If you googled ‘how do I start a business?’ know that you are not alone!

My name’s Mel, the founder of Hey Mel! Communication & Training. And I’m not just a comms person … I’m also a small business owner and it’s been quite the journey!

I know what it’s like to spend years working for others and having that gut feel that you could - and should - go out on your own. I was never cut out for the corporate life (even though I was amongst it for almost 20 years), and I could see the quality of the work my team and I were achieving and it was so much better than some of the big consultancies that were being paid a motza to come in and do work for us!

So I did it - I took the plunge. And let me tell you, I had no idea what I was doing. I had never worked in an agency - just dabbled in a bit of freelancing once in a while. And I’d certainly never run a business!

Everything I now know I learned by reaching out to others who were already on the journey and exchanged coffee for their knowledge. I also joined networking groups, signed up to a bunch of learning things, and - of course - learned from my own stupid mistakes!

I’m now the person who gets approached by friends and colleagues who are thinking about going out on their own, and they want my advice and insights. Over all the coffee meetings and Zoom calls, I’ve realised there is a checklist in my head that I think everyone should have when they’re considering starting their own business…