Discover what mistakes to avoid and what sucess feels like
"Tanfield was thought about, conceived and developed in the North East, and there’s nowhere else in the world where we..." Roy Stanley
"My business is still very young so landmark achievements have been minimal. However I feel just getting my own company..." William Ingram
"What makes my business work is a dedication to customer service both from myself and my excellent staff, whilst still..." Kaye Winship
"When I was sixteen, success to me was getting a girlfriend. As I got older, success was getting the numbers for the..." Jonathan Wells
"Another mistake we made was not being commercially sharp enough in charging the appropriate fees that reflect our..." Simon Pearson
"There are potential clients that we’ve turned away and said “you don’t need PR, you need something else,” and as a new..." Christian Cerisola
"We’re very open as a business and encourage our customers to come and visit us so they can see their project in..." Paul Bell
"I count my biggest business success as getting the Arts Council Cultural Business Venture for £6000 funding to set up a..." Vien le Wood
"Some people say that you should change banks to save money but I would actually suggest staying with them if you can...." James Robson
"Everyone was saying to us at the time that taking over Milligans would be a massive challenge and there’ll be loads of..." Greg Phillips
"The biggest mistakes I’ve made have probably been in recruitment. It was a completely new thing for me being a..." Nickie Gott
"The main successes I have enjoyed have been simply getting the wheels of the business in motion and seeing an idea come..." Tom Bivens
"The successes we’ve had have just been unbelievable. Upon initial interest of the search phrase “property abroad” we..." Les Calvert
"For a lot of people, success is being in control of your own destiny. It’s true: there’s nothing like it. Personally..." Kari Owers
"I used to think that business was all about maximising profitability. Now though, I see us as having social..." Alistair McLean
"We’ve spent a lot of money on advertising when we really shouldn’t have. When you’re a new company you’re often simply..." Jonathan Wells
"The people who you work with are so important. What gives me huge satisfaction in running a business is seeing..." John Elliott
"I haven’t had any financial support - I have done this myself. At first my outlay was a music system and CDs I had to..." Susan Pluse
"Since starting the business we have enjoyed a number of accolades including the Wansbeck Forum New Business of the Year..." Denise Walker
"I think a mistake was putting on a class because people asked for it and said they would come but then they only showed..." Susan Pluse
"In the early days we contracted a marketing ‘expert’ whose advice led us down the wrong path, and cost us money, time..." Anne Curtis
"We did think it would be easier to sell into the education market than it was. I think I was naïve in thinking..." Anne Curtis
"We’ve also taken on a few contracts that, with hindsight, we really shouldn’t have. We probably went in a bit gung-ho..." James Robson
"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
"On the client side, I get satisfaction from the fact that I know I’m doing a good job for them. It may not be done..." Antonia Clifford
"In terms of mistakes, I don’t think we’ve done many things wrong (we always made decisions based on the knowledge we..." Louise Allcroft
"It’s one thing to know you’re giving a good service; it’s another thing to be told that. Clients give us really good..." Kari Owers
"No matter how good you are at anything, there’s always something to learn. Part of learning is making mistakes, so I..." Jonathan Wells
"When I was looking for venture capital, what I should have done is go to all three companies at the same time once the..." James Robson
"What I shouldn’t have done is take out non-targeted advertising. In the future I will specifically target the bridal..." Rosie Willett
"I’ve been doing two or three jobs a week, but it is starting to snowball now we are getting bookings in. It was the..." David Goldsmith
"We’ve also gone on business ventures that were strategically just wrong. We did a joint venture with Newcastle United..." John Hays
"Our biggest success was being nominated for The Journal Culture Club Awards. The Art Garden was a finalist in the Best..." Rona Askew
"After a year and a half successfully selling the product and identifying that there was a market, I decided to take the..." Geoffrey Johns
"We’ve made a load of mistakes with getting the product developed, but actually that’s not mistakes that’s just working..." Jonathan Wells
"I’ve made mistakes in the past but it’s important to learn from these. One such mistake was spending money on..." William Ingram
"Success for me will be when I know that I am supplying a product that women love and that makes them feel great about..." Michelle Taylor
"Probably the biggest mistake I made when I was starting to take over the business was approaching a fellow director to..." Jamie Greenwood
"To see my staff happy and performing well gives me real pleasure. I created those jobs and to see people that..." John Hays
"We were referred to several ‘so called’ enterprise agencies. I have to say that most of the advice we got from these..." Sarah Taylor
"We’ve never really had any major financial problems. It was a low cost start up and we funded the growth out of..." John Hays
"Circumstances were heavily against us, but I’ve learnt so much from that first time round. That’s the essence of..." Alistair McLean
"We’ve gone from employing six people and sales of less than £50k two years ago to now employing ninety people, seventy..." Phil Cronin
"Once word of mouth developed, our order book was growing at a much bigger rate than we even hoped it would. For the..." Pete Hunt
"A mistake I learned very early on was that setting up the store cost more than I thought. My projections were out. So I..." Sue Harris
