With the pace of life increasing by the day, more people are taking the time to question what they want out of their work arrangements; so tired of feeling forever time-poor, and as though they are missing out on the important moments. Balance and flexibility have become the new buzz words.
One such person taking matters into her own hands is Reeva Cutting (nee Vassilaros), who, after three years in the world of digital marketing decided to start her own business.

“From a family point of view I’ve been able to attend [my child’s]school events and help out when I ordinarily would have been working and unable to get involved,” Reeva, who has been at the helm of her company Cutting Edge Digital for six months now, tells Neos Kosmos.

“Being able to work around my life has been the biggest benefit of all. I love choosing where I work and what hours I work, as well as getting out and about meeting new clients and meeting up with my support network of other girl bosses.”

Marketing has evolved over the last 10 to 15 years, and with greater value in online marketing where results are measurable and more affordable, new doors have opened for those in the industry seeking greater autonomy.

In addition to TV, radio, and print advertising her clients have the option of purchasing Reeva’s online digital marketing packages which include search engine optimisation, Google AdWords, copywriting, and blogging services.

Born in Durban, South Africa, to a South African mother and Greek father, Reeva initially pursued studies in film and history at the University of Cape Town.

A free spirit at heart however, she admits to never having imagined living in South Africa long-term; looking at her familial history, perhaps this is something that runs in her genes:

“My dad was actually born in Alexandria, Egypt, with his mother being from Cyprus and his father from Ikaria. They left Egypt during the Suez crisis and moved to Athens. They then moved to South Africa to start a new life when my dad was six years old.”

After completing her tertiary studies, Reeva ventured to France before settling in the UK for 10 years. While there she met her now husband, and worked in the insurance sector as a business and process analyst – a career path far removed from her film and history aspirations, though perhaps serendipitous as an aptitude test she took at the age of 14 suggested it would be a good fit.

Despite the test however, it really wasn’t meant to be, career-wise, and for the best it would seem.

“After our son was born, we started to explore our options when it came to where we wanted to raise our family and after a very long decision-making process we settled on Perth, Australia,” Reeva says.

It was with that new start that Cutting says she decided to take a different career direction, and landed herself a junior role in digital marketing. Over the next three years she worked her way up, learning everything there is to know about digital marketing from SEO and SEM to blogging and social media.

“After three years in the same role I realised that what I really wanted to do was work for myself so I took the plunge and started my own business in 2016,” a decision that is already proving to pay off.

While new businesses often struggle to promote themselves, she has already gained some loyal and passionate clients and they’ve been recommending her via word of mouth which she says “is the best compliment I could have so early on in my business,” and one that she puts down to hard work, passion, and a true understanding of her clients’ needs.

“I feel it’s been because I am able to provide a quality service at an affordable price. I’m passionate about what I do and even though I might finish work on a client’s site, I’ll go the extra mile and continue to provide advice and support if they need it along the way.”

One of the most common mistakes she sees businesses making when it comes to marketing is failing to measure online results.

“So many people build beautiful websites and don’t bother to add Google Analytics to track how many visitors they have or what those visitors do on the website. Or people add Google Analytics but don’t add any goals to track. Even something as simple as a PDF download or a submission of a contact form should be tracked so you can easily see how much people are engaging with your website,” she explains.

Now four years since the move to Australia Reeva is not looking back anytime soon.

For the past two years she has been sharing the joy with others, primarily fellow South Africans, through her blog ‘Proudly South African in Perth & WA’ with helpful information for those looking to migrate to Australia, and now has her own sights set on applying for citizenship.

“We love the outdoor lifestyle, the great weather and being so close to gorgeous beaches – I’m a beach girl at heart and believe a walk on the beach can truly change your mood.”

For more information about the services on offer at Cutting Edge Digital, visit http://cuttingedgedigital.com.au/