Just over a year ago today I blogged that a change is as good as a rest as I confirmed that I’d be taking on a part time role with a local agency in addition to running my own business.

My logic felt sound: supplementing my own income while I expanded Ultimately Better so that I could temporarily stop drawing a salary, using time I had been previously spending on the school run, expanding my network and giving the agency the benefit of my accrued knowledge as well as hopefully learning something in the process.

The idea felt realistic but the reality was sadly less magical. I rapidly began to resent spending 2hrs+ a day commuting to an office when I knew I could achieve the same things (if not more) from my own desk, negotiating time off around agency requirements was a slog (and I take very little time off in the grand scheme of things because it messes with my routine) and I didn’t think anyone was benefiting from my knowledge and experience because I was bogged down in basic tech support. I gave notice to reduce my hours months ago, advised they hire a junior, and then ultimately we mutually decided to let the 12 month contract end and leave it there.

The timing is a mixed blessing. On one hand, Gaz and I separating means I will soon be car-less so wouldn’t be able to get to the office regardless, but on the other hand I could have secured a solo mortgage just on that part time contract. It means I can invest more time in training my juniors (plural!) and building UB profits back up, which will allow me to re-visit the morgage thing in 12 months, but I’m wary of falling into the trap of spending every spare second working which I have a tendency to do if I don’t have the means to easily get out and about.

I know that this is the right way forward for me at the minute, I feel it in my bones, but the limbo-like state I’m in on a more personal / relationship level is making every step forward feel like wading through treacle. Still, I’m taking this week off work to gather my thoughts, re-assess, come up with my plan for the next 12 months (and attend WTSFest on Friday… if that counts as time off work?) I got this, right? 💪

In my previous post, in which I announced the separation from my husband and likely impending doom of trying to buy him out of the mortgage, I joked that I might have to do Project £20k again. I probably shouldn’t have tempted fate, because as it turns out that this is the number that Gaz… read full entry »

I made my first “proper” hire at Ultimately Better last month. Well, proper in the sense that I wasn’t just offering a salaried position to a long-standing freelancer; proper in the sense that I had to write a job spec, advertise, interview and make Big Important Decisions. I find the whole process of hiring someone… read full entry »

Each year I try to make small improvements to my life, my work, my fitness, my well-being etc. Small incremental improvements are much easier to maintain in the long term than large overhauls (although I’m no stranger to those either!) 2019 has been mostly about making grown up decisions to improve my financial standing &… read full entry »

1. Phone number on every page I know it can seem intimidating to list a phone number on your website when you’re a work at home parent, but many suppliers and customers prefer to talk rather than e-mail, even in this day and age. One of my favourite clients — whose WordPress website I maintain… read full entry »

With Karl and I in the process of moving house, I have decided to indulge a little in one of my few obsessions: clocks. Since I was younger I have had this unexplainable need to know the time, and to have access to an accurate timepiece. I check my watch even if I already know… read full entry »

Three times over the last month (that’s four weeks, not since the 1st of June) I’ve received envelopes from my bank absolutely stuffed with various adverts for loans, a variety of different accounts, online banking, etc. This is all printed on very shiny/glossy paper, which I believe (but could be wrong about) is not recyclable… read full entry »