I made every business mistake going.
That experience, and as an Award-Winning Business Mentor, is how I know I can help you get more customers, increase your income and take control of your business and your life.
From a 1970's childhood to business success.
I never planned on starting a business. Growing up in the 1970s, the idea of entrepreneurship wasn't even a thing - especially for a working-class girl like me.
Career choices were limited, aspirations were kept in check, and 'business' was something other people did.
But I had a love of learning. I was good at passing exams (even if revising wasn't my strong point), and that knack took me to university (unheard of in my family at the time).
I built a good career. Climbed the ladder. Reached senior positions. On paper, I'd 'made it'. But there was this niggle; the sense that I still hadn't found my thing.
Sound familiar?
Finding my thing - or so I thought!
Then, for my 40th birthday, I was given a Colour Analysis session as a present. The changes I made as a consequence genuinely changed my life; better job prospects, more confidence, the works. I thought, "I need to learn how to do this."
I trained with Colour Me Beautiful and started my own Image Consultancy as a side-hustle in January 2000.
I couldn't afford to leave my well-paid job, but the work was brilliant. It quickly evolved beyond 'doing colours' into professional development work. I helped career-focused individuals build their personal brand, develop killer CVs and presentation skills, and tackle their 'am I worth it' demons. I also took this work into large corporate organisations, preparing their staff and Execs for promotion and helping them master impression management.
The business did well. Well enough that by 2008, I was only working 18 hours a week as an employee. When I was offered redundancy, with a substantial pay-out, I jumped at it.
Time to go all-in on the business!
Perfect timing, right?
When everything fell Apart.
Spectacularly wrong timing, as it turned out.
Almost immediately after I left, the financial crisis hit. Individuals and organisations didn't have funds for training and personal development. I lost all my clients virtually overnight.
Then in 2010, the pension plan I had invested in for 30-years was defrauded. £350,000. Gone.
I couldn't even consider going back to employed work. The jobs weren't there, and besides, I had no safety net left to fall back on. It was when there was £0 in the bank that I had to get serious.
That's when I realised something crucial: I knew absolutely nothing about business.
Getting serious about business.
I'd been cushioned by a regular salary, then redundancy money. Now I had to actually understand how business works.
So I learned business. Properly. Took my Business Mentoring qualifications, studied the principles, the frameworks, the strategies.
I've since delivered on MBA programmes - I can work with bigger businesses, teams, complex structures.
But here's what I discovered ...
This LittlePiggy Went to market.
I chose to focus on Solopreneurs. Not because it's all I can do, but because I genuinely understand both worlds; the business principles that apply everywhere AND the specific reality of making it work when it's just you.
That's when LittlePiggy was born.
The name came to me one day in the shower. I was thinking, "What do I actually do with the people I work with?" and my brain said, "You take them to market."
Not 'to market' in the marketing sense.
I'm not a marketer, and I don't teach people how to market. I get them ready for market by building the foundations of a strong business.
The stuff that actually matters: knowing who your customers are and what problems you solve for them. Developing products and services that meet real wants and needs. Pricing strategies that include (here's a revolutionary concept!) profit. Understanding marketing principles beyond 'post more on social media'. And figuring out how to get everything done when it's only you.
I call them The 5Ps.
People
Attracting the right customers, converting them into loyal customers and clients, keeping them coming back
product
Developing products and services your customers really want to buy, making them easier to sell and market
price
Strategic pricing that removes the guesswork and "am i worth it?" conversations to ensure profit and financial stability
promotion
Marketing isn’t just social media! Promotion is building a smart marketing plan that works for your business
productivity
Working smarter by creating the right systems and using the tools that will save you time and reduce overwhelm
Most business owners I meet are brilliant at what they do. But they're making assumptions about who'll buy, what they'll pay, and how to reach them. They're working flat out but not making enough money. They've been doing "all the right things" but staying stuck.
That's where I come in.
Jasmine Effay - Sugar & Stories
“
Kathy is amazing at what she does. She truly knows her stuff about marketing, branding and business. Honestly, time spent with her is NEVER wasted. Bubbly and straight talking at the same time. I've learnt so much from the times I've met her and heard her speak and my understanding of business has grown each time. Looking forward to the next sessions!”
Roseanna Onwu - Entrepreneur
"
Kathy provided me with amazing support and guidance while I was building my first business. I didn't have any knowledge about being an entrepreneur. Kathy was patient with me and clarified everything in an easy-to-understand manner. I cannot recommend her enough!"
Karen Soehnle - Norfolk Makaton Tuition
"
Kathy is extremely knowledgeable with regard to running your own business. She has pointed me in the right direction to develop my business further. Helping me understand what is important for me to focus on. I would recommend her to anyone setting up a new business."
what this means for your business.
Here's what 25+ years of getting it wrong, then getting it right, has taught me:
You don't need another course on social media tactics. You don't need someone to tell you to "just show up consistently" or "find your ideal client avatar." You've probably tried all that already.
What you need is someone who understands the actual mechanics of how a business works. Someone who can look at what you're doing and spot the gaps, not because they read about it in a business book, but because they've lived it.
When clients come to me, they're usually exhausted. They're working hard, doing what they've been told to do, but the money isn't matching the effort. They know they're capable of more, but they can't figure out what's actually broken.
Usually, it's not one big thing. It's a combination: pricing that doesn't cover their time, customers who aren't quite right, no clear pathway for people to work with them, and a productivity approach that's burning them out.
I don't work from a generic business coaching playbook. I work from understanding your specific business, your specific situation, and what will actually move the needle for you.
Not what worked for someone else. What will work for you.
How I Work with you.
I work one-to-one with business owners. Not in groups, not through generic programmes: proper, personalised support tailored to how you actually work.
Some people come to me knowing exactly what they need help with. Others just know something isn't working but can't put their finger on what. Both are fine starting points.
My approach is practical, not theoretical. We look at your business through the lens of the 5Ps - People, Product, Price, Promotion, Productivity - and figure out what's working, what's not, and what needs to change.
I'm not a coach in the "tell me how you feel about that" sense. I'm a Business Mentor and educator. If you don't know something about business, I teach you. If you're stuck on something, we work through it together. If you need accountability and support to actually implement what we've discussed, I'm there for that too.
Sessions are fortnightly, with comprehensive email support between meetings. I take detailed notes so nothing gets lost. And I give you templates, frameworks, and practical tools, not vague advice about mindset.
The work is structured but flexible. Some clients need intensive support for a few months to get things properly set up. Others need ongoing mentoring as their business grows and evolves. What matters is matching the support to where you actually are.
who i work with.
My clients are business owners who are experts in what they do but haven't fully cracked the business side of things yet.
They range from product creators (handmade jewellery, crafts, artisan goods) to service providers (accountants, consultants, coaches, family historians, logistics experts). Different industries, but the same fundamental challenge: brilliant at their craft, stuck on the business basics.
They've usually been doing 'all the right things' - showing up on social media, going to networking events, maybe even running ads. But the money isn't matching the effort, and they're starting to wonder if they're missing something crucial.
Spoiler: they are. Usually it's a combination of under-pricing, unclear customer focus, and trying to do everything the way they've been told to rather than the way that actually works for them.
If you're brand new to business, still in the 'testing the waters' phase we should talk.
If you've been in business for at least a couple of years, you're making some money but not enough, and you're ready to invest in proper support we should talk.
If you're running a business with a small team and need to work on growth and team development we should talk.
Sound Like What You Need?
You've come this far, so something's clicked.
Use the link to book a call and we'll talk honestly about your business and whether working together makes sense
book