In some ways 10 years has gone by in a flash, but in others it seems like more than just a mere decade since we started Accuracy Matters; the world was a very different place in 2012. Launching your own business is a huge learning curve, and we haven’t always managed to get everything right first time, but we like to think we’ve learned a lot along the way.
To mark a decade in business, we thought it might be fun to ask some of our senior team what they felt they’d learned so far, and have compiled a list of the top 10 which we think are useful.
1. You can teach an old dog new tricks: after being out of the workplace for a good few years, and lacking in confidence because of it, since working at Accuracy Matters I’ve proven to myself that I can learn how to use new systems and software, and the internet won’t break.
2. It is possible to develop a work-life balance. I’m very lucky in that I’ve found a job where my boss is happy that I work during the school day and doesn’t expect me to work evenings and weekends. This means that on the odd occasion when there is an emergency, I’m very happy to jump in and lend a hand.
3. You can deliver amazing results for clients with a fully remote team. Communication (between us and clients, and us and suppliers) must be crystal clear and planning is everything. But it is possible and we have been able to prove that clearly over the years.
4. There are some extremely talented people out there – if you look hard enough. We are fortunate to have a very highly skilled team of proofreaders and editors who work with us. We are always looking to expand our team (because business is going so well) but it takes time, determination and a lot of testing to find the really great suppliers.
5. Nobody can be a superwoman on their own. As much as some of us would like to do all the work and all the things for all the clients – all of the time – it’s been a learning curve to accept that this is not possible, and to develop the skills to delegate well instead.
6. There is a lot of misunderstanding about editorial services, but this is easily addressed with professional help to guide clients through the process.
7. It’s important to prepare! The more preparation you do before you begin – such as sorting out team members, logistics, style guidance, style preferences, ways of working, and clear instructions on software programs – the better the finished product will be.
8. Communicate well. Writing, editing and proofreading service providers work best when you act as though they are an extension of your own team.
9. The time-money-quality triangle is REAL. If you try to trim back one of either time or money (or both) the quality of your product will be affected, and it’s important to help clients to understand this.
10. When you have a Zoom call booked, don’t rely on the puppy staying asleep. Always put the little darling in his crate!
Image by Element5Digital on Unsplash
