Hannah Needham
Left life as a corporate lawyer in the city to set up www.thisisyourkingdom.co.uk a niche lifestyle website and trusted place to share and discover only the most lovely things to see and do in the UK.
We'd love to hear from any fellow escapees who'd like to share their favourite place with our readers in return for a nice bit of visibility on the site!
Ex-lawyer to This Is Your Kingdom founder
Taking voluntary redundancy from her corporate law firm, Hannah has started 'This Is Your Kingdom'. She is on a mission to 'bring local back' (part of a growing movement it seems). Esc wishes her all the best on this adventure and congratulations for a great escape!
How I can help Esc members
We are always looking for ideas for lovely local businesses/places/things to talk about and feature. If any Escape the City members own/work for suitable businesses we would love to hear about them - things@thisisyourkingdom.co.uk" rel="nofollow">things@thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.
Alternatively if there are any budding journalists out there looking for a creative outlet (we will of course credit all work with a link to your blog/website) please do get in touch - jobs@thisisyourkingdom.co.uk" rel="nofollow">jobs@thisisyourkingdom.co.uk.
Currently...
Running 'http://www.thisisyourkingdom.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">This is Your Kingdom'.
Before I escaped...
Prior to TIYK I worked as a corporate lawyer in a large city firm.
Having bored friends and family to death for a number of years about my desire to do something that utilised my creative/business side, I elected to take voluntary redundancy in June 2009 and have a stab at fulfilling this dream. For me, this was an opportunity to be grasped with both hands - a chance to do something on my own, change my lifestyle and generally try and do some good.
My moment of truth...
I think the moment of truth came when, following the redundancy strategy being announced, my immediate reaction was one of elation rather than concern! I knew at this moment here was an opportunity that required some serious consideration.
Planning for it...
Having already written a thorough business plan, I felt confident that I had taken the necessary steps to ensure the business was viable. Obviously there were financial considerations but these were already taken care of through careful planning and a rather stringent savings plan!
The worst and best bits...
Challenges: Self motivation, especially when working from home and placed amidst household 'distractions'! I also think the responsibility of having your own business takes a bit of getting used to, though like anything, once you do it, you realise it's really not that scary!
Highlights: Being my own boss and having the freedom to take the path less well trodden when making business decisions, and the sense of elation I feel when we receive lovely feedback from our readers or the people we feature. Though saying that the main thing I love about being a part of TiYK is that I feel we are creating a platform by which we can help small, independent, fabulous businesses to become great and really inspire people in the UK to be proud of our wonderful country.
Best advice...
There is no substitute for good old-fashioned hard graft.
Useful resources and information...
The http://www.bl.uk/bipc/" rel="nofollow">British Library hold a fantastic selection of networking events and seminars especially tailored for small business owners.
I also discovered http://www.studentgems.com/" rel="nofollow">student gems - a fabulous website which connects students looking for work/experience with business owners - perfect for start ups who need help but have a very limited budget.