Calne woman quits job to start her own business

Louise Smith ditched her long-term career working as a supply chain manager after realising she had fallen out of love with her job after working part-time just before the pandemic, and decided to take the leap and start her own business.

“I quickly realised I had fallen out of love with the career that I had worked so hard to succeed in”, she explained.

“In the summer of 2020 a friend of mine posted on Facebook asking for help with her business social media page and I volunteered.”

Soon enough, Louise joined a number of online courses and following some marketing leaders and experimenting with social media.

In March that year, she launched her own website and page, The Social Smith, to advertise for more clients to help local businesses raise their presence on social media, improve their website traffic, sales and bookings.

Louise now adopts the attitude that it is never too late to change your career.

Calne business owner Louise Smith (Image: Louise Smith)

She told this newspaper: “I went back to work after having a baby and before that I’d had a hunger to prove myself in a very male dominated industry but I quickly realised after going back that work was different for me.

“And when we all started working from home things changed again.

“It took me a good seven months to build up the courage because the whole imposter syndrome and all of those ideas that go round in my head were there.

“I spoke to a few friends and told them what my ideas were and they were really encouraging and then one day I just thought, I’m going to create my own website and if nothing comes of it at least I’ve tried.

Calne business owner Louise Smith (Image: Louise Smith)

“I took small steps at first and then eventually I was able to quit my job.

“My daughter is three now and I now spend four whole days a week with her. Yes, sometimes that means I’m catching up in the evenings or early in the morning but I can now be flexible, see her grow up and really be present.”

Louise is now coming up to her one-year anniversary of this becoming her only source of income and she has now also joined Swindon's business accelerator course, The Foundry.