An eight-year 'little project'
In the last couple of weeks, I've received emails reminding me to renew BOSS Business Office Support 'stuff' - and so I was also reminded that it's eight years ago that I sat down with a 'Red & Black' Notebook (they're quite expensive so rarely get used these days) and started thinking about how I might run my own business, and therefore be my own boss.
I had all my experience from 30 years as a personal assistant and then an Executive Assistant and knew I wanted to use those skills in some way that would provide me with a 'little project'. In my mind, I envisaged this 'little project' would be fun for a year or so and would give me something to do, being newly 'retired'.
So, with input from various members of the family, I came up with a business name which was simply down to wanting to be my own boss and delivering support and secretarial services - this led to the name BOSS Business Office Support Services, and I was well chuffed!! Things moved on quite quickly; I created a mind-map of the services I thought I could offer; I found a lovely office with a sea view at a very reasonable rent (and easy opt-out once I'd decided I'd completed my 'little project')
Then we hot-footed it over to Southampton to buy some cheap and cheerful IKEA office equipment. I was determined, right from the start, on having white furniture as I didn't want anything like a dusty corporate office with boring desks and filing cabinets. That was swiftly followed by a computer (full desktop, no laptop) and two monitors. And hey presto, I was good to go.
.
Except, I had no idea how to market myself, no idea how to set up a website, no idea about social media......but I had lots of family and friends behind me giving me a tremendous amount of help to get me off the ground. I learnt to build and maintain my own website, which I still do to this day, set up my own social media channels (Twitter and Facebook at first then LinkedIn) and joined various networking groups. I had a slow trickle of work, but it was a start......and then before I knew it, the work came tumbling in, the years flew past and after four years I had to renew the business name again. I remember thinking that whilst I had to sign up for another four years, I couldn't really see that far down the line, let alone think I would still be in business and thriving.
But yes, here I am, having made eight years, with several; Covid lockdowns in the middle of it all as well, and about to renew for another four years. It's a long 'little project'!