Ideas could be the start of something big; where do they come from and how do you turn them into reality?
"My vision and ethos is strongly based on ethics and transparency, so Seeded SEO will not be a faceless, personality-..." Sean Gerrie
"Success to me is not money, success is lifestyle. I believe that as a result of running my own business, I have..." Ross Cooney
"The business has built up really quickly and I’m hoping to grow it. I phone round local community centres and clubs to..." Susan Pluse
"The key piece of advice I was given by a couple of people who run their own businesses was to not be afraid to park one..." Kari Owers
"I would say word of mouth and networking are the strongest tools I’ve used. I would definitely like to grow the..." Nathan Robinson
"I saw other tiaras on the market and felt that I could do better. I felt there was a lack of style and design with..." Rosie Willett
"We’re in the process of acquiring a development opportunity behind our current premises, that’s our next phase...." Lynn Gate
"I think there was a sense of fear – both myself and my business partner, Antonia - about taking the leap of faith that..." Christian Cerisola
"When I started the company it was just to provide PR services for predominantly North East businesses and..." Kari Owers
"My aspirations have always been to create a beneficial, respected and renowned business, in relation to web based..." Ceyhan Mihcioglu
"Fully research your idea or service. I’m not an academic myself so I’ll not necessarily say you have to dig out loads..." Steven Bell
"I went from being very bored and disheartened when I was out of work, to being extremely busy and motivated when I set..." Vien le Wood
"My business, YO’GENIE.COM, aims to create a student world, where the art of sharing is excelled upon. This means..." Ceyhan Mihcioglu
"It’s my passion for food that has driven me forward. I’ve always wanted to work in the food industry, but I knew that..." Nicole Race
"Prior to setting up my business, I had worked on the ‘Fashion at Belsay’ commission by English Heritage and the Arts..." Vien le Wood
"I focused on the things I was doing successfully at the time which was some work helping in the community. From that a..." Nickie Gott
"I began my business straight after leaving university in 1984, selling training shoes out of the back of a van. I then..." Sir Tom Hunter
"My hope and strategy is to continue growing in a sustainable method whereby I can grow with my business, and I..." Sean Gerrie
"I approached a local bridal shop with my first tiara. They put it on display and the orders came rolling in. One of..." Rosie Willett
"Owning your own business can be very demanding. I have three children and a lot of financial pressures. I work seven..." Geoffrey Johns
"My passion for surfing inspired me to start my own business so I could have a better work/life balance and catch the..." Nathan Robinson
"I wanted to get to a stage where I had flexible working times which were less 9am to 5pm. I’ve just taken on a second..." Nathan Robinson
"My career began working in the retail sector. I was lucky enough to be employed by a guy who recognised that although..." Sue Harris
"I was a bad fit in a bureaucracy as well as something of a rebel so had had to work very hard to get promotion. I feel..." Sheila Stokes-White
"You need to have stickabilty. You need to think, “This is what I want to do in my life, and I’m going to make it..." Sheila Stokes-White
"I suspect, deep down, I’ve always wanted my own business, even if sometimes I’ve been in denial about it! The..." Kaye Winship
"I’d seen the way some big PR companies monopolize on the artists that are trying to get attention, by charging..." Melanie Cornish
"I was working as a freelance consultant in East Durham’s Education Act Zone, supporting the arts development of..." Anne Curtis
"It turned out to be an enjoyable ride. We’re doing work now that we’re immensely proud of. We’re also appreciated for..." Satish Shewhorak
"The hardest part has probably been maintaining the belief in what I know is a useful and worthwhile service because of..." Ann Oliver
"After completing a four year Media & Computing degree at Sunderland University I started to look for opportunities in..." Kevin Owens
"After college I was constantly on the look out for a job that I could gain fulfillment out of. At the time my mum was..." Tom Bivens
"I wanted young people of all abilities to enjoy learning as well as teachers to be able to enjoy teaching. Plus, I..." Anne Curtis
"I’ve had a number of jobs but was always very ambitious and felt that I could only find success and happiness through a..." Nicole Race
