For years, Catherine found herself being asked for professional advice by people she’d worked with. Eventually, she realised there was a market for human resources and career management advice – and that she had a knack for helping people with these complicated situations.
“I loved fixing problems. I loved creating better ways of doing things. Although most people say they hate change, I thrive on it. Every time I had broken the back of major issues in my workplace, I started to look around for new challenges.”
At Worksense – Solutions at Work, Catherine helps individuals and organisations fix professional issues, find more efficient ways of operating their businesses, master the intricacies of employment law, and much more.
“My satisfaction comes from helping my clients go from a problem that often feels overwhelming to a solution that is better than they imagined it could be.”
Advice Catherine wishes she’d been told when she started her own business:
- Do a lot more planning before you quit your day job!
- You don’t have to do things the way “gurus” do. If you truly trust your own ability, go with what feels authentic.
- You can take a holiday!
Catherine’s advice for someone thinking about starting a business:
- Ideally, have money behind you (or a partner in regular employment) so that you can cover your costs when your income is unpredictable.
- Talk to an accountant.
- Test your market.
- If you are employing people, make sure you understand your legal obligations.
- Be brave!
- If you have found yourself out of work and unable to secure employment, which is common later in life, don’t just wait for a job to come along. Look at your skills and the things you do really well, and build yourself a great LinkedIn profile and a website and just start consulting. This may lead to permanent employment, or you may find you never want to work for anyone else again.
Starting out in business? Catherine recommends getting acquainted with these skills, quickly:
- Financial management (invoicing, budgeting, etc.)
- Website management
- Negotiation skills
Catherine’s Favourite Entrepreneur
“This is a hard question for me to answer, as I’ve worked with a number of amazing entrepreneurs in Australia (none of whom have a profile outside of their industries, because they work in niche markets).
“Right now, I would have to say Michael Cassel is my favourite entrepreneur. Michael is one of Australia’s most rapidly rising theatre producers. He launched his career while he was still in high school. After a stint with Harry M. Miller and Disney, Michael created his own production company, the Michael Cassel Group. This year, he is producing “Kinky Boots,” and will bring the Carole King musical “Beautiful” to the stage next year.
“Michael is so full of energy, and has such a clear vision of what he wants, that he attracts all the right people to him – people who work to ensure his vision always delivers outstanding products.”
Catherine on HerBusiness
“HerBusiness is a portal to all the information you could ever need! It does not matter what you are looking for, it is there!”
