Helen Dugdale founded PR and writing agency, Scribble, in 2005. Prior to this she has worked in a variety of roles in public relations and journalism. She has two children and is based in Hale, Cheshire.
“…Just believe you can and will do it! Organisation is the key and don’t be scared to run your business, your way…”
Helen, you are one of our heroes as you built up Scribble yourself. What made you want to start your own business?
I’d worked as a freelance journalist since graduating, but always had a regular full time job working in radio, TV and film festivals. So, when I returned to the UK after living in Canada, I had no job and nowhere to live, just a long list of things I wanted to achieve and my belongings scattered all the over the country.
So within two months, I’d found a house, got all belongs back and set up Scribble. I knew it was now or never, to go it alone and build my own empire. Scribble is ten years old in December, and I’ve never looked back.
What is your unique selling proposition for the business and how can small businesses compete with larger organisations by differentiating themselves?
For me it’s really simple – the USP for Scribble is me! I work with brands, businesses and entrepreneurs that I feel really passionate about, that I can get under the skin of and that genuinely excites me.
My really passions lie in the creative and packaging industries, education and food and drink, which are quite diverse, but you’d be surprised how they can fit together seamlessly!
Business doesn’t need to be all stuffed shirt, and based around the boardroom. You can have fun with it!
What were the greatest challenges you faced setting up the business?
Finding out who I really wanted to work with and sticking to my guns. Yes, of course there’ll be work that pays well, but doesn’t make you dance with excitement. But on the whole stay focused on you want to be working with and who you want to align your own brand with.
What are the best and worst bits of self-employment?
The best bits: Doing it your way. Under your terms. Seeing a plan or proposal come together and being able to give yourself a massive slap on the back.
The worst bits: It’s 24/7. There’s no one to hide behind if you drop a clanger. Christmas parties can be pretty pants.
What is it like working from home? Does having physical premises matter nowadays?
I’ve flipped from renting an office to working from home. I’m currently back home working. But I really do miss the buzz and banter of a noisy office. Finding the right home for your business is important. No, I don’t believe it does matter that much if you have a physical premises. It obviously depends on what industry you’re in and the nature of your business.
What is important is surrounding yourself with a network of people who can be your colleagues / work mates, even though you aren’t working for the same company.
You’ve had two children whilst you’ve been self-employed. How did you get on juggling maternity leave and keeping the business going single-handedly?
You’ve just got to laugh! I didn’t take ‘maternity leave’ as such. I continued working; I just reduced the number of clients I worked with. The moment I realised that business and motherhood was going to be an interesting juggle was when I was hosting a PR lunch for a client that launched a boutique hotel. My mum was sat in the car park outside with my 3-week-old son who needed feeding. She was kept calling me to tell me he was crying. It was pretty ridiculous and I certainly didn’t do it the second time around!
What I learnt: be nice to yourself first, and be realistic about what you can and want to do with your business and children. Build a support network, whether that’s friends, family or a nursery, let people help. Just believe you can and will do it!
Organisation is the key and don’t be scared to run your business, your way.
What advice would you give to other women considering setting up their own business?
Do it! Do it! Do it! Talk to other people who are already doing it. You’ll be surprised how much they’ll want to help you and inspire you. They’ll also be able to guide you round the black holes that they fell into!
What is next for you and Scribble?
A new website, a children’s book that I’m currently searching for a publisher for and heading to Vancouver to discuss maybe setting up and office in Canada. I’m currently working with some brilliant clients and I look forward to adding more to Scribble’s portfolio.
https://twitter.com/HelenScribble/