"When the clients and candidates started to come in, all of a sudden those databases and websites; systems that you’ve..." Mark Ions
"We’ve won lots of awards over the years, but the one that’s given me the most pleasure by far is when we were..." John Hays
"Walking out onto the shop floor gives me the most satisfaction. You’re relating to the people that you work with and..." Roy Stanley
"My biggest strength is probably my mouth. I remember at one point I was going to a certain business which I’d been to..." Carol Metcalfe
"Since 2005 we’ve worked for a number of companies in the UK across a wide range of industries including; Government..." Kevin Owens
"In the mid/late ‘90s we experienced rapid growth. In six years we’d grown from a turnover of £7m to £23m but we got..." Simon Pearson
"I never expected my business to be as successful as it’s been. When I started, I certainly didn’t expect to be a..." Jonathan Grubin
"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
"I think one of our biggest mistakes has actually been hanging onto people who clearly weren’t in the right job. We’ve..." James Robson
"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
"We were actually successful in the first year after the dot com failure and believed that we had got it right and..." Phil Cronin
"I remember that first day in the office. I sat by the phone with my hand trembling thinking, shall I pick up the phone..." Sarah Taylor
"What I would do differently is not to have placed as much emphasis on employing people already in recruitment. Sector..." Peter Nixon
"Luckily there’s been no major ‘gaffes’ made in the business, but largely as a consequence of expense, we have no..." Kaye Winship
"The main success I’ve enjoyed so far is simply getting the business off the ground and making a real go of it. We’ve..." Lindsay Hogg
"My biggest mistake is relying on one specific source of income (investment). You need to keep your options open and..." Nancy Haughey
"The business has been more successful in the first year than I ever dared think possible. The biggest success for us..." Kaye Winship
"I got a business start up loan which was setting up capital and I also got an overdraft which I dipped into, but now..." Nathan Robinson
"I’ve also underestimated the importance of networking. I did quite a bit of it, but didn’t see it for what it was; I..." Sheila Stokes-White
"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
"I think the biggest mistake we made was underestimating how fast we would grow. When we were looking at offices, we..." Antonia Clifford
"We originally had quite small ideas for Chooba; we wanted to open up a little stall in a shopping centre, selling a..." Gavin Blowman
"In terms of employees, I would like to think that if someone’s not doing their job properly it’s not because they’re..." Greg Phillips
"To date the business has been very successful; my biggest success was securing national radio airplay at Radio 1 for a..." Clare Tucker
"I’ve made heaps of mistakes; I think I’ve probably made every mistake possible. One mistake cost me £180,000 so it was..." Ross Cooney
"I’ve found that it’s been dead easy to delegate jobs. I’ve lost some of the one to ones with people, but I’m doing..." Angela Brown
"I think the team has done extremely well, what with expanding so quickly without a HR department. We’ve created staff..." Phil Cronin
"My biggest success is being able to say I have had a year trading since I’ve opened. Now, because the business has..." Steve Mbara
"I feel I have achieved a great deal in the short time the business has been running. To simply get the business off the..." Karen Forster
"I’ve been able to become financially and personally independent as a result of the business. Three years following my..." Nancy Haughey
"Financially, we were prepared to take a cut in what we were earning. We both worked out what we needed to survive and..." Antonia Clifford
"Looking back I probably could have done things differently. In the first year we held sixteen exhibitions, all in..." Carol Metcalfe
"When we organised ‘The Art Garden’ we were too easily taken in by people’s promises rather than relying on our own..." Rona Askew
"Part of being the boss is that you can’t do everything yourself, which means that other people will make mistakes as..." Jonathan Wells
"What’s most important to us is that everything we do is satisfying as well. It’s satisfying to know that we’ve done..." Antonia Clifford
"We’ve recently diversified the business and got into manufacturing of early stage products for clinical trials. It’s a..." Fiona Cruickshank
"Feedback from customers is brilliant too. Someone went to that little place that we recommended and had a fantastic..." Sarah Taylor
"I probably rushed into opening the boutique and didn’t think through everything thoroughly. But if I had then I may..." Fiona Houghton
"Recruiting people who weren’t right for the company was probably the biggest mistake we’ve made. We’ve lost a bit of..." Fiona Cruickshank
"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
"We’ve both made loads of mistakes since starting the company, too many to even start thinking about. I believe the most..." Kevin Owens
"Our role in events means that we have to be reactive to the market. So we’ve often seen opportunities in certain..." Rona Askew
"The rewards you get at the end of the day, even if you haven’t made any money, are fantastic. If you’re leaving work..." Chris Quickfall
"My biggest success thus far has been to generate the interest I have. For a 19 year old to set up a business which..." Ceyhan Mihcioglu
"I think you have to make mistakes in order learn and to grow your business. I’ve worked with entrepreneurs for about..." Kari Owers
"If I’d have started out on my own I wouldn’t have borrowed as much money. It gives you a tremendous amount of pressure..." Jamie Greenwood
"What we’ve found is that a lot of people come back to us because we offer a very personal service and we develop..." Louise Allcroft
