Do you dread the day you or your loved ones can no longer remain independently living in your own home?
The realisation hit Lauren Scott that the day will eventually come for herself and many of her friends. She recognised the loneliness her Nanna was experiencing when she said “All my friends have died.”
This inspired her to start up Golden Girls Assist to assist seniors who are no longer driving and living independently or in aged care facilities. As a concierge, Lauren provides personal support and transportation for social outings, shopping, appointments and errands.
If spotted in public you won’t catch Lauren wearing a uniform; she remains as unobtrusive as possible. Lauren prefers for others to think of her as a friend or family member because that’s the way she treats her clients.
What Lauren Enjoys Most About Running Her Business:
“I like the fact that I have been able to help my clients live independently in their homes longer; in some cases an extra couple of years whereas, without support, they would have probably moved into aged care earlier.”
Lauren notes that her clients “LOVE their gardens,” sometimes it’s what they miss most. Lauren loves getting to keep her clients in their home and with their gardens!
3 Pieces of Advice Lauren Wish She Knew When She Started:
- There will be LONG hours
- There is endless opportunity for personal and business growth
- IT’S WORTH IT
“I wish I had started earlier.”
Lauren’s Advice for New Business Owners
- Take speech training and learn to deliver a clear and confident business speech
- Network well, promote yourself and establish connections
- Bookkeeping – learn to manage your money and cash flow
“The more you give out to help others, the more it helps yourself.”
In Lauren’s IDEAL business she would grow the business capacity by having staff located around Victoria with the Golden Girls Assist clients.
Immediately following her business start up, Lauren searched for memberships to join. She has been a HerBusiness Network member since she started her business. With little business training, Lauren knew she could come to the community with her problems, gain expertise advice and promote her services to other members.
As a HerBusiness Network member, Lauren has become more confident in herself and her business. Through workshops, meetings and public speaking training she has gained skill and confidence in running social media and presenting her business to large crowds.
“I would have never made this growth or had this level of support working under someone else. The encouragement is amazing!”
This post was authored by Hannah Stanley. Hannah is completing a journalism internship at HerBusiness. She studies journalism and electronic media at the University of Tennessee in the United States.
