Starting an Independent PR Practice: 5 Keys to Success

In November 2016, I delivered a talk for the Public Relations Society of America — National Capital Chapter. on starting my first independent public relations business, Steppingstone LLC. I ran that successful practice from 2003–2021 and after I started the company, my husband joined me in the business as a graphic and website designer. Following the breakup of our marriage, I re-brannded in 2022 as Maple Avenue PR. Many of the struggles I recount in these remarks will be familiar to other small business owners. Here are my remarks from 2016:

I’m going to begin by describing how I started my business and then I’m going to talk about five keys to success that have helped me along the way.

I started my business thirteen years ago, after getting married and moving back to the Washington, D.C. area. I was telecommuting for my old job but that was coming to an end, and I was job hunting. I got offers from friends for project work while I was looking for a traditional nine to five job — and my husband said, I don’t know why you are looking for a regular job, you already have work coming to you. Why don’t you start a business? Hearing him say that, is what made me really seriously consider starting an independent P.R. practice.

At the time, my husband had a full-time job with health insurance. So we moved…