´╗┐Name: Jessica Whiby Company: Juicy Communications and Promotions

Position: owner

Education: Bachelor of Journalism

What made you decide to go into business for yourself?
Having your own business gives you a lot of creative freedom and gives you plenty of opportunity to grow.

What drew you to your current field?
Journalism and public relations go hand in hand. They're both about communicating your ideas effectively and writing clearly and concisely. I have always liked the idea of interacting with people on a daily basis and helping people promote their product or business. PR is exactly that ÔÇô it's communicating, interacting with people, and helping them promote their product or business.

How did you get started?
I read everything I could about public relations to give me a thorough understanding of the industry. I realized there was a lot of growth in the industry. In particular, I saw there was a need for boutique firms in Toronto. Boutique agencies are very hands on and personalized. Clients deal with a single employee instead of a group of employees. Then I registered my business, got my GST number, and went through the legal process. The final step was having someone build a website for me.

What is a typical day like for you?
One of the great things about having my own PR firm is that my work varies daily. I help my clients with press releases, event planning, product launching, advertising, and marketing advice. I wake up at 7 a.m. and work until I'm exhausted. There's a lot of traveling. I have seven contract workers right now ÔÇô once I've achieved a certain level of success, I'll be able to hire full-time employees. Eventually, my goal is to open an office in L.A.

What is the most challenging aspect of your position?
Being a young entrepreneur is always challenging because people are worried that you lack the experience and maturity to get the job done.

What is the most rewarding part of your starting your own business?
The fact that I built this company from nothing. It's my baby. Everything I put in, I get out.

What skills have you learned through your work experience?
Being a young entrepreneur, you always have to put yourself out there. I am on call all the time because I have to make the client happy. I've learned that you have to make yourself available to clients and that you have to aggressively pursue new business. I try to give my clients a lot of extras like inviting them to industry events and sending them newsletters. Once your clients are happy, you get clients through them. jp
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