The Truth About Starting Your Own Business If You Live Abroad
As I sit in Chicago for a summer break with my family (two years since we moved back to England), I wanted to write a blog of gratitude and share the real truth about starting your own business if you live abroad.
Why Did We Choose to Live Abroad?
We always wanted to live abroad with our kids after doing 2.5 years in India as newlyweds. We both grew so much in that time and I know the experience changed my outlook on life.
So, Chicago is the first place that I’ve lived abroad with my family. The fact that the kids asked to return this summer and we have a whole group of wonderful friends to see and stay with is amazing. It confirmed to me that my hubby and I made the right decision to move there in the first place.
But, was I keen on moving when the opportunity came up for Chicago for my hubby's job?
If I’m honest, no.
I didn’t think culturally that it would be my kind of place, and maybe naively I thought it was too similar to the UK. It is sooo different. It actually took me much longer to settle than I thought. In fact I found it easier to settle in India! In India, I had been surrounded by a lot more people in the same boat as me compared to our time in Chicago. But 4 years in Chicago was game-changing for me.
It’s where I started Your Ajency and where I made life-long friends.
How Did I Start a Global Marketing Agency in Chicago?
Despite being pretty scared, I decided mid-pandemic to launch a business to support female founders - even though in all honesty, my own confidence was pretty low.
I had a big nudge from my friend and mentor. Why? Because I was in a country where confidence seemingly comes as second nature. Well, so I thought anyway! I was constantly seeing the confidence of female business owners on social media, all making claims of six- and seven-figure businesses. They had no problem in talking about money. And so my friend encouraged me to at least try…
Now I look back and feel lucky that I got to launch a business in the States.
Starting a marketing agency in the USA changed my UK business mindset
Here are some of the key things that have totally changed my mindset and now really help me help others in growing their business, even though I’m now based back in the UK.
1. Charge Your Worth
Pricing is probably one of the biggest challenges that my clients and any female founders face.
The difference between the US and the UK is that Americans are more likely to feel comfortable charging their worth and therefore charge more than UK counterparts.
It is a cultural thing - they have higher costs in many of the bigger US cities especially with property tax each year being like stamp duty! They don’t have the NHS so have to pay for medical insurance and generally life in alot of American cities is more expensive than in British cities. But honestly, I think in America, they have a different mindset when it comes to money - and it’s a good one!
2. Invest in Yourself
Setting up Your AJency was the second time I’d set up a business, but the biggest difference to its success was having a mentor. I would say it was one of the most important things I did when launching Your AJency.
Who was my mentor? Someone who had run a business before, successfully scaled it and also had a whole spectrum of contacts. She is a master at sales and business strategies and I can’t recommend her enough! She is a hidden gem in my opinion and definitely is NOT just about physical spaces. Gillian runs Rold Design.
Looking back, I probably under-estimated how important she was going to be in helping me grow my business. If you are looking for someone, she and her team could be worth contacting.
Whilst I appreciate now that mentors are not all about giving you contacts, ultimately those first connections landed me my first client in the States.
Taken at the grand opening of Wildwood Photography Studio and Events Space - my first client in Chicago
But here’s something that I would never have done before living in the USA…
I started investing in myself and my business before I even had income.
To be fair, I was lucky as some of the mentorship was complimentary and we supported each other businesses. But I also decided to invest in a website from the outset! I had tried to do one myself for my previous business and it was shocking. Plus some of the potential clients wouldn't consider me as I didn't have a website!
My mentor became like a walking advert for me! I struck gold and my services complimented her already-successful business, a design experience agency that specialised in business strategies and creating one-of-a-kind physical spaces that match the vision in her client’s heads. She really has made many dreams true from photographers to wellness and healthcare professionals. Who wouldn’t want to go to a medical appointment at a stunning 5 star luxury hotel aesthetic rather than the normal bland soulless spaces?
Why Investing in Yourself is So Important When Starting a Marketing Agency
Having the guts to invest in myself and spend money before I was earning was a huge challenge for me and something that I hadn’t done before. I always thought I needed to earn the money before I spent the money!
Having a mentor was the best decision I ever made for my business. The personal development industry is next level in the States. They really are visionary when it comes to learning about yourself, and many business owners consider how they are building a business for the future. Having a mentor isn’t about your business now. It’s about where they and their business are going. There are some incredible events across the States that support huge communities of female founders.(happy to share the ones I know)
So my biggest takeaway was I needed to invest and take that "risk" in order to scale.
Listen to Gillan’s podcast, The Stories Told by ROLD and hear more of my story about starting a business when you live abroad.
If you’re really not in a position to pay for a mentor (and I appreciate for lots of people this is a real situation!) you’ll be relieved to know that not all mentors need to be paid for. There are some amazing schemes here in the UK and websites like Enterprise Nation also have information on funding and grants you can have access to as a new female business owner. Allbright also have mentors here in the UK as part of their digital membership.
3. Outsource to Experts
Outsource the parts of your business you don’t like, or struggle with and be sure to surround yourself with experts. You can't do it alone - this money spent is worth it as it will produce higher quality results, save you time and speed up your growth. I am about to celebrate 4 years and it took me 3 years to really do this strategically and I can honestly say I have never loved what I do as much as I do now.
4. Be Ready to make Mistakes
You will make mistakes. I can guarantee it. I have made plenty of my own. But despite the cliche, making mistakes in your business is where some of the best learning is done. Whilst you might not want to shout about all of your mistakes, know that it is ok to make them! Hopefully once made it avoids it happening again!
You have to step out of your comfort zone to grow, soo soo true.
How starting a marketing agency in the USA helps you as a female founder in my community And potentially YOU!
I have a very global view when it comes to business, but having lived in 4 countries (UK, Germany, India and USA) I can also think very locally. This really helps. It also means I have contacts in these places.
I can truly say I run a global agency. In the last year I have expanded into new cities in the US - Nashville being the biggest. But I have also worked with clients in New York and Chicago.
One of my clients has expanded her photography business globally and I’ve been there to help. (Announcement coming out this Friday - keep an eye on Instagram if you’re interested!) After all, I’ve been there and done that! We have a strategic plan that taps into my huge network and something exciting is happening in September to allow her to scale her business even further in the UK! Not to blow my own trumpet, but that wouldn't have happened without me. She set her sights on launching in Germany, continuing in Chicago and in UK. We are 2/3 of the way there and she continues to grow in the States!
Living Abroad Can Totally change Your Mindset
I always say if you have an opportunity to live abroad, do it.
It brings a whole new perspective to your life. It teaches you invaluable lessons and forces you to grow as a person. Plus if you ask most people when they come back, they’ll tell you very little has changed in their home country! So you won’t be missing out and you’ll probably find that you are still there for all the big moments.
You are getting this blog this whilst I am on my way to upstate New York. We have had soo many reunions - both with friends and clients! And I’m so excited that we are squeezing in a trip to upstate New York and NYC!
We feel lucky that when we go back to the USA, it feels like a home from home.
I would love to hear if you have lived abroad? Or perhaps you’re thinking about how to expand your business globally? My Eyes on You Days are a great starting place to pull together a plan to take a vision and idea and make it a reality. The full offer will be added to my website but in the meantime, book a non-committal free discovery call with me.
Let me know - I could talk about this for days! In the meantime, check out some of the highlights of our trip so far over on Instagram!