"Although I’ve maintained a certain level of involvement within Health and Safety, the direction of the business has..." Nancy Haughey
"In 2003 we were both on the brink of redundancy working for a company subject to buyout. Both Lorna and I always felt..." Lorna James
"In a strange way, the business has actually liberated my lifestyle. Antonia and I have both got young daughters and I..." Christian Cerisola
"Eventually I want to be able to offer this service on the NHS to those who truly need it. Whilst this is a private..." Ann Oliver
"I’ve always been interested in the internet, and websites in particular, and set up my first ‘proper’ website way back..." Jonathan Grubin
"The successes we’ve had have just been unbelievable. Upon initial interest of the search phrase “property abroad” we..." Les Calvert
"About a year into the business we developed a relationship with Sage business software. All of our sales are now Sage..." Derek Curtis
"The biggest barrier I faced was leaving my family business which was an emotional time. It made starting a new..." Peter Nixon
"My dad was and still is a very successful businessman. People at school used to say to me I never had to worry about..." Paul Bell
"Being totally honest, I can’t work for anyone else as I always want to use my own ideas and have control of what I’m..." Ceyhan Mihcioglu
"I was being made to constantly travel across the country, and with a baby on the way I knew that that was something I..." Mark Ions
"After a year and a half successfully selling the product and identifying that there was a market, I decided to take the..." Geoffrey Johns
"I’ve been knocked down time and time again with money troubles, lack of confidence and lots of really hard times, but I..." David Shannon
"I was doing science A Levels when I picked up one of the Sunday newspapers and saw a table for graduate employment...." Fiona Cruickshank
"In the back of my mind I always thought that to be an entrepreneur you needed to have some kind of a spark of an idea..." Derek Curtis
"For my business, I wanted to help SMEs gain a good knowledge of health and safety requirements and provide them with..." Nancy Haughey
"I think the secret behind my business was seeing the potential in a concept that no-one else saw and successfully..." Anne Larvin
"I’m really interested in all aspects of entertainment and hope to become an agency one day. I want to bring in more..." Chris Emery
"I started my company as a result of an incredibly frustrating meeting with my ex-employer. It reached the point where..." Louise Allcroft
"I moved to the North East six years ago when I joined a Newcastle-based PR company. It was whilst I was there that I..." Christian Cerisola
"The business has shown me that I made the right choice to start in 2006. My children are happily settled in school..." Anh Mao
"When you’re on a downward spiral it’s amazing how many people try to take control. So I was more determined to get back..." Lynn Gate
"I was a board director of a local builder’s merchant, a £200m business, which was taken over in 1992. I was on a very..." Alan Timothy
"I’ve been running other peoples pubs and hotels for a number of years. When I moved to Newcastle I saw a need for a..." Mark Rogers
"I always thought that business was something that other people did. I’ve never had tonnes of confidence and I’ve never..." Angela Brown
"In 2003 we were both on the brink of redundancy working for a company subject to buyout. Both Lorna and I always felt..." Denise Walker
"I actually think I’m coming into the most creative, energetic, dynamic period of my life. I’ve been through a lot, and..." Roy Stanley
"My husband has been a tower of strength, as have all of my family. I bought the premises with my brother and his wife..." Kaye Winship
"I have high aspirations for my business. We want to extend into the delivery market and we’re currently looking to..." Lindsay Hogg
"Obviously starting up a new business presented its challenges. I didn’t have any family background in business. My..." Satish Shewhorak
"My aspiration is to have a high street branded chain of Walkeazy Chiropody and Foot Care Centres across the country...." Linda Winship
"I joined Nixon Hire, my family plant hire company from school at age 16. Having worked my way up through all..." Peter Nixon
"I left school at sixteen without a clue what I actually wanted to do. My brother worked in a bank, so, thinking it was..." Derek Curtis
"I grew the printing business from a couple of hundred thousand to £1.8 million in 18 months until a local customer, a..." Alan Timothy
