Five minutes with… Lucy Kerr of Rock Relocations
Almost three years ago, Lucy Kerr took the leap into self-employment, starting up her own venture to help people relocate to the Isle of Man. Today, through ‘Rock Relocations’ Lucy is supporting families and individuals from around the globe as they make the move to our beautiful island. Here, Lucy shares her success story and some of the challenges along the way:
Tell us how your journey as an entrepreneur began and how you came to be running your own business?
My journey began as I sat with friends around a camp fire in Port St Mary, in June 2020. It was the night before the children went back to school after the first lockdown. We were having a discussion about how the Isle of Man was dealing with the pandemic, and how the media was reporting that a lot of people seemed to be showing an interest in moving to the Island.
I had previously become aware that there was little assistance available to people relocating to the Island; some Spanish friends had moved here and hadn’t been able to find any help at all. I lay awake in our shepherd’s hut most of that night, telling myself that I could definitely help people.
I have experience in estate agency and in tourism, I know the Isle of Man like the back of my hand, and I love working with people from around the world.
I felt excited that I might be able to put all of my experience and personal skills to such good use, doing something I knew I would love.
By the next morning, I already knew what I was going to call my business and I knew that I was going to make it happen.
With a lot of help and encouragement from a lot of people along the way, here I am, fulfilling my vision and loving every minute of it!
Can you tell us about what’s been your proudest moment as an entrepreneur?
For me, the testimonials I receive from clients are what make me feel the most proud. My mission has always been to take some of the stress away from people who are relocating (let’s face it, relocating is a massive life event and comes with a lot of potential stress!).
When clients tell me that I have genuinely made a difference to them throughout the process and made it more enjoyable for them, I feel proud that I am achieving my goal.
As we know it’s not always plain sailing in business, so let’s talk about challenges. Can you share a challenge you’ve faced as a business owner and how you overcame it?
I think the thing I have found most challenging is working on my own. Making all the decisions on my own and being 100 percent responsible for everything.
I am lucky enough to be able to bounce ideas off family and friends, and I have also learnt that talking to other business owners is incredibly helpful. No matter who it is or what industry they are in, I find that I come away from most conversations with a new idea, or a fresh burst of enthusiasm, or a renewed sense of self confidence.
That is why the Isle of Man Women’s Collective is such a fantastic idea!
If you could travel back through time and tell yourself one thing before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey, what would it be?
I would tell myself that adjusting my mindset from earning a regular, stable, monthly income, to a situation where I really have no idea what I will earn from one month to the next, will be difficult!
However, it is important to accept that workload and income might fluctuate, and you just have to roll with the busy times and don’t panic in the quieter times, because it all evens out in the end.
Can you share one top tip for someone about to start their own journey?
Network. Get out there and meet people. Remember that old saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know”.
Build a network of like minded people to support you, and a network of fellow professionals who you trust to help you achieve your goals.
For further information about Rock Relocations, visit https://rockrelocations.im/