Business Startup

When Susan Baker decided to give up her job as Marketing Manager at a local college to set up her own business, it wasn’t a decision she made lightly.

But three months into self-employment she is confident that she made the right choice – and as she works to develop her business Hallmark Business Training she is thoroughly enjoying being her own boss.

“I have worked in Marketing and PR for a number of years,” she said, “and I really enjoy meeting and working with new people. I have developed a lot of skills in that time and felt that I could put them to much better use through my own business.”

Through Hallmark Business Training Susan provides a full range of Marketing and PR services including proofreading, copywriting, production of marketing materials and literature and much more. She also provides bespoke training courses in a number of areas of business including business development and media training.

She said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my role as Marketing Manager at Wirral Met College, but I didn’t always necessarily feel like I was able to make full use of my skills, for instance it’s not often as a marketing manager that you get to work on media training and preparing people for radio interviews and this is something that I really like doing.”

“A lot of small and medium sized businesses cannot always afford a full time marketing person and through Hallmark I am hoping to find cost effective and affordable solutions for them, as marketing and pr is very important,” Sue added.

Sue had the idea of going into self-employment last year but it wasn’t until she came into women’s enterprise agency Train 2000 who are part of the Northwest Business Start-Up Consortium that she really took the plunge.

“I had registered my business name, got my logo and website designed and up and running but I hadn’t taken it any further” she said, “but once I had been into train 2000 and sat down with an adviser, I felt really ready to go for it.”

Susan, whose children have now grown up, said that at her stage in life she felt ready to try something different and is extremely glad that she has.

“I know things will be slow at first,” she continued, “and it will take a while to build things up but I am thoroughly enjoying the challenges and opportunities that running my own business brings.”

Maggie O’Carroll, Executive Director for Train 2000, said: “The transition from being in fulltime employment to taking the step to become self-employed can at times seem quite daunting.

“Through the help, advice and support we are able to give we can assist the women we work with, to overcome any difficulties they may have, in order to make this process much easier for them. Through one to one sessions and training programmes, women can start up in business with full confidence, following our support.”

For further information about Hallmark Business Training email info@hallmarkbusinesstraining.com or call Susan on 01928 726460

You can also visit Susan’s website www.hallmarkbusinesstraining.com