A spontaneous trip to the Department of Fair Trading to register the business name, ‘Strawberry Communications’, marked the beginning of Johanna Baker-Dowdell’s foray into the world of small business. After years of freelancing, the former journalist and public relations practitioner decided to launch her own enterprise, now a successful writing and public relations consultancy. The company specialises in generating publicity for small and medium enterprises. Working from home has allowed Johanna, a mother of two, to work around her family’s needs.
Living in a regional city, however, has presented some challenges.
Without access to networking events in the capital city, Johanna has had to make use of alternative means to establish her name and business. She has invested heavily in social media to expand her business. With assistance of government and other agencies, she has also furthered her personal and business development. Johanna has also overcome some of the challenges of starting out in a regional community by connecting with other like-minded businesswomen through the Australian Businesswomen’s Network (ABN). As an educational resource, the Australian Businesswomen’s Network has also been invaluable through its workshops and tutorials, which allow Johanna to better herself as a business owner – all from the convenience of her office. She has picked up new clients through her membership with the ABN and has contributed as an ABN blogger, enabling her to work on her business blogging technique. Relying on the Internet and cloud computing, Johanna is now able to do the work she loves from the comfort of her own home. The journey has involved learning more about technology in order to compete with similar businesses in the market. From keeping in touch with her clients, suppliers and contractors, to bookkeeping and marketing her business via social media, she now takes advantage of the ease of technology to run her entire business from home. For Johanna and her clients, distance is never an issue. The success of her business venture has also meant that she will never have to return to the corporate world. Being her own boss has given her healthy work-life balance, which is especially important for her growing family. Johanna says that one of her favourite things about running her own business is that no two days are ever the same. Regularly attending local networking events for businesswomen has allowed Johanna, who also works as a mentor for Business Mentor Services Tasmania, to meet new contacts.
Her one piece of advice for those starting their own business in regional and remote communities is to find networking groups where you can meet new people and learn from each other.
She also recommends getting active on at least one social media platform to connect with others outside your community.
Johanna Baker-Dowdell was interviewed as part of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s ‘Beyond the City’ initiative, which highlights the achievements of women in regional and rural Australia. You can read more profiles here. And, for more information on you can connect, learn and grow, regardless of your location, learn more about the benefits of membership.
