LibroEditing proof-reading, editing, writing

Welcome to Saturday Business chat. If you’re reading these interviews in order of publication, we’re jumping from pets to books today – if you’ve found this through a search engine, welcome, and do take some time to check out the other people I’ve interviewed.

Dick Margulis, of Dick Margulis Creative Services, is a book designer from Connecticut. He’s an editor, too, and I came across him as part of a very useful and supportive editors’ community online, which I use for answers to tricky questions and general support and sharing. He then saw about my interviews on Facebook, so here we are, as part of the wonder that is social media. Book design is a bit of a mystery to me – I’m obviously called in at the earlier, manuscript, stage, or right at the end, proof-reading to check the words on the page work and don’t look odd, the numbers are in the right place, etc. Dick does the bits in the middle that create that book as an object (material or digital) and make it an easy and enjoyable experience to read. Over the years he has, as he says, ‘undiversified’ and refined his offering to match the market and his talents – once again, we find flexibility as the key for making small business work.

So let’s find out about running your own book design business.

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

Dick Margulis Creative Services. The now-defunct dot com I was working for downsized me in August of 2004. I was already telecommuting for them full-time, and they were nice enough to let me keep the computer, laser printer/scanner/fax machine, and expensive office chair they had furnished me with, as they knew they were not going to need them again. I decided I had spent enough of my life in cubicles and that I could do better on my own. So I hung out my shingle almost immediately.

What made you decide to set up your own business?

I had gradually come to the understanding that I was never going to be a good fit as a corporate employee. In that realm, I was a slow learner, and it took me some decades to realize that it’s the nature of corporations, rather than the luck of which particular company I happened to land in, that I’m incompatible with. By 2004, the Internet was sufficiently ubiquitous and computing power was cheap enough that I could go into business for myself without a lot of capital or risk.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

When I was still in elementary school and was home sick in bed (probably with nothing more than a head cold), a visiting friend of my parents brought me a toy printing press with rubber type (you can see pictures on eBay). I became fixated on printing and on typography. I started setting metal types in ninth grade and coincidentally had my first editing gig then too, on the junior high newspaper. I’ve always loved typography and book design and have studied it for decades as well as practicing it off and on in various paid and unpaid positions. Same with editing. I’ve made design and editing part of every job I’ve had, even if it wasn’t in the job description, and people have always responded positively to my work.

When I started the business, I had current experience in technical writing, in marketing communication, and in web design too, and I offered (and still offer) an array of communications services to businesses. But my first love is book production, and that soon became my main focus.

Had you run your own business before?

Yes. My first wife and I had a retail and wholesale herb business that I managed (rather badly from a business standpoint) for nine years before we laid it down, but at least I learned from my mistakes.

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

The reason I was telecommuting was that, while living and working in Massachusetts, I had met someone online who lived a couple hours away in Connecticut, through an online dating site (we’ve been delightedly married since 2005; life is good). When my lease in Massachusetts was up, I moved to live with her in New Haven, announcing to the company that I was going to telecommute. That was in April. By August, when the third round of layoffs came around, I was not shocked to be let go. The company gave me a little severance money and access to an outplacement counseling service (which provided a database of local firms that I made good use of to pitch my services). Then I collected unemployment benefits while I went through the motions of looking for salaried positions, getting my business together in the meantime.

So I had a roof over my head, unemployment benefits to help with expenses, and skills. I quickly joined several online networks, updated skills as needed, and started pitching. Business was a trickle at first, but I wasn’t in danger of being thrown out on the street. I reported all freelance income to the unemployment folks, and they were supportive of my starting a business. So benefits continued until they timed out after a year. That gave me a window in which to build the business. I invested quite a bit at first in Google AdWords to get the word out there, and that paid off. I stopped that after a couple of years and have spent virtually nothing on advertising since then.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

I was well prepared before I started. The one major lesson I learned on the job is that no matter how desperate you are for work, if a prospective client makes your teeth itch, just say no. Trust your instincts, because if you engage with that person, you will regret it. I can still be conned occasionally, but I’m a lot better at qualifying customers than I was when I started out.

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

Relax. It will be fine.

What do you wish you’d done differently?

Offhand, I can’t think of anything.

What are you glad you did?

I’m glad that I made the decision to go into business instead of continuing to search for cubicle jobs. It’s truly the best thing I ever did for my physical health, because it completely eliminated all the psychic stresses of reporting to a boss. My heart is healthier. My back is healthier. My knees are a little creaky, but otherwise I feel like a kid again.

What’s your top business tip?

Don’t search for a clever name for your business. What you’re selling is yourself. My business name is Dick Margulis Creative Services. It says who I am and what I offer. People can and do find me quite easily. Colleagues on mailing lists of other freelance editors and designers are filled with imaginative, clever, sometimes humorous business names, but I have a hard time remembering which business name goes with which person. Building a brand, in the freelance world, means associating your own name with a reputation for excellence in what you do. It doesn’t mean creating a swoosh to plaster on shoes, clothing, and billboards. Keep it simple.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?

