In 2015, I was working as a solicitor, had two young children and dreamt of making my living as a writer one day. At that point, I wanted to be an author and hadn’t considered copywriting as a potential option. By the beginning of 2016, I’d left my legal career behind, and Kirsty France Writes was born. Here’s the story so far.
Early days
When I first decided to start a business, I quickly realised how supportive the community can be. I already knew quite a few self-employed people and business owners. They reassured me that no one really knows what they’re doing and shared resources that had helped them. They introduced me to Facebook groups, websites and a networking group that I’m still a member of today. Networking, whether on social media or in person, got me my first clients, and it’s why I still have a business today.
Good and bad clients
I’ve had some fantastic clients over the years, and a few that weren’t the right fit. I’ve learned some valuable lessons, including how to spot red flags and turn clients away if it’s not going to work.
Even the best relationships come to an end. If you’re starting out, you might think that clients only leave because something negative happens. While things definitely go wrong sometimes, needs and priorities also shift towards something you can’t provide. I treasure the people who’ve stayed with me long term, but I’ve also learned to reflect on the great relationships that have ended to help me spot more people like them in the future.
Lockdown
I’ve worked from home since the start, so when lockdown came, lots of people told me that my life wouldn’t really change. It turns out that my sanity depends on a healthy mix of time at my desk and getting to go networking and seeing people in real life. Some networking continued online, but it’s not the same. Oh yeah, and I also had two primary school-aged children who suddenly weren’t at school anymore.
My business went quiet, but I still had some work to do. I also experimented with introducing digital products. That lasted for a few years post-lockdown until I decided it wasn’t worth the effort anymore. These days, I give away my favourite eBook to new email subscribers as a thank you.
Learning what I stand for
When I first started the business, I believed that, as an ex-lawyer, I’d work with lots of law firms and other professional services businesses. I quickly learned that I don’t generally enjoy working with bigger firms. I much prefer supporting sole traders and smaller businesses with great stories who want to get their personalities into their marketing. There are exceptions, but it’s always about the people for me. I love the variety of working for different types of businesses, moving between writing about insurance, jewellery, dogs and lots of other interesting things.
It took me a long time to embrace leaving the corporate mindset behind and to start applying that to my work and marketing. Great coaching has played a vital role in helping me loosen up and be myself. It’s still a work in progress, and getting my clients’ voices into their marketing feels easy in comparison!
The future
As I look back on the story so far, I find myself thinking about the lessons I’ve learned and what the next ten years might look like. I’m still working on being a published author and wondering how that might combine with my business.
I still want to help more small businesses shine and grow as I head into the future. If I can support you as we head into the next ten years, let’s have a chat.
