Can you tell us about yourself and what inspired you to set up your business?
My name is Kim and I’m a married Mum to two beautiful girls.
Previous careers have left me feeling unfulfilled and I have always known deep down that I had a lot more to give, it’s just until now I didn’t know what that was. When I became a Mum I realised that I had two little girls who needed me to be true to myself and be the role model they deserved.
Through my late teens and early twenties I was overweight, unfit and unhappy. I was too scared of being laughed at or judged to join a gym and soon became bored of exercising at home alone, so I decided to give running a try. I used to wait until it was dark to go out so that no one saw me but bit by bit I started to realise that with the right mindset and a little bit of determination I could run. As I started to lose weight my confidence grew and I began to fall in love with running. Now, numerous 5km, 10km, half marathons and a marathon later I wanted to use my experience to help other ladies.
When I first set up These Girls Can Run I soon realised that not only was it about the ladies who plucked up the courage to come along and give running a try, but it was also about all of those other ladies out there who got in touch to say they wanted to come and give it a try but were just too scared. I wanted to make my groups accessible to ALL ladies and I have built on my own experiences to develop the groups into the friendly, welcoming and supportive groups they are today.
What tips would you give other women who are thinking about setting up their own business?
Shortly before I resigned from my job in order to focus on These Girls Can Run full time, I receive a card from a friend. I keep that card on my desk and look at it every day because the message is so true “Leap and the net will appear”. Having taken that on board my advice would be to go for it! Don’t let fear hold you back. Yes there will be tough days but there is no better feeling than being in control and building a business you believe in.
For me the Be Digital programme has also made me realise the importance of a mentor. I have made more progress in the last 2 months of having a mentor than I made in 6 months of business on my own. Find someone you can be accountable to and can bounce ideas off but also someone who will be honest and constructive regarding your ideas and suggestions.
Finally, trust your instinct!
We love all the motivating tips and pictures you share on social media – what are the benefits of the internet for your business?
The internet, and in particular Facebook has helped me to build a strong, supportive community of women. When the runs finish, our customers know that the support doesn’t stop there and there is always someone to go to for advice or help or even motivation if that’s what they need.
As I continue to work on my website I’m also beginning to realise what a fabulous resource I can build alongside Facebook and other social media. I hope in the near future, the website will be a brilliant source of advice and support for my customers moving forward, particularly for those who may be new to running.
Using the internet means I can complement what I do at my runs and build a relationship with my customers outside of the face to face group sessions so that they can feel part of a community even when they are unable to attend the group sessions.
What are your future plans for These Girls Can Run?
I’m so excited for the future. At the moment we have 9 groups running with more planned for 2016. I would love to expand These Girls Can Run nationally, and even internationally and also I have lots of ideas for spin off groups (watch this space). Short term I’m concentrating on bringing our groups to even more areas in the North East and also local workplaces to make it even more convenient for ladies to come along and give running a try.
Find out more about These Girls Can Run on Kim’s website at www.thesegirlscanrun.weebly.com, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/
Photographs by Rachel of RJM Photography.
Name of interviewee: Kim Scott
Business name: These Girls Can Run
Website: www.thesegirlscanrun.weebly.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/
Business type: Running Clubs and Events
Location: Cramlington, Northumberland