I’ve grown and undiversified, focusing more and more on book production. I’ve dropped web design almost completely, and only rarely does a business engage me for technical or business writing. But I’ve begun speaking to groups about the publishing business, and I’ve kept up with and participated in developments in e-books, self-publishing, and book marketing.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

I’m overflowing my office space, and we recently cleared out and cleaned up the basement. I think in a year’s time I may have a spacious office downstairs. One with lots of bookshelves and filing cabinets. That’s one thing about this business: it generates a lot of paper that I have to hang onto.

Oh, how I identify with those customers that make your teeth itch when you first communicate with them: that’s one of the things I’ve learned, too. I look forward to hearing about Dick’s lovely new, spacious office in the basement next year. And did we all have one of those little rubber printing presses? Or is that just me?

Dick Margulis Creative Services is based in New Haven, Connecticut; you can find out more at www.dmargulis.com and Dick also has a blog. You can  email him or call (US) on (203) 389-4413.

If you’ve enjoyed this interview, please see more freelancer chat, the index to all the interviewees, and information on how you can have your business featured.

Welcome to Saturday Business chat, and we are all about pets today, talking to Gillian Linnell of the Oldham-based company, GGL Pet Supplies, another new business which opened its doors in 2011 and is not yet a year old. Gillian took a route into business ownership that we’ve not seen before in these interviews, going on an entrepreneurship college course – it just shows the variety of routes we take into our lives as business owners. Like me, to an extent, Gillian has not ended up doing quite what she imagined; having started out in pet gift baskets, she now finds most of her business coming from a different, but related area. It’s so important to be flexible like this, and to both see and take up alternative opportunities as they present themselves, rather than sticking to a fixed idea of what you do. I’m sure flexibility is one of the most important promoters of success – look at Richard Branson, starting a record label and ending up with an airline!

Gillian sensibly took on a part time job while launching her business, making sure she could support herself and keep things going while she established GGL Pet Supplies – hard work, but worth it, I think, for the peace of mind.

So, let’s meet Gillian!

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

My business is called GGL Pet Supplies, and I set it up in May 2011.

What made you decide to set up your own business?

Mom has advanced Parkinson’s Disease and working full time was taking its toll on me, advancement within the corporate company I was working at was not looking possible and I knew I was capable of much better things.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

I have always wanted to work with animals and decided to enrol at college on an entrepreneur course simply making and selling pet gift hampers.  I soon realised that this idea was not going to pay the bills so it quickly changed to a full blown pet store, also offering pet sitting and dog walking services.

Had you run your own business before?

No.

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

I took a part time job in a bar to help pay the bills whilst the company started to make money.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

Don’t spend money on marketing companies which offer Google front page search results when you can do it yourself!

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

Be confident, trust and believe in yourself, you are unique, and don’t believe everything cold callers say on the phone!

What do you wish you’d done differently?

Not spent a heapload of money on advertising in the wrong places!

What are you glad you did?

Started the pet sitting/dog walking services as this was purely an afterthought, yet it is what is currently booming.

What’s your top business tip?

Stay focused, be persistent, believe. Do not ever give up, but be willing to adapt and change when opportunities arise.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?

The pet supplies is still an ongoing project that I am not really having much luck with, but the pet sitting and dog walking side is booming: I even do horses now. I am pushing the supplies side of things persistently: as I am still in the first year of business, I remain optimistic.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

I would like to be selling the supplies to local people and pet sitting clients and to have a brand and reputation which is very well known and recognised in the local community. Eventually I would like to employ staff and have a  warehouse full of pickers and packers. This is just one ambition – I have a handful of different directions which the company can take.

Reading between the lines here, it looks like Gillian has learned from any early mistakes she made with advertising and marketing – which are always tricky, and there are an awful lot of very persuasive people out there selling such services. She is to be applauded for her positive attitude and perseverance, and I really look forward to hearing about the new directions the business takes in the next year!

You can find out more about Gillian and GGL at www.gglpetsupplies.com and you can  email her or call her on 07717 216 100.

If you’ve enjoyed this interview, please see more freelancer chat, the index to all the interviewees, and information on how you can have your business featured.

Welcome to Saturday Business chat. This morning we’re meeting Chrissie Metcalfe, of Chrissie Metcalfe Recruitment Ltd, who runs her own recruitment agency in West Yorkshire. Chrissie has been going it alone for over a year now, and is probably glad to be in a solid job after experiencing a string of redundancies. It often seems to be redundancy that is the spur for people setting up on their own – sensibly, Chrissie stuck to a work area she knew, but where she also knew she could add value with a personal service and pick up on what the bigger agencies were, in her opinion, losing sight of, having the confidence to this that comes from having been praised by employees and companies for that very aspect of her relationships with them.

Networking has worked well for Chrissie, as it does for so many people – and it’s vital in a business that basically involves connecting people! And she has been sensible in not going for expensive exciting options and learning to get to know people before putting business trust in them, demonstrating that we are all travelling along a learning process here (when I learn something, it usually ends up getting included in my Terms and Conditions!)

