OUR PODCAST
What's in This Episode
You know the saying – “From little things, big things grow” – well, it is no different in the business world. In fact, some of the biggest businesses have quite literally started from a backyard shed. The latest trends for achieving work life balance sees so many people start a business from home. This can lead to success and struggles and can effect everyone, from tradies in business to customer service and of course creative entrepreneurs.
And so, in this new Instagram age where perfection is relentlessly pursued, do you ‘fess up’ to your humble beginnings? Or just “fake it till you make it”? And in all honesty, does anyone even care?
Why this episode is such an important listen.
In this episode of the Commical weekly podcast, we chat to Jen Bishop, founder and publisher of the hugely successful (and run-from-home) blog Interiors Addict. She takes us through her career success stories from her humble beginnings through to her business experiences starting up the Interiors Addict blog.
Jen is refreshingly open and unashamedly proud of being a home-based ‘lady startup’ business. She takes a more honest approach to running her small business. She believes that authenticity always trumps forgery. To her, there is nothing more cringeworthy than seeing any small business owners, especially someone you know is lying, trying to pass off a co-working space as their very own plush office!
Is there really a need to appear bigger than you are? Do prospective clients really expect a smoke and mirrors show to prove legitimacy? Jen says that from her experience it has always been much more important to be professional and be good at what you do, than to have a big city address. It is far better to invest your time and money into your online business presence and any additional spending for credible contractors to help grow your business in a real and reputable way.
The fact is there are always going to be those clients out there that want or need that “Big Business” feeling. They might prefer to have more than one point of contact – or a need to impress their own clients with high rise meeting rooms and sweeping city views. But at the end of the day, if you are consistently delivering good work and meeting deadlines, your professionalism will leave more of an impression than a fancy harbour view ever will.
About Jen Bishop
Jen has been a successful full-time blogger for 7 years, following a 15-year career in journalism in the UK and Sydney. Jen is publisher and editor of leading Australian interior design blog Interiors Addict (launched in April 2011).
Prior to taking Interiors Addict full-time, Jen was editor and publisher of Australian magazine Dynamic Business for almost five years. Before moving to Sydney in 2008, she had a successful journalism career in the UK, where she trained as a newspaper reporter, edited several magazines and even spent a year at New Scotland Yard, editing the Metropolitan Police’s fortnightly newspaper.
Jen is in demand as a public speaker on topics including blogging, social media and start-ups.