About Louise and Lou-Can-Do
Real Business Experience.
Practical Thinking.
Support That Gets Things Done.
More than 30 years of building businesses, developing ideas, solving problems and learning by doing.
Lou-Can-Do brings together everything I have learned from running my own businesses, working across several industries and dealing with the everyday realities of turning ideas into something that works.
Away from the desk, you will usually find me outdoors - enjoying a countryside hack on one of my horses, walking the dogs or pottering in the garden.
My Working Journey
A Varied Career Built Around People and Business
My working life has followed a rather unconventional path, but every stage has added something useful to the way I work today.
I began my career in hospitality and tourism, working for one of Jersey’s largest hotels. It gave me an early understanding of customer service, guest experience and the organisation required behind the scenes to maintain high standards.
At 27, I opened and ran the largest business centre in the Channel Islands, providing design, printing, administration and personal assistant services to local businesses. I later spent more than 20 years in the equestrian industry, running an equestrian retail business and becoming involved in the development and marketing of flexible saddles.
I also ran my own therapy practice, working closely with people and providing personal coaching to help them gain clarity, overcome obstacles and move towards where they wanted to be.
Property has been another significant part of my life. Since 2001, I have renovated properties in the UK and France and managed a wide range of practical projects. After moving to rural France in 2014, this grew to include rural property, land, tourism and holiday accommodation.
My experience eventually led me to create specialist property websites and Rural Property Network. Through that work, I have built websites, written property listings, created marketing campaigns, managed social media and worked with agents, property professionals and rural businesses across the UK and Europe.
Lou-Can-Do is the natural next step - bringing together more than 30 years of business experience, practical problem-solving and working with people to help other businesses develop and move forward.
More Than Administrative Support
Experience You Can Put to Work
✓I Have Run Businesses Myself
I understand the pressure of looking after customers, suppliers, marketing, paperwork and problems - often all before lunchtime. I know what it feels like when everything ultimately rests with you.
✓I Look at the Bigger Picture
I am interested in more than simply completing a task. I look at how everything fits together and where a practical change could save time, improve presentation or make the business easier to manage.
✓I Get On With Things
Give me a job, a problem or a project and I will work out what needs doing, ask sensible questions and move it forward. I do not need every detail mapped out before I can start helping.
✓I Understand Rural Life
I have lived and worked rurally in both the UK and France. I understand seasonal workloads, limited services, distant suppliers and the practical realities - as well as the opportunities - of running a rural business.
The Person Behind Lou-Can-Do
Practical, Perceptive and Not Afraid to Muck In
My experience does not fit neatly into one job title, and that is one of the things that makes Lou-Can-Do useful. I have been an employee, business owner, retailer, product developer, therapist, property renovator, website builder, marketer and the person who simply had to work out how to make something happen.
Running a therapy practice and coaching people taught me a different but equally valuable set of skills. I learned how to listen properly, ask useful questions and help someone work through a problem without taking over. Those skills now help me understand what a business owner genuinely needs, rather than simply offering a standard solution.
I am equally happy taking care of routine work, researching a problem, improving a website, developing an idea or helping someone see a clearer way forward. I do not believe in making things more complicated than they need to be.
I bring more than a list of skills. I bring experience, perspective, an understanding of people and a genuine willingness to get stuck in.
Why Lou-Can-Do?
Practical Support From Someone Who Understands
I know how much time, energy and determination it takes to run a small business. Lou-Can-Do is here to make that workload more manageable, help good ideas move forward and give you dependable support when you need another experienced pair of hands.
Tell me what is taking up your time, what has been pushed aside or what you would like to achieve next.