"Although I’m still at the establishing stage I hope to grow the business to offer services in photo restoration, DVDs..." David Goldsmith
"I went from living on Incapacity Benefit to becoming an entrepreneur by turning a lifelong passion into my..." David Goldsmith
"I studied an Art and Design Foundation Course in Manchester and then traveled to Australia. When I returned home I..." Rosie Willett
"I was one of the first girls in my year to do accounts and business studies, supported by a fantastic teacher. I knew..." Lynn Gate
"My aspirations at the moment are to create beautifully ornate and timeless wallpaper for ‘vien ici’. I’m moving to a..." Vien le Wood
"Running your own business is very demanding but the job satisfaction is in a different league. Knowing that you stand..." Terry Barnett
"I saved up the donations from jobs I’d done which soon mounted and my father gave me a cash boost so I could get top of..." Chris Emery
"The amount of times I’ve thought about going for a ‘nice little part time number’ just so I can have dinner with my..." Ann Oliver
"I’ve worked with some great companies around the U.K and so learnt a lot about how a garment goes from an idea in..." Michelle Taylor
"Six months after we’d got going, Cleveland County Council, who generated a third of our business, took all their..." Simon Pearson
"I was a senior teacher in a large primary school in Cleveland when my husband took voluntary redundancy. It was to..." Trudy Hindmarsh
"I’m always willing to take risks for what I believe in. For years I’ve had the idea of setting up my own Search Engine..." Sean Gerrie
"Make sure that what you’ve got is viable as a proposition. Look at it and take a view on it. Expect to be knocked..." Lorna Moran
"If you’re thinking about starting or growing a business, all I would say is, go for it. And go for it sooner rather..." Derek Curtis
"Before I took the plunge I had qualified and worked as a probation officer for many years, latterly working as a Chief..." Sheila Stokes-White
"Since starting the business we have enjoyed a number of accolades including the Wansbeck Forum New Business of the Year..." Denise Walker
"The salon has only been open for three weeks and in that time I’ve learnt an incredible amount. When you’re running..." Karen Forster
"The barriers I faced in setting Musa up were pretty enormous. I had no idea how to run a business and had never done..." Carol Metcalfe
"From the outset we wanted to start a business that provided a worthwhile service that benefited the Northumberland area..." Denise Walker
"I’m always looking to the future for my company. We’re currently getting the website up and running and have already..." Anne Larvin
"The great relationships we’ve got with our clients, seeing them in the media, and the fact that so many of them are..." Christian Cerisola
"In terms of looking towards the future, I have just set up a parent company to NJL Yorkline called Ventures UK Plc..." Jamie Greenwood
"We want to continue to grow the business, but doing it in such a way that doesn’t jeopardise my or Antonia’s or our..." Christian Cerisola
"I spent seven years studying as an engineer and aimed to gain chartership, and also spent a year’s placement with Shell..." Chris Quickfall
"It’s been difficult because at the end of the day I haven’t gone from a highly paid job to taking the plunge. I’ve..." David Goldsmith
"I’ve had next to no social life since it started, but it hasn’t been an issue. I’ve been so absorbed by the business..." Lindsay Hogg
"When we took on the bakery I never imagined we’d have the opportunity to move into our own purpose built 20,000 square..." Greg Phillips
"I was at university for seven years studying for an architecture degree. Only after I graduated and got a job in a..." Sarah Taylor
"A lot of my friends who I went to uni with go to work on Monday and they go through all the motions and everything, but..." Greg Phillips
"I used to think that business was all about maximising profitability. Now though, I see us as having social..." Alistair McLean
"…formulated the idea and took the company where I wanted to take it My background is in science and research and I’d..." Louise Allcroft
"I would love to grow the business and expand it. I will hopefully have two or three outlets in the North East in the..." Sue Harris
"I have different types of customers like the elderly who physically struggle to clean and the affluent who don’t have..." Alison Stanley
"I know that we’ll win some, lose some, but it’s given me the encouragement to push the boundaries out more often." Nickie Gott
"What I wanted to change was massive; it was a better outcome for children. But if you’ve got something that you..." Angela Brown
