By Kirsty Nelms, director of Peacock Digital Marketing Ltd.

It was June 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic had changed life as we knew it. The BBC was reporting that the world was facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was at this time I chose to quit my job at an agency and set up as an independent marketing consultant.

Was I crazy? Some of the most interesting people usually are. I’m looking back on the past 12 months as I prepare to transition from a sole trader to a limited company director and I couldn’t be more proud of what I’ve achieved.

Over the past year the working world has been turned upside down. People have had time to re-assess their careers and work/life balance and many have had enough of the grind. We’re taking charge and mapping out our own destinies.

For anyone making a shift right now and considering taking that crazy step into self-employment, here are some nuggets of advice…

1 If you want to know more about setting up a business, ask the Chambers of Commerce

I’m going to take a wild guess here and say that most people who start their own business are not experts in running a business. Why would they be? Usually, you start a business because you have a very special set of skills (calm down Liam Neeson) and you see the value in using those skills to benefit others.

I was extremely lucky to have a head start when it came to branding my business, building a website and marketing my services – it’s what I do