Guestblog: The secret life of a country girl
The cream rendered house nestles quietly in the Suffolk countryside. It isn’t anything special; it isn’t something a passing motorist would look twice at. But behind the gnarled wooden door lies a secret they would scarce believe if they knew.
- Image by skagman via Flickr
OK, that’s enough drama. Before I go on I just want to point out that I am by no means unique and I don’t have the answer to eternal youth, health and prosperity. But what I do have is the ability to lead two lives simultaneously.
Yes, (she says as she pushes her chair back and gets to her feet holding her fist aloft) I am a working mother. I am one of those amazing women who not look after their husband, two dogs and two kids but simultaneously hold down a demanding job – which in my case is two businesses.
Being female and therefore able to multitask, I can respond to emails whilst helping with homework, cooking tea, ironing, answering the phone and telling my dear husband where he left his keys, socks, underpants etc.
Number one, this isn’t a fairy tale. If it was I would now be incredibly wealthy with homes in Barbados, Bermuda and somewhere else beginning with B. And, more importantly, wouldn’t need to work.
No, this is real life but one that I am rather proud of.
Eight years ago I decided it was time I did something for me. My kids were starting school and I needed a new challenge. So I embarked on an OU degree course in English Language and Literature (which I passed with First Class Honours). That was great; a real achievement. But it wasn’t enough.
By now it was 2007. My eldest boy had started High School and I felt the need to return to work. But I still wanted to be around for the boys which meant finding something to fit round school hours. Not wanting to be a teacher and not relishing the idea of working in a school office, I decided the only other option was to go it alone and start my own business.
Great, but what on earth do I do?
Deciding to start a business is one thing. To actually find something you enjoy and can make money at is entirely different.
But then I had one of those eureka moments. During my previous banking and charity careers writing had always been a big part of what I did. Whether it was direct mail for charity fundraising or writing letters to customers, it was something I was good at and enjoyed.
It seemed so obvious – Briar Copywriting was born.
By using social media and blogging I quickly gathered some amazing clients and my reputation grew. Today I work with companies all over the world ranging from small businesses to Blue Chip Companies covering a diverse range of industries.
Finally I have a career to be proud of and one I enjoy.
But then I got thinking
Because I grew my business almost entirely online, I have a pretty good idea of what elements are needed for a successful online business.
Through my online networking I met two local businessmen – one a SEO/PPC expert and the other a fantastic designer and coder.
Wait for it – yes, another eureka moment hit us all.
We had the perfect combination of talents to create a truly awesome web design agency. It took a while to get it right but eventually 8020 Marketing was born. Today, using our combined talents, we are producing the ultimate in future-proof web site systems for businesses of all sizes.
Time for a cuppa?
To think I would have been doing this 10 years ago would have been laughable (to me anyway). Juggling motherhood, being a wife and running two businesses seems total madness.
Do I get stressed? Of course I do – I’m only human. Being a freelance copywriter, work lands in my lap when it wants to. But with careful planning everything gets done.
No two days are the same. Well that’s a bit of a lie – every day I’m tasked with getting the kids ready and off to school, feed the husband and the dogs. But then, once the family are sorted anything can happen.
Once minute I could be preparing a talk for a networking group, the next I’m writing scripts, emails or web copy for clients. Then I have to dash out to a meeting with either 8020 clients or copywriting clients. Of course, then there’s the marketing that has to be done for both businesses – blogging, article writing, Tweeting, Squidoo lenses, updating BT Tradespace…the list is endless.
Do I moan? Yes.
Do I love what I do? Yes.
Being busy keeps me contented, out of mischief and away from the biscuit barrel.
Do you run your own business? How do you fit everything in to your day?
About Sarah ArrowSarah Arrow is the managing editor of Birds on the Blog, in real life she is the communications director of a same day courier service. She is an enthusiastic UK based pro-blogger and co- author of the soon to be published Zero to Blogger
View all posts by Sarah Arrow →
10 Responses to Guestblog: The secret life of a country girl
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Sally, your life and mine are very similar give or take the odd dog or child (in my case one child, three dogs.) So are our businesses, although mine (previously freelance copy/scriptwriting) now focuses on writing my own books and helping others develop and produce theirs.
I can soooooo identify with the “find-the-misplaced-reading-folder-while-trying-to-email-an-urgent-job-to-the-client” syndrome. We women are multi-taskers extraordinaire because we damned well have to be.
