“You started your own business, that’s brave…”

by Miriam Hanna, Director at MadlinHanna Consulting

... Is the phrase I have been hearing since earlier on this year when Warren and I launched MadlinHanna Consulting. December is a natural review point and whilst the business won’t be 1 year old until the spring I felt it was as good a time as any to share some thoughts from the last 10 months.

PR is a wonderful industry

I always believed this to be the case but this year has cemented my view that PR is a fantastic sector to recruit into. We were honestly taken aback by how many people were willing to work with a small two-person-band start-up but it was based on our previous track record with them or with someone they knew. Success in PR recruitment is built on credibility and credibility is built on a network. We endeavour to give everyone a good experience when interacting with us because we know the power of referrals and recommendations.  You wouldn’t recommend your friend or colleague to someone you don’t trust!

You don’t know what you don’t know…

… Was a really handy bit of advice. There is no checklist when you start a company. You have to make it up as you go along and trust the experts where you can find them. It’s always a toss-up but we felt outsourcing where we could was the most sensible approach so we could focus on generating revenue. For example, we secured an outsourced accountant but I did the website myself (feedback welcome- madlinhanna.com). It’s a balance.

Working in a partnership is great

Warren and I have very different skills and bounce off each other which is why the partnership works. We constantly get asked if we argue and the truth is we don’t. A good working relationship is built on a mutual respect of how the other person works and if that is in the foundations, nothing reaches the “arguing” stage. We laugh. A lot. And that is incredibly healthy.  Working with someone else is very grounding and keeps you on the straight and narrow.

Never stop learning

Recruitment we can do with our eyes closed but running a business is something we are new to. We read Richard Branson books, yes but we have also built an informal mentorship network around us. We go for quarterly catch ups with people we feel we would like to emulate in some way. Continuing the learning process is the only way we can develop as business owners.

It's been a strong start and we look forward to building on it in 2018!

MadlinHanna Consulting is a recruitment consultancy specialising in corporate affairs, covering public affairs, corporate communications and financial PR. Contact us on 020 8088 4102 for more information or a confidential conversation.