So, let’s chat to Chrissie and find out how she did it all.

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

My business is called Chrissie Metcalfe Recruitment Ltd and it was set up in September 2010.

What made you decide to set up your own business?

Over a two year period I had been made redundant four times by two large recruitment agencies and realised that after eight years in the recruitment industry I wanted to set up my own recruitment agency.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

I have always been successful in recruitment and could see that many agencies had lost the personal touch when dealing with candidates and businesses, I had always been complimented by candidates and companies on how well I worked and how I listened properly to their individual needs.

Had you run your own business before?

No

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

The fourth time I was put out of work was 22nd September 2010, so on that day I went to a web designer with my last wage slip and said, “I need a website, business cards and money left to join a networking group”. Whilst waiting for my business cards and website I spent the rest of 2010 dropping off leaflets, networking and doing everything I could to get my company known. I was doing this alone.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

Not to trust everyone who offer to help you. Do your research and get to know people first.

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

Most definitely to go for it!

What do you wish you’d done differently?

I wish I had started my business before I was made redundant so that I had the money to take on a member of staff straight away, rather than only have one month’s wage to live on.

What are you glad you did?

Joined 4Networking [a business networking organisation with regular breakfast meetings - I'm a member of its online community and have met some of my clients through it]

What’s your top business tip?

No matter how exciting something sounds, if you can’t afford it, don’t do it.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?

My business has grown, I have 12 solid clients and have placed over 20 people in permanent jobs. I am now in an office and starting to look for a member of staff.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

I will have two members of staff and a bigger office. I wont be as tired, ha ha !!

As I come to the end of a very busy week for Libro, I can understand Chrissie saying she’d like to be less tired in a year’s time – however busy I am now, it is nothing to when I had two jobs, and in Chrissie’s case she’s looking to recruit her own staff to help her out – whichever route you take to getting things less frantic, it DOES get better, I promise!

You can find out more about Chrissie and her recruitment services at www.chrissiemetcalferecruitment.com and you can  email her or call her at her office: 01977 644 862 or on her mobile: 07805 901 562. She’s based in the Broadland Business Centre in South Elmsall, Pontefract.

If you’ve enjoyed this interview, please see more freelancer chat, the index to all the interviewees, and information on how you can have your business featured.

Welcome to Saturday Business chat. Today we’re meeting someone with a very new business – Sarah Lambert’s SRL Admin Support was only set up in September 2011 and I’ve already had to ask her for an update as she’s growing steadily! Sarah sensibly did her research before setting up her business, found out all about being a Virtual Assistant and even started networking before she took the plunge. Virtual Assistants are getting to be big business these days, with lots of other businesses finding it useful to outsource their admin roles to someone without needing to pay a full-time post, but many people start up as a VA because they think it’s an easy option (this happens in my line of business too), and it’s the people like Sarah, who look into it properly and use their skills to go into it sensibly who do well out of it.

So, let’s meet Sarah and find out about her brand new business!

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

My business is called SRL Admin Support and I set it up in September 2011.

What made you decide to set up your own business?

At the beginning of 2011 I decided to go freelance, so I looked into becoming a Virtual Assistant. I researched on the internet and went networking and the time was right for me to leave my job as an Administrator.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

I have been in admin for over 10 years and I love this work and didn’t want to do anything else.

Had you run your own business before?

No, and this is a challenge for me and im loving every minute of it so far!

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

I left being an employee on a Friday and I launched the business on the Monday, so I am full-time but in the beginning I was part time with a part time job.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

It’s hard work and always keep in contact with clients and potential clients

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

Keep going it will all be worth it

What do you wish you’d done differently?

I should have done this years ago

What are you glad you did?

Glad I took the plunge to be my own boss

What’s your top business tip?

Network as much as you can and use social media correctly

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?

As I am only 5 months into my new venture, so far it’s going well. I have a few regular clients that keep me going but I am always on the lookout for more.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

With a large regular client base, employing VAs to come and work for me, and to be the best VA in South Yorkshire.

It’s lovely to see someone so enthusiastic about their new venture, and with great plans for the future, too. I wish Sarah all the best in her new freelance career!

Sarah Lambert is based in South Yorkshire. Her website is at www.srladminsupport.co.uk and you can contact the company via email, or on Twitter, or call her on 07977 076 495 or 0114 321 2044.

If you’ve enjoyed this interview, please see more freelancer chat, the index to all the interviewees, and information on how you can have your business featured.

Welcome to Saturday Business chat. Today we’re talking to Al Hunter, a fellow 4N member, who runs Auto Evolution, part of parent company, Motor-Stream Ltd. They undertake car repairs, including both small (“SMART”) repairs and doing clever things with the electronic and computer side of things (ECU remapping). I don’t know much about cars (obviously) but Al has good points to make about market research and marketing. As I was saying in my blog post about goals during the week, I agree that it’s vitally important to love what you do and what you’re aiming to do, otherwise the tricky points outweigh the good ones. And Al makes a very good suggestion for those who don’t end up running a business in an area in which they already have experience: get some work experience and inside knowledge of the industry in question before you launch.

