Self-employment
Grow your biz by learning from othersYou can be the most talented person on the planet, but it doesn't mean you know how to run a business. Building a business requires many diverse skills, and it's nearly impossible for one person to know how to do everything. "You have to be humble enough to admit you can learn from other people," entrepreneur Faith Seekings says. ROGER PIERCE |
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 [ 2005-12-07 ] |
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Seekings received support from successful people right at the beginning of her entrepreneurial career.
Seekings owns a growing graphic design agency called Faith Seekings Design (www.faithseekingsdesign.ca). Her team -- which includes Candy, the company dog -- operates from her studio near St. Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto. Seeking's design services span identity creation, printed collateral materials, tradeshow booths, website development and advertising campaigns. "We help our clients to truly relate to their market, not just look pretty," she says.
Seekings received support from successful people right at the beginning of her entrepreneurial career. "I was laid off from my previous job and landed some freelance work," she recalls. "After a few days as a freelancer, my mentor offered to let me use his office space and equipment to start building my own business. He didn't want anything for expenses until I started to make some money."
While she knew she had a talent for graphic design, Seekings also knew she needed to learn how to build a successful business from other people. "I have a mentor, a professional business coach and I belong to several business organizations where I get to learn from a wide range of skilled people," she says.
Seekings is Chair of Ryze Toronto, a member of Junior Chamber International and most recently accepted a volunteer position as the director of marketing for the Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs (www.cawee.net). She also belongs to an informal peer mentoring group where members share ideas and encourage each other.
With two full-time employees and a growing list of sub-contractors and suppliers, Seekings also looks for help from her own team to grow her business. "You've got to embrace the knowledge of people around you," she says. "I hire very talented people and learn from them every day."
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