apart from the boyfriend and Bank Manager, I am giddy with anticipation. I am already planning in my head what to wear, what route I will take, where I will park etc. They also suggested that I bring ‘snacks’ as the workshop runs over lunchtime without a lunch break. Does this mean I have to make flapjacks? Will others attending bring cheese straws or perhaps cocktail sausages? The mind boggles.
Still, besides all of the above, I am actually still genuinely excited about my new venture. I dreamt the other night that I was one of the Dragons on Dragons Den – I just need that luxury speedboat and apartment in Monet Carlo. Perhaps once I’ve done some proper work they may ask me...
Here’s to next week’s exciting and enlightening instalment from Zzing!
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