I really appreciate the honesty with which my interviewees answer the questions: this is something that I’m sure will help other small businesses and entrepreneurs as they launch and begin (do let me know if any of these interviews have helped you and your business!)

Let’s say hello to Al …

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

Our brand name is Auto Evolution, although our company is called Motor-Stream Ltd. These names were chosen very deliberately. Throughout the winter of 2010 we surveyed both existing and potential clients on what they thought our brand name should encapsulate. In the main, the survey responses said our brand name should be instantly related to cars and not tied to one particular product or service. As such, because the automotive industry is constantly evolving, we came up with the brand name Auto Evolution.

Auto Evolution was launched on April 1st 2011.

What made you decide to set up your own business?

The decision to set up my own business was down to the fact that no one would provide me with the job I wanted in the finance world. For 10 years I was pigeon-holed into being a financial adviser: a job I neither enjoyed or wanted to do. As such, I thought, “If no one will give me the job I want, I will create the job for myself!”

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

I’ve always had two passions: investments and cars. As the sector I wanted to work within in the finance world didn’t open up for me, I thought I’d follow my other passion in the automotive world, which is to play with cars! Obviously, when a business performs well, it becomes its own investment, and so all my energies are now going into turning Auto Evolution into a successful business.

Had you run your own business before?

No, I had not. Although I worked as a Business Financial Adviser, there is a huge difference between understanding the financial shortfalls and implications for a business and actually running a company itself. As such, I’m much wiser now than I was when I originally started Motor-Stream and launched Auto Evolution as our brand. Given the time again, there are a number of things I would have done very differently!

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

The business was launched full time. This has created a tremendous amount of joy but also of financial stress, particularly as the automotive industry is struggling heavily at the moment.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

The importance of promotion. Originally, we started our business as providing just SMART repairs. The research I performed led me to believe that the market was a dynamic one: a market where someone with passion and talent could succeed. However, this is not true. With so many SMART repair operators in the market, many of which provide cheap repairs at cheap prices, making a profit in this sector is not easy at all. As such, promotion is very important if your company and brand is to stand a chance in people’s memory retention when they’re looking for the services you provide.

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

Before you take the leap in starting your new business, aside from the typical research of looking at the numbers provided by the industry, go out and have some work experience in the industry you are thinking of working in. This is because, as we have found, the reality is very different to the image the industry portrays.

What do you wish you’d done differently?

I wish we’d got our marketing strategy more succinct from the get go. This is what has truly let us down. Not understanding the importance of the internet, networking and advertising in general has made growing our brand very difficult. The most simple way to understand what we’d not done properly is to consider a new brand and company as an infant. The infant that cries the loudest gets heard. We launched our brand with a too mature and quiet approach which, in hindsight, is a harsh error to learn.

What are you glad you did?

It’s important to recognise what you’ve done well in business, and despite our severe lack of marketing, we have generated a trusted network of clients and have had some glowing testimonials. Customer service is key to growing brand value, and we always pride ourselves on doing the best we can for our clients.

What’s your top business tip?

Love what you do. If you love what you do, then you’ll be prepared to do what is necessary to turn your dream into a reality. You’ll also be prepared to accept the challenges that are thrown in your direction that you’d have otherwise run away from.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?
We have rapidly learned just how weather-dependent SMART repairs actually are, to the extent that it’s unrealistic without any premises, such as a body shop, to expect this business to be profitable throughout winter. As such, we’ve diversified into ECU remapping, the more grown-up version of Chip Tuning. We’ve created two brand to do with this service, our EcoMap service that will reduce a car’s fuel consumption, thereby make motoring for our consumers more affordable, and our ProMap service which will improve the outright performance of our clients’ cars.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

Auto Evolution’s primary service will be the ECU remapping services. With fuel costs seemingly rising on a day-by-day basis, we see our EcoMap service as becoming increasingly popular, as clients want the benefit of reduced fuel costs without the associated costs of buying a more fuel-efficient vehicle. Additionally, remapping a car’s ECU is not weather dependent like your typical SMART repair service such as repairing alloy wheels or a bumper scuff. We will continue to provide our SMART repair services, as we are skilled in these and want our clients to have the option of a quality SMART repair service through us. However, until we can afford our own in-house repair facility, which will remove the complications associated with completing a car body repair outside, we will focus the bulk of our energies on promoting our ECU remapping services through our EcoMap and ProMap brands. So in a year’s time, we’d like to see ourselves in the position where we can afford a unit large enough for our ECU remapping services as well as our SMART repair services.

An honest assessment of how the company has got where it is today, and a more refined version of where it needs to go – good luck to Al and Auto Evolution over the next year!

Auto Evolution are based at 5 Longfields, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 3DN. Their website is at www.auto-evolution.co.uk and you can contact the company via email, on Facebook or on Twitter, or call them on 08000 515 415.

If you’ve enjoyed this interview, please see more freelancer chat, the index to all the interviewees, and information on how you can have your business featured.