But some people feel that being freelance and working from home is a soft option…you know, you don’t really WORK, you just do a bit in school hours…I mean, it’s not like you’ve got a proper job, is it?
Little do they know that week on week I reckon we freelancers put in far more work hours than the average office staffer. And those are intense, focused, nose-to-the-gleaming-screen hours – not partly spent shooting the breeze by the water cooler or gossiping over the sandwich trolley.
So let’s hear it for us freelancers … all together now….!!
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
Hi Suzan,
You are sooooo right. Working from home sounds like a soft option but you can also never quite get away from it either.
If I worked in an office I would do my days work and head home. What wasn’t done that day would simply wait until the next.
Working from home, if I know something isn’t quite finished I’ll head back to my desk after I’ve fed the family and got the kids to bed.
I think I may have to get a lock fitted to my office door
Sally, your life and mine are very similar give or take the odd dog or child (in my case one child, three dogs.) So are our businesses, although mine (previously freelance copy/scriptwriting) now focuses on writing my own books and helping others develop and produce theirs.
I can soooooo identify with the “find-the-misplaced-reading-folder-while-trying-to-email-an-urgent-job-to-the-client” syndrome. We women are multi-taskers extraordinaire because we damned well have to be.
But some people feel that being freelance and working from home is a soft option…you know, you don’t really WORK, you just do a bit in school hours…I mean, it’s not like you’ve got a proper job, is it?
Little do they know that week on week I reckon we freelancers put in far more work hours than the average office staffer. And those are intense, focused, nose-to-the-gleaming-screen hours – not partly spent shooting the breeze by the water cooler or gossiping over the sandwich trolley.
So let’s hear it for us freelancers … all together now….!!
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites
Hi Suzan,
You are sooooo right. Working from home sounds like a soft option but you can also never quite get away from it either.
If I worked in an office I would do my days work and head home. What wasn’t done that day would simply wait until the next.
Working from home, if I know something isn’t quite finished I’ll head back to my desk after I’ve fed the family and got the kids to bed.
I think I may have to get a lock fitted to my office door
Hi Sally
I run my own virtual assistant business from home. Most of the hours I put in are while my two children are at school and I have the advantage of a partner who does the morning school run two days a week so I can squeeze in another hour of working on each of those days and I play catch up in the evening when the children are in bed.
Like you say, it can be stressful, especially as it’s often difficult to know when work is going to arrive. It always seems to be either feast or famine. But, like you I wouldn’t have it any other way, I love working for myself.
The only thing I’d change is to get all the clients who phone at 5pm to phone earlier in the day when I’m not trying to cook supper for the children!
LOL! Clients – don’t you just love them
I was on the phone the other day to a client when the door bell weny (Tesco delivery). My dogs were in the office with me.
Wooden floor – dogs – door bell – you can imagine the racked they suddenly made trying to get to the door. A lot of leg scrabbling but little forward movement.
My poor client thought world war 3 had broken out until I explained what was going on – she saw the funny side.
Ha ha, Maggie. I’m laughing because 5pm is EXACTLY when I want to phone you or other friends because I’m in the middle of cooking dinner (or trying to avoid getting started on it), and it’s a distraction.
The trouble is, 4-7pm is a no-go zone for so many women with young children, and so it’s really hard to call at the right time.
Hi Sally
I run my own virtual assistant business from home. Most of the hours I put in are while my two children are at school and I have the advantage of a partner who does the morning school run two days a week so I can squeeze in another hour of working on each of those days and I play catch up in the evening when the children are in bed.
Like you say, it can be stressful, especially as it’s often difficult to know when work is going to arrive. It always seems to be either feast or famine. But, like you I wouldn’t have it any other way, I love working for myself.
The only thing I’d change is to get all the clients who phone at 5pm to phone earlier in the day when I’m not trying to cook supper for the children!
LOL! Clients – don’t you just love them
I was on the phone the other day to a client when the door bell weny (Tesco delivery). My dogs were in the office with me.
Wooden floor – dogs – door bell – you can imagine the racked they suddenly made trying to get to the door. A lot of leg scrabbling but little forward movement.
My poor client thought world war 3 had broken out until I explained what was going on – she saw the funny side.
Ha ha, Maggie. I’m laughing because 5pm is EXACTLY when I want to phone you or other friends because I’m in the middle of cooking dinner (or trying to avoid getting started on it), and it’s a distraction.
The trouble is, 4-7pm is a no-go zone for so many women with young children, and so it’s really hard to call at the right time.