"I strongly believe that if you aim as high as you can, then what you end up with is often better than what you would..." Gavin Blowman
"I think in order to become a good entrepreneur you need to be able to show a good idea, but more importantly..." Ceyhan Mihcioglu
"I probably rushed into opening the boutique and didn’t think through everything thoroughly. But if I had then I may..." Fiona Houghton
"When I left university four years ago I think the biggest commitment I had was a mobile phone contract. I’d never..." Pete Hunt
"You need to have a long term view on where you want to go as a business, but remember to always to work in the short..." John Elliott
"We weren’t allowed to trade without having everybody in our company disability quality trained. There was a high..." Chris Quickfall
"It did feel like a risk to set my company up, but I was at a stage in my life where it was really a case of ‘now or..." Melanie Cornish
"I was employed full time as a Training and Development Manager and Health and Safety Officer for a large Hotel Group..." Nancy Haughey
"I have aspirations for where I want to go with the company. I want to continue the success of the business, carry on to..." Karen Forster
"Before I started my own business my circumstances weren’t that great. I came from a family of six kids brought up on a..." Carol Metcalfe
"I don’t think I was particularly ambitious when I started the company. Like everything else, it snowballs. Suddenly..." Lorna Moran
"I was studying physics in Dublin City University and absolutely loving it. What I really focused on was my work in the..." Ross Cooney
"My motivation for setting the company up was that I really wanted to do things to the highest standard that we possibly..." Kari Owers
"When I was made redundant from the shipyards in Newcastle, I became a salesman. I never really had an ambition to run..." Jonathan Wells
"I wish to prove myself and fulfil my goals and ambitions. When your building a business of your own it can be very..." Ceyhan Mihcioglu
"I first started thinking about starting my own business whilst I was working as cabin crew for British Airways down at..." Clare Rutherford
"I’ve just left a very successful position at Playboy Intimates in order to pursue my dream of running my own..." Michelle Taylor
"I never had a vision to be self employed, but that was before I realised I was in actual fact, unemployable. You hear..." Alistair McLean
"Opportunities are everywhere, everyday. What you need is the ability to spot them, seize them and act on them, and..." Kaye Winship
"I always loved biology at school and felt I was lacking something in the jobs I’d done in sales and finance. I wanted..." Linda Winship
"I do think there’s a big part for luck to play in a successful business. For us, the luck that we experienced was my..." Antonia Clifford
"In the beginning I wanted to be able to work later on in life because I want to, rather than because I have to. That’s..." Jonathan Grubin
"A present for my girlfriend was the trigger for my business idea. I wanted to do something different and personal..." Matt Scott
"In the beginning I looked at other scientific companies around and they were usually spin outs from universities. They..." Louise Allcroft
"I’m excited about the growth of the business and I would love to give people the opportunity to run a Regalo in local..." Clare Rutherford
"Over the years I’ve had a vast array of jobs, from working as an air hostess to tagging criminals. I’m the sort of..." Leanne Hodgson
"I feel confident that we’re going to get there. I’m very passionate about what I do and believe absolutely that this..." Sarah Taylor
"From the outset we wanted to start a business that provided a worthwhile service that benefited the Northumberland area..." Lorna James
"I used to think in the early years that I didn’t plan enough. I was constantly drawing out these long term detailed..." John Elliott
"In order to become an entrepreneur, you need to get yourself an education that prepares you 1) to see the opportunity..." Sir Tom Hunter
"I had not thought big enough for my business. I’ve always had a business that was about more than just profitability...." Sheila Stokes-White
"It’s still early days, and I have a lot of ground to gain. I find the most important element is to have moments where..." Sean Gerrie
"The idea to go into party supplies came from personal experience as when I got married I struggled to find favour boxes..." Sue Harris
"I was a radio presenter, DJ and producer and worked at Metro Radio, Galaxy 1056 and Ministry of Sound. I met pluggers..." Clare Tucker
