Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Valerie Rossi, founder of Writer's Block Solutions, located in Rossland, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Writer's Block Solutions is a BC-based copywriting and editing company that specializes in creating content that speaks directly to our clients' audience. We are fascinated by people and their stories. We celebrate diverse communities and individuals and feel that, in a competitive world, sharing what makes you different is ideal. By honing in on our clients' unique voice, persona, and target market, we tailor our communication solutions to spark interest and engagement. Our clients include other entrepreneurs and small business owners as well as larger corporations and non-profit organizations. Everyone needs to communicate! We're dedicated to helping our clients do so with a range of strategies and formats, including newsletters, press releases, articles, blog posts, Q&A features, and large documents ranging from memoirs to technical reports.

Tell us about yourself

I've always been a self-starter, so growing my own freelance writing and editing business seemed like a natural choice when I was ready to diversify and exit the newspaper industry. Storytelling is ingrained in who I am, and even as hard as I tried to do something new — be it facilitating for a non-profit organization or working for an engineering firm doing technical writing — I always wanted to write staff profiles or grab a pull quote to spruce up an otherwise very tech-or-finance-heavy report. When my side hustle doing some lifestyle writing started to pick up, I decided to seize the opportunity and focus on growing my company full-time. I am so grateful that people trust me with their stories, insights, strengths, and weaknesses.

Storytelling is incredibly intimate and vulnerable, and it gives me great joy to work closely with so many wonderful clients. Now nearly into my fifth year, I'm so lucky to have an incredible team of people supporting this vision. My business partner Kyla Girling is the light at the end of the tunnel; as many of us know, growing a business is no easy task! My excellent staff Becky Jack, Sky Regina, and Elise Volkman, are seriously the best dream team imaginable. We all share a desire to get at the most important points, deliver them clearly and concisely, and try to inspire someone to learn more.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As the story business grows, so does our team! Kyla and I were recently delighted to move one of our former contractors into an employee position, thanks to some financial assistance. Securing grant funding this year has helped us take steps toward a brighter, more secure future for the company. This baby step is the first achievement of many important internal goals for this year that will remodel the company and provide more benefits for our team. It gives me great joy to give other people the opportunity to do this work for a living. Writing and editing is such a valuable skill — and it has been forever — but I recall when I first exited journalism and thought, 'now what?' Learning to switch gears and repurpose my skill set into a constantly churning business with incoming and outgoing content reminds me how much I love production!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Developing structure and organization can be challenging when you're a creative free spirit who likes to wander to find inspiration. I don't always take the easiest route to learn and grow. I've had to relearn how to organize my time, ensuring I carve out enough for the not-so-glamorous things — like invoicing. Also, there was a sharp learning curve in understanding that I needed to take time for internal operations, primarily because my purpose and the way I measure success is based upon helping my clients succeed. I've had to come to terms with letting go and making moves while keeping the company's integrity, persona, and service level the same. I've also had to step into leadership and learn to delegate work within these shifts and twisty turns. Sprinkle in competing priorities like motherhood and self-care (it's important to avoid burnout!), and that about sums it up.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Research, research, research. Before starting a business, research what it means to be a business owner and how it'll differ from working for someone else. Think about your personality, how it will jive with what you want to do, and how external factors will impact the transition. Then, if it's still something you want, develop a business plan — ask as many questions as possible during your market research and document everything for future use (I still revisit this work today). Researching helps with new ideas, too. While you may already provide a valued service or product, there's always an opportunity to tweak what you offer. Having an open mind and letting your creativity flourish while you dig deep and learn from others will keep you fresh and open to new possibilities.
  2. Handle your money, honey. Get your financing set up right away. If this is not your strong suit, connect with a bookkeeper or accountant who can provide you with book balancing, consultation, and training. Understand your finances and how changes to your work will impact things. Not only organize your books but the way you handle all financial details. Set up regular invoicing, and be sure you detail and understand all expenses. Set clear expectations when you bring your clients on board so that everyone knows the fine print details. This is essential to letting you focus most of your energy on what you love to do.
  3. Network your heart out. Working through the early steps, such as market research, which should really be done throughout the life of your company, will automatically get you connecting with people within your industry. I have found more success in connecting with my peers than advertising directly to clients. Every industry is small in some regard
    they're all communities within a larger community, and working together is key. Get to know other people offering similar services, attend business events at the local level, connect with value-aligned groups online. Don't be afraid to reach out to people you're interested in working for or with. Chances are, if you're thinking about them, they might be thinking about you too. The universe has a funny way of bringing people together.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Have fun! Growing a business can feel a little like a strenuous hike just when you get a little break by a lovely lake after a rewarding elevation climb, you find yourself struggling up a steep, rocky incline, under pressure to reach the next point before the sun sets so you can set up camp for the night. Maybe that's a bit dramatic, but it can feel like survival of the fittest at times. Make sure you laugh as much as possible and surround yourself with people who support you. Learn early on whether a mentor or coach is enough or if you value companionship instead, such as with a business partner. Lean on your people; they want to help. While it's daunting at times, like a hike, the views are pretty spectacular at the top — but don't worry, the work isn't over; there are always more mountains to climb!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://writersblocksolutions.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WritersBlockSolutions
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writersblocksolutions/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/writers-block-solutions/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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