1. Tell us a little about your business. Do you have any particular niche? How many staff do you have, and where are you based?
My area is helping other entrepreneurs: I’m London-based and at present and don’t have any staff.
2. Why did you start the company? Was it something you always intended to do, or did you fall into it?
Running my own show was always something I had wanted to do since I was about 20. I'd have got eaten alive if I done it then because I was inexperienced, so I decided that if I ever wanted to run my own business, I’d do the research and everything else properly before I put myself out there - hence the 20-year delay! It did give me the chance to get my law degree though, which has come in very useful.
3. Did you start it alone, or with partner(s), and how did that work out for you?
I started The Editor’s Office alone, and so far it works for me.
4. Do you work from an office, or home? Why have you chosen to do that?
I tend to “hot-desk” – so it might be at home, although I’m often in a library or in the members’ room at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in central London.
5. What was your vision for you business when you created it?
To be as successful as Oprah Winfrey but I’ve had to re-scale this vision and make it much more accessible and workable for me. With that said, I still have big ambitions, so it could still happen.
6. Has that actually happened in reality?
Not yet and certainly not as fast as I would’ve liked.
7. What do you think you have that clients appreciate?
Good sense and straight talking
8. Who are your favourite type of clients?
Those who don’t tell me how to do my job from a point of absolute ignorance of how the various media work!
9. Can you run through a typical day for us?
No such thing as a typical day except for the fact it’s ruled by my trusty A5 diary! At present, I also work part-time with a south London local authority in education alongside The Editor’s Office which is in the process of re-establishing itself as a content and editorial provider and having BulletPoint PR as the PR arm of The Editor’s Office, so that there’s two separate entities. I also have an online blog which I try and update regularly called Sister Business UK and this is aimed at women entrepreneurs in the UK’s BAME communities but these days, it’s pretty much open to women full stop…
10. Are you still very much hands-on, or is your role now more about bringing in clients and management?
I’m still very much hands-on and to be honest, I prefer it.
11. What’s been your worst financial worry?
Not being paid on time and clients who owe me money going bust!
12. And your absolute favourite moment?
Doing a fantastic job, making the client’s happy and of course, those payments going into the bank balance!
13. How do you cope with the work/life balance (if you do, that is!)
That work/life thing – my day off is Sunday where I try not to even leave my nice warm bed….because I’m too busy catching up on sleep!
14. What’s been your worst moment?
My worst moment so far in running my business has been the recent passing of my younger brother, John, who was my IT advisor – he was brilliant at what he did and yes, I miss him a lot.
15. How do you cope with clients that are behind on payments?
You do your best to cope with late payments but when a client goes bust and can’t pay you, it’s a major setback especially if you’re relying on that sum of cash to pay other people!
16. What do you look for in a new member of staff?
Haven’t got to that stage in the business yet although I do have access to coaches and mentors to keep me on track.
17. Has the recession made much of a difference to your business?
It has in that I’m constantly thinking of diversifying how to run the business…
18. What have been your must have investments (gadgets, PR tools, taking the time to learn about…)
Oh, right…. My must-have investments: that’s got to be keeping up and adding to those skills, so for me, its training. And I recently discovered that I’ve been confirmed places on courses taking place at Roehampton University towards the end of this year and early next.
19. Who do you admire most in the PR world, and why?
I suppose Max Clifford would be an obvious choice as he’s very good at what he does and most people I know try to tout me as being the female version on the grounds that some of the events I get to attend allows me to mix with some famous names… but in all honesty, anyone who goes it alone and is really successful and grounded gets my vote; running your own business is a lot of hard work and very much is a case of the loneliness of the long-distance runner.
20. What are you plans for the future?
My future plans include more training especially in mastering social media such as Facebook & LinkedIn (which I’m on) as well as Twitter (which I’m not and need to have that sorted!), and starting a photo library and offering portraiture for SME owners (modelling on portraits taken by Rankin for the BT Essence of the Entrepreneurs) hopefully by Spring next year
How can people contact you… People can contact me via LinkedIn or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/theeditorsoffice) or via email theeditorsoffice@yahoo.co.uk
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