5 reasons to be a tiger or can a phone call change your life?

Sometimes I look back on my journey at KiddyCharts, and wonder how the hell I actually got here…

The free charts we have were just a wee idea I had. One afternoon, when my little boy was at nursery, I decided that I would just find a few people on the internet who might be able to help me with building a website, because I really didn’t think I would be able to do it myself. I emailed a few organisations, and then went to get a diet coke from the fridge and forgot all about it.

Two days later I was grappling with my son in the buggy when I received a phone call that started me on the path I am on today. I listened to what that gentleman had to say, and I set the wheels in motion for the first design specs for this site. I had no idea what I was doing, where I was going, and whether or not I would even get there, but that phone call inspired me to take a chance.

Thank goodness I didn’t miss it. Something I am acutely aware may very well happen to me, as I can get rather distracted during the working day. You never know when those calls will be important, so it is worth considering organisations like Everreach – www.everreach.co.uk – who are currently running a 1 month free trial for their virtual phone number service. Details are in the video below:

Taking that call changed my working life, and you so don’t want to miss out just because you were changing a nappy, or trying to negotiate with the toddler about mealtimes now, do you? Despite the setbacks I have had, I have never regretted the actions I took after my buggy grappling phone call… Three years ago, I just went for it, and I would do so again in an instant, and here is why you should do the same.

1. Because of the lessons learned: Though I have lost money along the way to creating KiddyCharts, the reasons for that have taught me some hard lessons that have meant that my business is now profitable for the second year in a row, and has been only one year into inception
2. Because of the new skills you gain; I have learnt so many new skills; I am using one of them now, writing this blogpost, I use those new skills every single day. If I hadn’t taken that call, I wouldn’t have the skills that I have now
3. Because of the flexibility it brings; As a business analyst, which is the job I did before I set up KiddyCharts, I was away for long periods. The longest I am away now is an extra three hours after school a couple of days a week, or an overnight for a blogging conference. That’s a lot better than having to be away for two weeks at a conference in the United States. Sounds lovely, but its not when you have an 18-month old at home, and that is where you really want to be
4. Because you can take back control; You are your own boss, you decide what you do and when you do it. You can also decide how developed you want your business to be as well. I have stopped somewhere that works for me, others might have stopped earlier, or have developed the site and the services we offer more. However, I have my priorities and I can control the business as it suits ME. No-one else.
5. Because you have to try; If you don’t give it a go, you really will never know, will you? That was my single biggest motivation for starting all of this. Haven’t looked back since, well perhaps just the once when I realised my first web designers fleeced me. Aside from this, I love what I do, and how many people can say that?

There are plenty of other small business owners just like me, whose businesses are what they want them to be because of a simple phone call – Jo Malone, who runs Jo Loves, also has a great story to tell about how her life changed because she was able to answer that call…

So if you have an idea, just go for it, be a Tiger! If you are already in business and you want to change something, why not try that out too? Cover your bases, and be careful, but give it a go. You never quite know where it all might lead you.

This is a sponsored post.

Helen

Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!

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