Many moons ago, Olivia and I were enrolled in the Public Relations program at Algonquin. Having spent two years together studying, learning and practicing everything and anything in the marketing and communications world, we dreamed we’d one day start our own practice. Since then, we’ve both been entrenched in this industry and have loved every minute of it. From sports and radio to the not for profit sector and tech start ups, we’ve been lucky enough to work on a wide range of projects.

What seemed like a dream all those years ago is finally a reality and we are so excited to introduce to you Hello Friday Marketing and Communications!

Starting our own business was an exciting, yet at times, a daunting task. The initial excitement of being able to work for yourself, on your schedule and on projects that are of interest to you is an incredible feeling. Then comes the reality of being an entrepreneur… What office space are you going to work out of? How will you market yourself? Will you be able to support yourself financially?

These are all questions Olivia and I were able to work through together, with the help of our incredible family and friends. Although this is a journey we’re still navigating through, we figured we’d share a few things we’ve learned so far!

Start Before You’re Ready

There’s always going to be a reason to wait for the ‘perfect’ time to start your own business. Especially if that means leaving a comfortable and predictable career. But from our experience, there is no ‘perfect’ time. You might never feel completely ready. There will always be excuses and reasons to delay. It’s a scary thing to go out on your own, to run your own business and to follow a dream. But just when you start telling yourself you’re not ready to take a leap –  that’s when you have to start. Start planning, brainstorming, researching, networking and asking for advice. And the more you do that, the more ready you’ll feel, until one day – you’re open for business! 

Outsource When You Need To

Everyone has a different skill set. It’s important to know your strengths and play off of them whenever possible. That being said, it’s equally as important to know when it’s time to ask for help. Marketing and communications are our forte. Accounting – not so much. We’re happy to work on our website, run our own social media accounts and create our own graphics. We know we need help when it comes to accounting and we aren’t afraid to admit it! That doesn’t mean we can’t learn and it definitely doesn’t mean we’ll need the help forever. But until we can become experts in every area of running a business, we both strongly believe it’s better to tackle what you are confident in and outsource the rest.

Fall In Love With Your Brand

One of the hardest parts thus far has been coming up with a name for our business. That might sound silly, but both Olivia and I refused to settle when it came to our brand. We Googled, we brainstormed, we asked friends and family, we translated words into different languages, we tried combining simple things we loved into phrases. It was a long process, but we refused to give up until we found a name and brand we both fell in love with. Don’t settle. Come up with a brand you’re proud to attach yourself to and that pride will seep through into everything you do.

Last week, one of our followers posted that there are only two months left in this decade. This DECADE! With that in mind, Olivia and I decided Hello Friday is the perfect finish to a decade of learning, hard work and growth.

Thank you to everyone for your support so far. We can’t wait to get started!

Sincerely,

Lauren and Olivia