Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in content writing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rachel Jackson, Founder of Cup of Copy, located in Lancashire, UK.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Cup of Copy is a copy and content writing agency that serves businesses in the UK, US and beyond. We work with all types of businesses in all different industries to develop content and content strategies that convert browsers into buyers. With our help, businesses attract more leads and foster positive connections with their audience to drive sales.
Tell us about yourself
I was the biggest bookworm as a kid and my love for reading quickly grew into a passion for writing. Whether conjuring magical worlds or venting my frustrations to the local newspapers, I was always putting pen to paper. Yet, despite my penchant for writing, I had no idea how to make this into a living.
I played around with different job roles but never found the right fit. So I started working for myself – first, using platforms like Depop and eBay to resell clothing before launching a handmade children’s clothing brand, The Little Elephant. I enjoyed learning about SEO, content marketing and everything related to the day-to-day running of a business. Between writing press releases to social media captions, developing email marketing campaigns to planning SEO content strategies, I finally figured out how to use my love of writing to create a profitable business: copywriting.
I started freelance writing on Fiverr in April 2021 and quickly established a client base with a growing demand for my content and copywriting services each month. By the end of summer, I’d made it to Fiverr Pro – the top 1% of freelancers on the platform, and couldn’t keep up with demand. In October of the same year, I transitioned from full-time employment to full-time freelancing, making more money than I ever had in employment whilst working half the hours.
By March 2022, demand for my services had grown so much that I had to branch out. I launched my own copywriting agency and hired other freelance writers to help. I now source clients off the Fiverr platform and am living my dream of being my own boss and having more time, more freedom and more flexibility. By diversifying my team with great writers who specialise in different subject matter, I’ve been able to onboard clients across the world, always guaranteeing high-quality content and copywriting services.
No two days at Cup of Copy are the same – I learn something every single day. I love the challenge and the freedom that comes with it. There’s nothing like choosing your own working hours and partnering with clients whose ethos you can really get behind.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Taking back control of my time, breaking the ceiling on my earning potential and helping others to get started with freelancing.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses. When you own a business, sometimes it's down to you to do it all. Especially in the beginning, business owners wear all hats. Whilst this is a struggle in itself, it makes it even harder to let some stuff go and take some of the pressure off your plate. Letting go of the reins and trusting someone else with the role may be daunting, but hiring specialist support in the areas you're not particularly great in is the key to scaling your business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Embrace the challenge: everybody has to start somewhere and it's too easy to put things off, waiting until you have more capital, more experience… more, more, more. But that day never comes, so throw yourself in at the deep end, give it your very best shot and enjoy the process.
- Be willing to learn: no two days are the same, which can be super stressful, but also really fun. I had zero business or marketing experience before I launched TLE, but I was so passionate about making it work that I tried my hand at anything. There's so much information available online; all you have to do is be willing to learn.
- Go with the flow: things don't always work out the way you want them to. I wanted my first business to work so much that I felt like a failure when giving up on it. Turns out that giving up on the business was the best thing I could've ever done because now I'm right where I need to be – happier than ever, doing something I love and helping others to do the same.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://cupofcopy.co.uk/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelcjackson/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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