This weeks superwoman is an entrepreneur at the age of just 22. Isobel runs a personal assistant business alongside building her thriving Youtube channel. She's a total girlboss and I'm so excited to have her on our series.
Hey Izzy! Tell us about your business and how it was founded
I started Busy Izzy in January 2020, my godmother suggested that I start my own business as I couldn’t decide what career I wanted to do. After a few months of hard work creating my website, logo, social media pages etc Busy Izzy was born. I am a freelance personal assistant acting as an extra pair of hands when you need them! I also offer pet services including dog walking and animal visits. My most popular service is house sitting, if you don't like the idea of sending your cat/dog to the kennels or cattery I can come and stay in your home to keep them company and in their normal routine. It is also beneficial to the owner as if they are away for a number of weeks they have a sense of security knowing their bins are being put out and their house isn’t empty.
What do you love most about owning your own business?
I absolutely love meeting new people from all walks of life, I have learnt so many new skills that I wouldn’t have been able to learn if I were in a normal 9-5 job. Every day is different, I may be helping a florist set up a wedding, assisting a hatmaker with social media or walking my client's dogs. This business has given me a purpose, to help those who are in need and to give them a stress-free life.
India the cat that I house sit for when her owners go away.
What challenges do you face as an entrepreneur?
I would say the hardest part of being an entrepreneur is getting the word out there that you have a business and this is what you do. There are so many small businesses offering similar services that I am a thread in a haystack. You need to be able to stand out from the rest, what is it that makes your business different from the others? As for me I have a veterinary diploma so I was able to use that to my advantage, no other businesses in my area have that qualification to my knowledge, therefore my clients know that if something were to happen to their pet whilst in my care I would be able to act accordingly.
The one other challenge I face is being young, I feel that sometimes the public can doubt how much experience I have had and tend to judge a book by its cover. Over the years since leaving college, I have been in various jobs each teaching me a new skill and pushing me to develop myself further, all the setbacks and challenges I have faced have given me the confidence and strive to get to where I am today.
What does the future hold for you?
I am determined to make Busy Izzy a thriving success, I want people in my area to know who I am and what I do just by someone mentioning my name. Depending on how well my business does, I would love to have an employee who can join me on my journey and help my business grow bigger. Hopefully, I will have moved out of my family home too, but all good things come to those who wait!
Tell us about your Youtube channel!
I started my Youtube channel in October 2018 as a hobby to do on the weekends after me and my boyfriend split a couple of months prior. Before Youtube, I had never picked up a fancy camera or had any experience of editing software, everything I have learnt I picked up from scratch. My videos consist of beauty, fashion hauls and lifestyle videos.
I especially love to take my camera away on holiday to film everything I get up to, it is a virtual diary that I can look back on in years to come. Youtube has taught me that I can be myself, I barely wear makeup on my channel and the internet has probably seen me at my worst but I am so happy they have because I can now leave the house wearing whatever I want, looking dreadful and feeling free in my own skin without feeling as though people are judging me.
In June 2020 I reached my milestone of 600 subscribers on my channel, it was a long road but I did it. If you set your mind to something you will achieve great things! You can find me on Youtube by searching ‘Isobel Slater’ in the search bar.
What is your relationship like with fashion?
I am currently exploring the world of patterns and bright colours. My wardrobe would be an eyesore to anyone who only wears black clothing, at the moment I have been liking the style of patterns that slightly clash with one another, people ask if I’m trying to start a new fashion trend but honestly I’m not. I throw on a pair of spotty culottes, spotty slip on vans, a neon top and I’m good to go!
Tell us the story behind your favourite item of clothing
My favourite item of clothing is my navy blue Fila sweatshirt with red bold writing on the front saying ‘FILA’, I found it in a vintage shop when I was at Kendal calling back in 2017 positioned close to the main stage. I haven’t stopped wearing it since I bought it, it’s slightly oversized and washes extremely well. I will be really sad the day I lose it or have to throw it away.
You can follow Izzy on instagram @Isobel_Slater + @busyizzy2020 and facebook @busyizzy2020
Search Isobel Slater on Youtube