If you’re a small business owner and want to feel confident about creating your website so it does what you need it to, read on to find out more about Penny from Flat White Websites. In this Inspiring Businesswomen interview, she shares about her early career in publishing, how she and her husband support small business owners to create brilliant websites, and whether she prefers the beach or a pool.

What was your first job? Did you enjoy it?

My first real job was as an editorial assistant in a publishing house. I hoped it would be a stepping stone into publishing. I’d just finished my MA in Art History, and hoped I could apply my knowledge here.  It didn’t quite work out like that. An editorial assistant was a glorified secretary, although it did introduce me to my first computer! I progressed to assistant editor, and loved learning about content, copyediting, writing blurbs, choosing images and more, all surprisingly helpful to websites, although I didn’t know it at the time!

While I did enjoy the world of publishing, the books my publisher published were quite dry – crafts, schoolbooks about history, English Heritage archaeology books (probably my favourite).  I gave it up to go travelling, intending to work in the same sector when I came back. However, during those six months, the publishing industry underwent a significant restructuring, largely due to digitalisation, and redundancies were substantial. So I changed direction, volunteered with Friends of the Earth and discovered fundraising – but that’s a whole different story.

What do you do now? Is this what you originally trained to do?

I’m now one half of Flat White Websites, which I own and run with Fred, my husband. I’m the coder and designer of all our templates. Websites didn’t exist when I left school! I wanted to be an architect when I was 17 or 18, but I was told I wasn’t good enough at art (even though I won a school drawing prize).

So I didn’t pursue it then, did a random degree (Economics), then my MA, as I mentioned above. When I’d been doing fundraising for a few years, and had two small children, a friend asked me what I really wanted to be, and I realised I still wanted to be an architect – probably even more by then, as we’d done a renovation project, and understood how buildings worked much more.

So I went back to university, travelling up to London, juggling studying with a divorce and single parenthood, but absolutely loved developing my creativity and practical knowledge.

I was almost on Grand Designs

I planned to have a year’s break from my studies as my elder son was preparing for secondary school. But I got commissioned to design a painting studio, got that built, and continued working in the real world of architecture for the next few years with my own solo practice (winning a national award and almost getting on Grand Designs!).

Then, just when I was thinking about going back to more architecture studies, I randomly built a website for a charity and discovered the joy of coding. It felt like I’d discovered this world where all my skills, experiences, and knowledge could come together in one place.

After building bespoke websites for a few years, Fred and I worked out that we could work together to offer a better option for start-ups and small businesses, who didn’t need an expensive bespoke website, but did need lots of hand-holding and guidance. 

How do your services help small business owners?

The simple answer is by providing websites, but really, the most important help is giving confidence.

We do this by removing lots of the confusion of a DIY website, along with coaching people to do so much more than they ever thought they could. The templates I’ve designed have all the essential bits in place, and make it easy to have a well-laid-out, consistent website that works on every screen. And Fred’s support gives huge confidence to small business owners who had zero confidence that they’d ever manage to get a website they liked, yet end up being so proud of what they’ve achieved. 

You can find out about our services from our website, or come and say hello on Instagram.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve been given? How did it help you?

I never had good career advice. Ironically, the most powerful was being told not to do architecture because it led me on my very wiggly road to where I am.

If you could give your 20-year-old self one piece of career advice, what would it be?

Don’t worry that you haven’t got a clear plan for a career. It will all work out. Follow your instincts.

Which do you prefer, tea or coffee? Beach or pool? Seaside or countryside?

Coffee – of course! But always a cup of tea first thing, in bed.

Beach and sea every time – we have a flat in Crete, and the main reason is to swim in the sea.

Seaside over countryside (see above!), but City over everything. Much as I love swimming in the sea, it’s living in the buzz of London that I love best.

What’s your dream job or client?

My dream job (apart from the one I have) would be to design sets for the theatre. It’s my great love, live theatre, and I’m always fascinated by how designers come up with their ideas, how the sets are built, and the impact they have on the audience’s experience.  Maybe there’s one last career change in me!

Head to the SEO and copywriting tips section to find out about more brilliant businesswomen and how they support small business owners.