Welcome to Saturday business chat. This weekend’s chat is with Charles Davis of Professional Photography.  I met Charles at a local networking event and he is generous at introducing people to each other if he thinks they can help each other at such events, which is very encouraging to new people. He’s also happy to share tips and encouragement with other people about their photography and is generous with re-tweets, etc., in social media circles. Charles has brought his wealth of business and communication experience into his career as a photographer: as well as being good with the camera, a successful photographer must be able to engage with people. Like me, he’s not missing the politics and conflicting priorities that often arise as part of working for a large corporation, instead enjoying being his own boss! And giving back through voluntary work is also important to Charles: in his case this has resulted in new opportunities, too.

Let’s meet Charles and find out about his interesting background and widening portfolio …

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?
My business is Professional Photography, and although I have produced professional quality photography for friends and family all my life, it was formally set up in 2010.

What made you decide to set up your own business?

After successfully growing both responsibilities, my Post as Fundraising & Communications Director for a large Charity was split into two roles for Fundraising & Communications.  I therefore decided to take the redundancy package offered instead of taking one of either of the roles. However, as I felt I had successfully completed my work with the organization and I’m always looking for opportunities, I saw this as a perfect time to start my own business and do something I love.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

My father ensured I had a camera in my hands at a very early age and since then I’ve never stopped trying to improve my skills as a photographer.  This, together with my love of beautiful images and state-of-the-art technology, makes for an exciting combination as a 21st century photographer.

Had you run your own business before?

My first career was in the Police Service, where I specialised in the protection of Royalty and VIPs as part of the Special Escort Group, and I further went on to become a Tactical Advisor & Team Leader in Firearms Operations, although the only thing I shoot nowadays is a camera!  Yes, I’ve run a number of different operations, training and consultancy, advanced motorcycling and testing, a national association plus multi-million pound fundraising and communications teams for two high profile charities.

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

Full-time.  The decision had to be full-time to be able to give the commitment, time and effort to give the business a good chance of succeeding.  Building a client base is a slow but sure process and, as they say in sales, “you’re only as good as your last sale.”  Well, in photography you’re only as good as your last few shoots.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

My previous experience prepared me for many challenges in business although I was surprised how many prospect clients are prepared to put up with a low quality or average quality of service from their existing provider and sometimes appear to be too lazy to want to make the effort to change to a new supplier.  Essentially you need to make it as quick and simple for them as possible to make the change, whilst of course providing excellent images.

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

“I should have done this years ago!”  It’s the truth: I’m totally enjoying myself, doing something that I love with no one pulling you in different directions in terms of objectives, and essentially I don’t have to play the politics that are so often there in large organizations.

What do you wish you’d done differently?

The success of our new website, launched in October 2011, has exceeded my expectations, and looking back, when I started the business in 2010, I should have built a much better website from the start.

What are you glad you did?

Made the decision to do something I love and for myself!  The satisfaction and lovely, lovely comments you receive from clients on completion of an assignment are a great reward as photographer.  It’s not often in life you get to do something you love!

What’s your top business tip?

Network, Network, Network!  As a big fan of social media and face-to-face networking groups, it’s essential to get you and your business out there!  Time-consuming, I would agree, but with relatively no costs but your time, you need to meet new people on a regular basis and have state-of-the-art joined-up social networks.

Also try to give something back: it doesn’t have immediate benefits but long-term you will be surprised at the opportunities that arise.  I’m part of a number of membership based associations, and in particular MIPAA, the Motor Industry Public Affairs Association.  When I started my business, I also put myself forward to join the Operating Committee of MIPAA and its Executive Team.  Since that time, numerous opportunities have arisen from my voluntary work.  This also applies to local charities and new start-up businesses, where I offer to do the occasional photo-shoot to help them with an event or to get their marketing campaigns started.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?
My portfolio of work is broad, and strategically so.  I’m just as happy shooting a Cherish the Dress, Wedding or fashion shoot as I am on a commercial shoot for a product.  Producing the best images possible, with a little editing, can really exceed a client’s expectations, and is so, so rewarding.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

I’ve recently been lucky enough to pick up interest from a number of up-and-coming fashion designers and been asked to become their official photographer, which is flattering to say the least.  Whether reportage, still life, or traditional, using a variety of photographic styles is still key for me when telling the story. My photographic work  offers a visual representation of my unique perspective, exploring the depths of beauty and style, whilst hopefully still portraying elements of the classical. I feel my work retains relevance to 21st century client, and I plan to keep it that way!

It’s amazing that you can meet someone a number of times, have in-depth conversations with them, and never know they have guarded royalty and VIPs! I wish Charles the best of luck with his new and expanding work areas, and look forward to hearing how he gets on over the next year.

Find Charles at his website www.professionalphotography.me.uk, email him, or phone him on 07824 444 487.

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Welcome to Saturday business chat. Today we’re talking to Bob Fowke from YouCaxton. Bob set up YouCaxton in the summer of 2011 to help fellow writers self-publish their work. It works on a Print On Demand basis, which saves people from ending up with boxes of books in their garage. Bob is a writer himself, with over sixty books to his name, most of them published by major British publishers, so as he says, he should know something about the industry. In addition, he contributes articles to the Guardian Online.

