Being a PR agent is a lucrative gig. It is high paying and you are able to influence the lives of others through indirect marketing and communication. Having your own PR agency is even better. You can cherry pick the jobs that come through and delegate to your staff. Currently in U.S.A for instance there are various PR agencies that are doing fine e.g. the prmediaonline. However, there are a few things to consider before starting your own business. The following is a list of considerations to keep in mind before taking the plunge:
1. Do you Have Prior Experience in PR?
You may think this is a mute point, but honestly it's important. Knowing how to actually do PR work is your asset in running your own business. It helps you learn the ropes. It's best to have 5 years of actual PR experience first before starting an agency.
2. Are you Self-Motivated?
The entire organization that you create will depend on your determination to run the ship. If you are the type of person who needs deadlines and orders before you can produce great work, then a PR agency is not for you. When you own a PR firm, you will be the one getting out there and advertising your industry. Don't expect to sit back and watch the jobs roll in.
3. Are you Willing to Make an Investment?
Yes, you may have some money saved up for a rainy day. This money will be gone as soon as you start your own PR agency. And then some will be missing from your checking account. Now that you're in the big leagues, you'll be worrying about paying off a business loan for years to come. If you didn't like paying off your student loans and found that stressful, think twice before asking the bank to finance your new venture.
4. Do you Have a Passion for PR?
Get ready to live, breathe, and sleep language. As you know from your prior training, PR is not for the faint of heart. Your clients depend on you for many things. They want to look good in the public eye, but they also need to be completely ethical. There are things they want to gloss over, but can you sleep at night ignoring the facts. Unless you really have a knack for PR, you can end up looking like that greasy salesman. So, do you want to sell your soul for a little bit of money? The good PR professionals do not have to do this. They are masters at learning the facts and construing them in such a way that everyone leaves at the end of the day smiling. So, forget the big bucks and have a hard look at yourself as to whether you can be an inspirational leader in the field.
5. Contacts, contacts
This world is so globalized, yet so interconnected. The days of throwing out ads on job sites and finding quality candidates are long gone. Everyone that is graduating already has a network of professionals for whom they can work. If you don't have people in your field that have said, if you leave and start your own place, count me in, then count on nothing. You need to be able to offer PR representatives something that they have always dreamed of. Otherwise, you're just another person behind a desk trying to look like a big shot. People are becoming increasingly disillusioned by this act, and in fact, this is probably your main motivation in starting your own agency.
The world is competitive, but it also needs you. Consider the above comments as some PR lessons before stepping out on your own. Your future PR agency and employees will thank you.