In this episode we hear from Melissa Hobson, a self-employed specialist copywriter and PR consultant working with for-purpose organisations. Driven by her passion for marine conservation, Melissa pursued self-employment in February 2021 to support organisations that are making a positive difference to the oceans, the planet and people’s lives.
Melissa shares with us her advice for founders seeking to avoid greenwashing and authentically implement environmentally-friendly processes within their businesses.
Melissa’s advice:
- Putting your own needs first will often lead to the best results for your business and clients
- Never mislead or exaggerate
- Think about sustainability from a consumer perspective; check the Green Claims Code to ensure none of your claims could be misinterpreted
- Setting stringent standards will encourage potential clients to raise their own
- Have a purpose/mission-led business to really enjoy your work
- In the interests of work/life balance, create boundaries for yourself; for example I always have an ‘out of office’ on to limit the amount of time I spend on email and to filter out unnecessary communications
- Connect with other sole traders when you need inspiration or advice
- Charge a fee for people who would like to ‘pick your brains’ as your time is valuable
- Utilise Zoom to manage your time and only attend face to face events that truly add value to your business
- Immediately set tax aside when you receive an invoice to avoid hassle further down the line
- Don’t be afraid to be honest about parts of your business you wish were more successful
- Keep a log of all the small green things you do that make a difference; you’d be surprised by how they add up
If you’d like to contact Melissa you can reach her on melliehobson@gmail.com
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Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.
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MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod. Link & Licence
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