I often talk about the importance of having experience in the line of work you want to go in to before you start, and Bob’s gone one further than that, using his writing and publishing expertise to set up a service for writers like himself. I should think it would be reassuring for writers to know there’s some fellow-feeling and empathy there – I do get concerned about some of the self-publishing companies which aren’t perhaps so understanding.

So let’s say hello to Bob!

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

My business is called YouCaxton, after William Caxton, the first English publisher (and self-publisher). The company was launched in May/June 2011.

What made you decide to set up your own business?
I’ve been interested in self-publishing for several years. Between writing for Hodder Headline, I self-published a series of short history books, Amazingly Short Histories (of Spain, France, Turkey and Greece). Spain in particular has sold very well, through Carrefour Supermarkets. I’ve also packaged (designed, edited, produced) a large number of titles for various UK national publishers so I know quite a bit about book production as well as about writing. It was while I was publishing the short histories that I became aware that there are companies out there which sell self-publishing services which are not entirely scrupulous and, as a writer myself, I know how vulnerable you are when your own work is in question. By combining my own expertise with that of my partner, Steve Edwards, I can offer expert, trustworthy help to writers wishing to self-publish their work. Our motto is: ‘by writers, for writers’.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

Books are unique. I have yet to come across a writer with a piece of work which they want to publish which has not been a labour of love and deeply felt. Books have been my life ever since I was a horror/fantasy commercial artist back in the 70s and 80s when I specialised in paperback covers.

Had you run your own business before?

I ran a company together with two friends called Lazy Summer Books Ltd. which was based in Oxford. This was the company which did the book packaging.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

Make sure you are fully up to speed with the technology. We have to learn as we go.

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

Be prepared to enjoy yourself – I never expected to feel so warmly towards the writers.

What do you wish you’d done differently?

We’ve begun to specialise in memoirs and local and family histories – although we still tackle all the genres when asked to. I suspect that as a small company it might have been wise to do this straight away.

What are you glad you did?

I’m glad I met Steve. It’s a really fruitful relationship because we bring such different strengths to the business.

What’s your top business tip?

You think you’re working hard – work harder!

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?

We’re taking on business steadily, which is for the best. If we grow too fast our standards will fall and we want to avoid that at all costs.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

I hope that we will be starting to become an established, reputable name. I’m much more concerned with quality than quantity, although we have no intention of turning business away.

This all sounds exciting and I hope we’ll see a growing business when we come back to Bob next year to see how he’s doing.

The YouCaxton website is at http://www.youcaxton.co.uk/ and you can find all the requisite contact details there.

Note: I should say that I am set up to receive a referral fee upon referral of a writer who ends up being published by YouCaxton. This hasn’t happened yet, and this is not the reason I am publishing this interview.

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Welcome to the first Freelancer / Small Business Chat for 2012! Today we’re going to meet Liz Light, who set up Stage2 Youth Theatre back in 1988 (thus winning the prize for “longest-running business featured so far”). I came across Stage2 through meeting Ethan Hudson, who is an Apprentice working for the company and also a member of my local Business Association, at a business breakfast. I was impressed by how committed the staff are to this theatre, and also by the range of the productions they put on (have a look at their website for this month’s productions if you’re within reach of the Midlands).

Personally, I’m particularly struck by how the ethos of the company has obviously stayed the same over the years, supportive, inclusive and treating everyone with respect. When I started my own business, some people seemed to think that I’d turn into some kind of combination of Alan Sugar and Mrs Thatcher, whereas I like to think I operate with similar principles to those with which I started. Liz shows how you can grow and change while remaining true to your founding principles.

So let’s meet Liz …

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

I set up Stage2 Youth Theatre in 1988 and we registered as a not for profit organisation in 2003.

What made you decide to set up your own business?

I had already run a Theatre Company with my friends for 6 years but they all left the area to go to University or get jobs. I was quite attached to Kings Heath so I decided to stay and give myself a new challenge/further develop my knowledge.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

I am really interested in young people and helping them to develop their potential. I want them to be constantly exploring new areas and learning what suits them and what doesn’t. I remember that I loved to be given responsibility at a young age and disliked being patronised(!). I work on those principles – though many of my students have been far, far cleverer than me! Drama is a fantastic mechanism for a huge range of kids to come together and make a positive contribution – whether to acting (in casts or choruses), technical areas (lighting and sound, stage management, design), marketing, fundraising, administration, leadership, etc, etc.

Had you run your own business before?

Only on a not for profit basis – see above.

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

I ran the company myself on a part-time basis for years, employing freelancers where needed. In 2006 I went full-time and took on a colleague. We now have four full-time staff.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

Have more confidence in yourself – take the plunge and go full-time earlier!

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

Nothing. I quite liked discovering everything as I went along. Making mistakes and learning from them – finding solutions and moving on.

What do you wish you’d done differently?

Nothing really. I don’t mean that in an arrogant way but I truly believe that in good faith we always made the best decisions with the information available at the time.