"We started on day one with zero clients: we had no commitments from anybody and nothing on paper. We thought “What are..." Christian Cerisola
"I think the mistakes I’ve made have stemmed from sales calls coming in offering advertising. I’ve spent money where I..." Nathan Robinson
"I wouldn't say I was a success yet, but the wheels are in motion. I recently secured a £10,000 contract with a local..." David Shannon
"I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. During the initial stages of my idea I literally couldn’t stop talking about it. I..." Geoffrey Johns
"The feedback to date has been extremely encouraging, and my approach has been recognised as refreshingly honest..." Sean Gerrie
"Recently we went for a huge national contract even though up until then we’d focused regionally. I was very nervous..." Nickie Gott
"One of the most satisfying things in the business was seeing us come as the underdog, taking on the number one..." Sir Tom Hunter
"Ultimately I managed to start a business that I truly believe in and I know will help people whilst being able to plan..." Ann Oliver
"Since starting the business we have enjoyed a number of accolades including the Wansbeck Forum New Business of the Year..." Lorna James
"I make mistakes all the time. Probably the biggest has been underestimating the value of my company. I now find the..." Sheila Stokes-White
"We’ve made so many mistakes in setting the business up. We’ve done some bad negotiations and some bad sales deals. I’m..." Chris Quickfall
"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
"Along with allowing myself more free time, I also should have got some administration help and developed regular..." Trudy Hindmarsh
"I opened my first clinic in North Road, Boldon Colliery. It’s relatively small premises with one treatment room but..." Linda Winship
"After four and a half years we ended up growing to have a £4m turnover. But then the recession came along in the early..." Simon Pearson
"The biggest test is, will they pay for it? We’ve made some big mistakes with this. One of the first dehumidifiers I..." John Elliott
"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 plan to minimise mistakes by starting my business small and letting it grow. Initially I will design from home and..." Vien le Wood
"I’ve made mistakes but this is all part of the learning process. Making mistakes is natural, the important thing is to..." Tom Bivens
"My biggest mistake was not being prepared enough for the company to take off in the way that it did. Even though..." Melanie Cornish
"Making mistakes is the best way to learn. I underestimated the need to establish a clear brand. I’m now in the process..." Terry Barnett
"Recently my colleagues put me forward for North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. They told me I stood a good..." Nickie Gott
"I often didn’t ask for expert help when I should have done, but I just felt I was too bogged down. I should have..." Sheila Stokes-White
"When I was in my 20’s I did have a massive learning curve and that knowledge has never allowed complacency in anything..." Lynn Gate
"What I’ve found is that most people are enthusiastic about new ventures. Most people I’ve spoken to said to me that..." James Robson
"In business, you don’t tend to make mistakes; you just find more efficient ways of doing things. Every year we look..." Pete Hunt
"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 success of the business has definitely exceeded the expectations I had when we began. We’ve helped Jamie Bell and..." Trudy Hindmarsh
"I’ve been approached my many established businesses in the North East and National chains, such as the Living Room, to..." Fiona Houghton
"When we sold Intelligent Database marketing the first time, the biggest mistake I made was taking my eye off the ball...." Alan Timothy
"Despite some setbacks, I would say that the only mistake I’ve made is not starting this business some ten years earlier." Ann Oliver
"The business has been more successful than I ever anticipated in these early stages. I was expecting the first year of..." Melanie Cornish
"Mistakes are something that you have to cope with; the only person who doesn’t make mistakes is a person who does..." John Hays
"The biggest howler I’ve made in my whole career was not getting to know my business partners well enough. Getting into..." Sir Tom Hunter
"Last year we won three prestigious, British Education Suppliers Awards (BESA) in one evening, which is unheard of in..." Anne Curtis
"We’ve made mistakes along the way. I guess one of the biggest was in recruitment. I’d been really lucky that those..." Derek Curtis
"We’ve made loads of mistakes but we see them as learning experiences rather than grave errors! That’s the great thing..." Satish Shewhorak
"We managed to maintain a smaller business than we had before and we’re far better off. Ironically, it’s ultimately..." Jamie Greenwood
"Last year we won the national UKBI award for best new business. That was a very proud day, and the award also gave us..." Gavin Blowman
"In 1997 we’d grown to somewhere between £3.5-4 million. Because the market for database marketing was catching up with..." Alan Timothy
"My biggest mistake was that when I started I think I expected too much too soon. But I realised after speaking to my..." Steve Mbara
"My biggest mistake was the fact that when I first started out, I expected things to just happen. They didn’t, and..." Jonathan Grubin
"I’d really enjoyed the atmosphere and the camaraderie that all the businesses had in that first building of being able..." Lynn Gate
"My business partner Hilary came on board with me. She was a fine artist and had been through the same process as me..." Carol Metcalfe
"The business has built up well but it took about two years to really blossom. It’s been in the last 18 months that we..." Clare Rutherford
"I’ve spent the investment on stock, software and machinery to make the shoes, but I have made mistakes along the way as..." Matt Scott
