This post is a
little overdue, because Christmas got in the way, but it was awesome so I think
it still deserves a write-up! About a month ago I signed up to join in with a
networking event that Creative Bath was setting up for students at Bath Spa Uni
- the idea was that they'd get to chat to some local businesspeople (including
chaps from The Bath Magazine, Future Publishing, etc, as well as me), practice
their networking and maybe even get the offer of some work experience. Now,
obviously there isn't an internship program at Sal's Kitchen (yet) but I
thought it might be cool to give the students a glimpse of a different career
path to the usual working-for-someone-else arrangement. Setting up your own
business is not the easiest or most risk-free option, but it can work - hey, it
worked for me - and sometimes all you need to be able to take that plunge is
for someone to tell you it's possible. Not to mention that working freelance in
the digital world is a massively growing source of employment that you might
not find in your traditional careers brochure.
I duly turned up
to The Confessional, one of my favourite new bars in Bath - tucked away in the
stylishly gloomy vaults beneath Burger & Lobster, with walls full of
fascinating customer confessions and a menu full of bespoke cocktails, I'd
highly recommend you try it if you haven't already. Each of us had a table, and
then the students (fresh from a quick Networking 101) chose who they wanted to
talk to, moving on after five minutes. I was pretty flattered to have a queue
at my table for most of the session, and I had a great time chatting to some
really enthusiastic people. Most of the students were studying Creative Writing
or something similar, so there were lots of fellow bloggers eager to get tips,
and I also had some awesome discussions with people about setting up on your
own (I'm always trying to convert people to the self-employed life, because I
love it so much).
This was a great
event and I'm really glad I took part. I feel so lucky that I've been able to
turn Sal's Kitchen into a job, because I get to enjoy every single day at work
- how many people can genuinely say they were looking forward to going back
after Christmas? So if you've got a great idea for a creative online business,
I'd definitely, definitely encourage you to give it a chance. And if you fancy
chatting about it or you'd like to ask me a question, please do get in touch
using the blogger contact form on the lefthand-side of the page, especially if you're a student or graduate
thinking about going it alone - I'd love to hear from you. Happy New Year, and
here's to new adventures!