What are you glad you did?

Moved to the city centre to open us up to everyone from the whole city.

What’s your top business tip?

Same as my tip for life – have the strength to change the things you can, serenity to accept the things you can’t and the wisdom to know the difference.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?

Options and opportunities have all grown and staff time has increased accordingly but our basic principles and ethos have remained the same.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

Hopefully with stable mid or long term funding.

Of course we wish Liz the very best of luck at this difficult time for arts funding – Stage2 obviously play a vital role in the lives of the members and also in theatre in Birmingham. I’m looking forward to seeing them continue to go from strength to strength.

Stage2′s website is here. You can email Liz – and you can also find Stage2 on Twitter.

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Welcome to Saturday Business/Freelancer Chat. And it’s with … well, me! I realised that I should have interviewed myself, plus this will be published on Christmas Eve and it didn’t seem fair to give anyone else a slot when not many people were looking at the internet; this way there will be 50 interviewees, plus me, plus a rest on New Year’s Eve! I run a company called Libro through which I do proof-reading, copy-editing, writing, transcriptions and localisation for companies and individuals around the world. I have some great regular customers and then do one-off jobs for people too. I’ve launched my business the way that felt comfortable to me as I went along – a “soft launch” which involved me still being supported financially while building the business. Now it’s a whole new chapter for Libro, which is very exciting!

So, I’ve been running Libro for a couple of years now, I went full-time with the business recently, and I’m enjoying that (and writing a blog about it). Here are my answers to my own questions …

What is your business called? When did you set it up?

My business is called Libro. I set it up in August 2009 when a colleague at the library where I worked at the time mentioned he had some students who needed help with dissertation proof-reading. It’s blossomed from there!

What made you decide to set up your own business?

I had done writing and editing work in a lot of my previous job roles, and done (unpaid) proof-reading and editing for novels and journals in the past. When I discovered a need for my services, and close at hand, I decided to go for it and register my business with the Inland Revenue, etc.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

I knew I was good at the work and could provide a good service. As I’ve gone along, I’ve added more services to my portfolio, mainly in response to demand, but knowing they were skills I could cover. I started off working with students, as I used to type up dissertations for people back in my own student days, and I had access to the client base via colleagues, many of whom were post-graduate students who could put up posters for me in their departments or recommend me to their friends.

Had you run your own business before?

No! And anyone who knew me before I launched would be very surprised – I am an unlikely entrepreneur!  Just because I’ve always been in the background, doing admin, setting up systems and helping people, rather than being out at the front promoting myself! I have done a lot of different jobs in several different companies, and those have come in handy.

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going … ?

I worked full-time at my library job from when I launched in August 2009. I went to 4 days a week at the library in January 2011, 3 days a week in May, and officially leave the library completely at the end of December 2011, although holiday owed to me and university general holidays mean that I’ve actually been full-time since December 12.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

That I could do it, and that I should have faith in myself.

What would you go back and tell your newly entrepreneurial self?

Go part-time – or more part-time, earlier! Enjoy the process and start a blog!

What do you wish you’d done differently?

I do wish that I’d taken the opportunity to go more part-time earlier. I could have dropped two days at the library from January 2011 but I lost my nerve at the last moment. I then had a very hectic time of it as Libro expanded to fill the space!

What are you glad you did?

Went on the HMRC “becoming self-employed” course. Started my blog – hits on my website increased hugely when I started blogging, and I really enjoy it, too! I listed Libro on a few free ads sites and joined a professional translators’ website which has brought in lots of jobs and a great return on investment. I’m also glad I’ve done it, full stop: I’m really quite proud of what I’ve achieved!

What’s your top business tip?

Trust your gut instinct. Put good systems in place including strong terms and conditions. Treat every mistake and mishap as a learning experience – you’ll get a blog post out of it, at least! And give something back, too. Sharing advice and doing bits and pieces for people I’ve met at the Entrepreneur Meetup and helping out at the Social Media Surgery has helped me stay true to who I am. Oh – and be honest – with your clients, setting expectations – and with your peers. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and seek support from those you can trust.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?
I’ve grown and diversified as I went along. I started off proof-reading student dissertations, then was asked to write something; well, I’ve written plenty of procedures and newsletters so went for that. Transcription – well, it’s just audio typing! And being on the translators’ site has brought me localisation work where I can bring my experience working for a US company to bear on helping “translate” text from US to UK English. I’ve basically done anything to do with words, even copy-typing. I think it’s important to have a range of services to offer. And I have clients all over the UK and in America, Canada, across Europe, India and China!

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

Well, I’ll have been full-time with Libro for a year. Hopefully I’ll be earning enough to support myself, I’ll have taken a holiday or two, and have a good solid roster of regular clients to keep me going.

Exciting times, then, for me, and a good, if different, year ahead!

You’re on my website already. You can email me – and you can also find me on Twitter  and Facebook.

