“My PR agent Claire Shiels … is really great at what she does and very easy to work with. She got me featured in The Express, in an editorial piece about people who run business’s from their gardens. The statistic said that ‘Shed/Studio’ workers are contributing 6 millions to the UK economy each year! The feature was a lot of fun and the Express sent a photographer to do a photoshoot in my studio. Exposure on a national level is always great for business and I had a real spike in website hits and sales as a result”. (Sarah Hickey, www.sarahhickey.com)
Depending on the day, I am a mother first, wife, marketing and PR professional, copywriter, therapist and cleaner, the order of which can change very quickly! I live in a beautiful rural setting in Northumberland with my husband, daughter and cat – you can guess where I come in that pile! Glad to be back home among the sheep after several years working in London and Manchester.
Having worked in senior in-house marketing roles for organisations including Eversheds, Newcastle College, J D Williams, PKF and D J Freeman (Winners of “Best Brand” category in The Lawyer magazine), I now work freelance, specialising in small business advice.
What’s the best thing about working for yourself?
I get to pick and choose which clients I work with. If I think I can’t help – if a salesperson would be a better option, for instance, I’ll say so. I’m particularly enjoying working with businesses in many different industries – music, IT, social media, energy, recruitment, professional services – every day is different and demands that I stretch the old grey matter.
Which part of your work do you most enjoy?
Variety is one of the advantages of being self-employed, but I do particularly get a buzz when I manage to obtain editorial for a PR client. The competition is fierce and as a PR, you need to have a high level of communication skill and a feel for what the media is truly after in order to succeed.
Where have you managed to have clients placed?
Daily Mail, Billboard, NME, New Energy Focus, BBC radio, Sunday Times, Scottish Business and Finance, The Scotsman, Period Living, Country Life, London Evening Standard….
