November is ‘National Entrepreneurship’ month in the US. đ At Canopy Group, many of our clients are entrepreneurs. We asked ourselves, “What does it take to be an entrepreneur?”. Entrepreneurship takes more than just talent. It’s also about having the courage to seize an opportunity when it comes your way; to be resilient, especially in the face of setbacks; and to have incredible determination and willpower to bring a vision to life.
Throughout this month, we will shine the spotlight on some of our clients and ask them for their entrepreneurial wisdom. Be inspired! This week, it’s Kathryn Strachan, Managing Director and Owner of Copy House.
Canopy Group: What inspired you to set up your own business?
Kathryn: My daughter Elizabeth. Before Elizabeth was born, I worked in-house in digital agencies. However, it was difficult to find a role in that space that allowed flexibility and a healthy work-life balance as a new mum. It was also challenging to get a job as many employers were hesitant about hiring a pregnant woman. This discrimination and lack of support on the agency side is what pushed me out of the workplace and into creating my own business. By tirelessly networking and creating Copy House, I changed the way people viewed agencies and provided an environment where my team can have a healthy work-life balance, flexible hours, and good pay.
Canopy Group: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an entrepreneur?
Kathryn: Since I launched Copy House in 2019, the biggest challenge I faced was overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, Copy House was a generalist content marketing agency. We worked with numerous brands in different sectors. From travel and hospitality to technology and FinTech. However, we suffered a huge loss in clients as many cut their marketing budgets and terminated their contracts with us due to COVID-19.
As a direct response to this, my team and I did some extensive market research and repositioned Copy House into a content marketing agency specialising in the niche sector of technology and FinTech. We took numerous steps and overcame many hurdles to reposition ourselves as a leader in this niche, but due to working tirelessly, we were able to slingshot our way out of the pandemic and increase our growth by 280%.
Canopy Group: No one succeeds alone – who has supported or inspired you in your journey?
Kathryn: I definitely can thank numerous people who have supported and inspired me over the years. My dad is definitely one of them, as I grew up close to his entrepreneurial mindset. When I was younger, I watched how he would handle certain situations and how he would break the rules or deviate from the ânormâ. This inspired me to believe in myself, go against what other agencies thought was a good company culture, and instead create my own company with the values I believe are most crucial!
Aside from my family being incredibly supportive, my team has also inspired and supported me. Especially my senior employees. From my Content Lead to my Marketing Manager, theyâve all done an amazing job pushing Copy House forward and helping me take a weight off my shoulders. Iâm no longer alone in this journey but supported by a team of incredible people. Just last week I was able to take a week off from work without worrying about the business falling apart. And for me, thatâs huge. Iâd also like to thank Spencer Gallagher. Spencer has been my inspiration and mentor since the very beginning, his book âGrow Your Agency to the First ÂŁ5m and Beyondâ has shaped Copy Houseâs strategy in more ways than one.
Canopy Group: Why do you believe every entrepreneur should have a personal assistant?
Kathryn: As an entrepreneur, you spend a lot of time thinking and planning. Whether itâs about new ways to grow or ways to do things differently and better, youâre constantly strategizing. This gives you less time to do the more mundane things like checking emails, going through data, etc. Having a personal assistant allows you to make more time for creative thinking and work on the businessâs overarching goals.
Although it can be a challenge not being in control of every aspect of the business and although sometimes you may think âitâs probably better if I do it myselfâ, since you know how to do it well, if you donât delegate your tasks, no one else will learn, and youâll just end up with too much on your plate. I encourage all of my senior team to delegate roles to their juniors. This gives the juniors the opportunity to learn and grow in their role, and the seniors the necessary time for them to focus on the overall goals of the business and their job to lead as a senior.
Learn more about Copy House here.