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Welcome to Saturday Business/Freelancer Chat. Today we’re meeting another of our young entrepreneurs – Mohammed Zahir set up cleaning  business, Sabka Cleaning while at University and now plans to expand  it further. I keep saying that if you can start a business in a recession, and do well, then you’re going to do well overall, and I also think Mohammed’s final point, that in a recession you need to be able to differentiate yourself (whether a student or in another environment) and have plenty of interesting things to put on your CV, is a very valid one.

Mohammed’s doing what I did now, and working full-time while launching and growing the business. I know from experience how hard this is, but he has established good practices, learned about networking and gathered some mentors around him, all things that will help.

Family is obviously important to Mohammed, as it is with many of our other interviewees, but here it’s his father to whom he wants to give something back after seeing him as an inspiration. I hope he builds a business they can both be proud of!

What’s your business called? When did you set it up?

My business is called Sabka Cleaning Services and it was established whilst I was in my 2nd year at university in Birmingham in 2009. We provide domestic, office & window cleaning services to homes and offices across Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas.

What made you decide to set up your own business?
I have always been extremely self-motivated and always wanted to be in control of my own destiny. Since a very young age, I have seen my father fight the odds to get where he is today. This provided me with great inspiration, and having graduated from university recently, I feel it is now my duty to start giving something back to him for everything he has provided me with, and I believe starting my own business will allow me to do this.

What made you decide to go into this particular business area?

I believe starting a business at a young age is the best time as you have no commitments or expenses. Being at university, I thought this was the best time I would ever have if I was to ever go into business. Being a student, I wanted to start a business which would have low start-up costs but great potential. To earn some extra cash whilst at university, I used to clean student apartments, until one of my mates suggested I should turn it into a business. After looking into it a bit, I decided to take her suggestion and go for it!

Had you run your own business before?

My only experience of business before this was selling things on eBay (not sure that’s quite business). Occasionally, I would come across opportunities to buy things cheaper than the average market price so I would buy them in bulk/wholesale, and sell them on eBay. It was a good source of some extra pocket money, but it wasn’t a proper business like Sabka Cleaning Services so I gave it up when I went university and hoped to establish a “proper” business.

How did you do it? Did you launch full-time, start off with a part-time or full-time job to keep you going?

I launched Sabka Cleaning Services in Birmingham whilst studying full-time at university. Now I am living back with my parents in Buckinghamshire and looking to grow the business. I have been fortunate enough to have landed a graduate job only a month or two after graduating from University and I am looking to grow my own business whilst working full-time.

What do you wish someone had told you before you started?

Before starting Sabka Cleaning Services, I read numerous books and watched endless programmes on other entrepreneurs and I learnt a lot from doing so.

What do you wish you’d done differently?

Whilst at university, I came across opportunities to buy other, already established small/ medium-sized cleaning business. At the time, it didn’t seem like a risk worth taking, however, in hindsight, I wish I had purchased them as I would have had a much larger business now.

What are you glad you did?

I am glad I networked and sought mentoring from the right people, and read the right books and watched the right programmes when in need of inspiration. No stage of the business is particularly easy, and even though you may be self-motivated, there will be challenging times where you may want to give up. In those times, it is the people you network with and the things you turn to for inspiration that will keep you going that little bit further.

What’s your top business tip?

My top business tip comes from my personal experience, as I didn’t used to be too confident in meeting new people to sell my cleaning business to them. However, over time, I have learnt to focus on the end goal, and not focus on the hardship you have to face in the process of getting to that goal. If you’re not comfortable with doing something, keep doing it anyway! Eventually, there’ll come a time where you become accustomed to it.

My other tip would be to seek a mentor when starting up. The assistance mentors can provide is incredible and they are a fantastic source to get some second opinions from as friends/family aren’t always the people to ask.

How has it gone since you started? Have you grown, diversified or stayed the same?

I would love to say we have grown much larger since we started, however there have been many changes (for instance, moving back to my family home in Buckinghamshire and full-time employment) which have led us back to the start-up phase. However, we are beginning to grow again – albeit slower than we did in Birmingham, but as with anything, it takes time, and I strongly believe we have a great future ahead of us.

Where do you see yourself and your business in a year’s time?

At present I am working full-time, and developing my skill set which will benefit me in my career and in business. Although this will leave me in a fantastic position later as I am meeting some amazing people at work and through business, the downside at present is that it means I have less time to commit to the business. However, in a year’s time, I hope to have grown the client base for my own business and hopefully have an office.

Mohammed’s added another question of his own to the end of my set: fair enough, as it’s a good one!

What would you advise other graduates?

With the current economy not looking too great, I believe entrepreneurship is the way forward for graduates and would encourage others to consider going down this route whilst also looking for a job. It is a fantastic experience and is a great thing to put under your list of achievements on your CV.

Good luck to you, Mohammed, as you enter into a busy, but hopefully rewarding, phase of your life, and we look forward to hearing from you in a year’s time!

The Sabka Cleaning website is available at www.sabkacleaning.co.uk and of course you can email the company and  find them on Twitter  and Facebook (where you can book cleaning services or make an enquiry).

If you’ve enjoyed this interview, please click here for more freelancer chat, or here for information on how you can have your business featured.