The last thing any expectant mum needs when they're seven months pregnant is to be told they're losing their job. Katie Cope was in agony, struggling with pelvic issues, when she phoned her boss to say she wasn't going to be in work as a result.
She was on crutches and could barely move. Standing up was painful. But that was just the start. Katie had just got back from the doctor when her phone rang.
It was the HR department at her employer. Without any hint that it was going to happen, she said, Katie was told she was being made redundant.
“My first instinct was shock; I wasn’t ready for it,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “I didn’t know what was going to happen.
“Then it was panic because I didn’t know what options I had. Then it was anger and frustration that it happened. You go into survival mode. At the time, I was definitely stressed. I wanted to make sure my child was healthy.”
Katie, who lives in Ashton, Greater Manchester, was working in the events industry and had not been with the company for long. She was aware that there were financial difficulties, but Katie said she had no clue that staff were being laid off to cut costs. To make matters worse, because she'd only recently joined the company, she'd be leaving with just 18 days' of pay.
Katie said: “The HR team said it was due to a downturn in business. I hadn’t worked for the company long enough, so I didn’t qualify for redundancy pay.
“I didn’t know my job was at risk. I knew the company was going through issues, but I had no conversations or consultations. I didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to my colleagues – they just thought I was off sick.”
Unemployed with a baby on the way, Katie, who has one other child, knew she had to put a plan in place quickly. She sat down with a pen and paper and wrote down all the options she had – including finding another job and starting her own business.
“It was a massive shock to the system,” she added. “My midwife was keeping an eye on me and making sure I was OK. She knew I had been made redundant.
“I also went to Citizens' Advice to see what my options were. They said I could take them to court, but it could take me six months and I might not get the results I wanted. I could have gone and found another job, but it was unlikely anyone would take a pregnant woman on.
“I had the other option of starting a business. Way back in school, I’d done an entrepreneurial course where you learn how to run a business and it always intrigued me. I thought, you know what? Let’s see what happens.”
Just five days after losing her job in April 2019, Katie launched her own company, Keppel Leopard Creative, offering graphic design services for small businesses. The launch was a success – and incredibly, Katie made a profit in her very first year of trading.
After reading about the struggles women face when it comes to growing their businesses, she decided to offer her designs to female entrepreneurs only.
“At the end of the year, I was in profit which is unusual for a small business,” Katie added. “Because quite a lot of my stuff was online and I didn’t have any costs like getting staff or an office.
“There’s definitely been some times where I’ve thought, let’s just call it a day – especially with the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and home-schooling two kids. But every time I have that tiny thought in my head, I think, what if you regret it? I didn’t think I had setting up a business in me. I am proud of myself.”
