I think one of the best ways to learn and grow as a small business owner is to chat with other small business owners. That’s why I decided to start a small business interview series, to learn from the experiences of other Edinburgh-based small business owners!
In the latest of my small business interviews, Caroline Phillips from Alba SEO Services shares her wisdom about the ups and downs of running your own business.
Founded by Caroline Phillips in 2013, Alba SEO Services is one of Scotland’s most well-respected SEO agencies. Based in Edinburgh, the company offers a range of digital marketing services from SEO to web design and social media management.
The company works with SMEs and large organisations across the UK, helping them to grow through effective search marketing. Alba SEO Services offers a full and comprehensive SEO technical audit and campaign to help businesses rank higher in search.
Why do you do what you do?
Good question! Everyone needs a job, right? But you need more than that if you want to enjoy life, so I do what I do because it is challenging and two days are never the same. Google throws curve balls every so often too so you need to be on your toes constantly and that means it is never boring.
It’s also great to see businesses grow and know that you have been a part of their success.
What are you most proud of?
Lots of stuff but at the beginning of the year I sold an online business, which I had created from nothing, for a nice profit. It was built on hard work and it was where I learned my SEO skills from. To be able to have sold it on as a success makes me really proud.
What keeps you up at night?
Not too much. I’m learning Spanish and usually, I do a little bit of Duolingo at night in bed and so have Spanish phrases running through my head which keeps me awake.
What was the best business decision you ever made?
Investing in a little bit of PR was a good decision. It allowed me to reach wider audiences and also freed up some of my time by getting help from experts.
And the worst?
Not sure it was the worst decision but I decided to expand the business and employ a full-time person on top of the two part-time employees. But that added a whole layer of extra stress as I had to get more business in which left me less time to do the actual job of SEO.
How do you attract new clients or customers?
I attract new clients through my website as the SEO on my own website means that I rank well for keywords which bring traffic. I also get a lot of referrals from customers or people I work with – from web developers to marketing experts.
How do you relax?
I relax by learning something new – like Spanish which takes my head away from SEO. I also enjoy sports, either playing or watching.
What’s something you dream of doing?
I dream of doing lots of long walks in Europe, and hopefully Spain once I can master the language a bit better!
What’s next?
More of the same. I like to work with a nice set of clients who I can form partnerships with. Alba SEO Services has a large proportion of clients who have been with us for a very long time because they trust us and we must do a good job!
To find out more about Caroline and Alba SEO Services, visit the website at www.albaseoservices.co.uk or follow on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.
KEEP READING:
To read more of these interviews, have a look here:
Ian Pilbeam from the HR Dept
Lucy Cardwell from Lucky Cloud Skincare
Amanda Stewart from Illuminate Technology
Mally Graveson from Heehaw
