"When I speak to friends who are sitting in jobs but perhaps have aspirations to run their own businesses, they often..." Ross Cooney
"I think sometimes competitive sports and business go well together: they’re both about having a will to win, and never..." Steven Bell
"You have to know your competitors. Try and find out what similar businesses are doing, what they’re margins are, what..." Sir Peter Vardy
"You need investment in financial advice. Sometimes people say they can’t afford it, I’m saying you can’t afford not..." Sir Peter Vardy
"Without a doubt, I wouldn’t have had any of my businesses without strong mentoring, and I hope in a couple of years..." Ross Cooney
"Anyone who runs a business reasonably well will occasionally run into trouble, the only way to avoid it is to work well..." John Elliott
"I don’t think business gets easier or harder. I think you just get different issues to deal with. If you’re a small..." Keith Miller
"I really think that if you can do the household budget, you can do business finance. If you can make a Sunday dinner..." Carol Metcalfe
"It’s important that your idea’s well thought out, and the business plan reflects that, before you press the button and..." Sir Peter Vardy
"If you’re going to start in business, find yourself a growing market. I literally stumbled across this market of shoes..." Sir Tom Hunter
"Opportunities are everywhere, everyday. What you need is the ability to spot them, seize them and act on them, and..." Kaye Winship
"Your idea needs some trial and support from other people to make sure that it is a good idea, it is marketable, and..." Sir Peter Vardy
"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
"You’ve got to have self belief; you’ve got to be determined, focused, and not give up. Just keep going. You’ve got a..." Keith Miller
"I think you need to ignore all those many, many reasons why you think you shouldn’t do it and go for those one or two..." Christian Cerisola
"When I was younger, I thought all business people did was take advantage of people to make money. Sharks in suits..." Angela Brown
"Someone who is prepared to follow their ambitions and dreams have the makings of a successful entrepreneur. It is also..." Denise Walker
"For someone setting up their own business I would say what my dad has always said to me ‘Never give up’ and ‘You can..." Ceyhan Mihcioglu
"In business, if you don’t have the right attitude, you will never succeed...Get everything you need to start your..." Mark Rogers
"I think you have to be quite an open person to be an entrepreneur. You have to be willing to listen to people and be..." Kari Owers
"I think there are a number of staple traits an entrepreneur must have to be successful. You have to be open in your..." Karen Forster
"If you’re thinking about starting up, believe in yourself and have the confidence to approach established business..." Steve Mbara
"If you’re thinking about starting your own business, remember to keep focused and motivated and have self belief…you..." Clare Tucker
"I think if you want to start your own business, don’t be too hard on yourself and give it your very best shot. If the..." Anh Mao
"Think hard about the path you’re about to take and listen to the advice from those who offer it, but remember you don’t..." Melanie Cornish
"If you’ve really got the passion and the determination to set up your own business, then grab hold of that self belief..." Lynn Gate
"As soon as you start your own business, it isn’t a job, it’s more like a sport or a hobby. It’s about working hard and..." Steven Bell
"The most important thing when you’re growing your business is to make sure you’re growing your manageability. You want..." Sir Peter Vardy
"Believe in your idea, prepare to work hard and go for it. We’ve worked immensely hard and put all our profit back into..." Kevin Owens
"Have a healthy attitude to risk. I don’t think you’d get away with much if you’re not prepared to risk some stuff...." Fiona Cruickshank
"I think if you want to start out in business, the one thing I would say is, just do it, and try not to analyse..." Roy Stanley
"You do need to be sure it’s what you want, and the changes in your life that that’s going to bring about. But then..." Sheila Stokes-White
"It’s difficult when you have family commitments, to put those at risk. I’m at a stage in my life though in my late 40s..." Jonathan Wells
"Business isn’t rocket science, but you have to be a bit fearless. When you first start out, just being able to get..." Lorna Moran
"There are plenty of people out there who have bought the T-shirt. You just have to go and ask them. We’re not going..." Sir Peter Vardy
"You can do it. In the words of Goethe “Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Begin it now. Boldness..." Gavin Blowman
"If you’re thinking about starting your own business, all I would say is, you can do it. Don’t make excuses; it’s too..." Gavin Blowman
"You can’t think, this could be the difference between paying the mortgage next month or not. You need to have the..." Mark Ions
"Be passionate in what you are doing, focused, determined, hard working, dedicated, but don’t do everything yourself! A..." Nancy Haughey
"I would say to others that if you have a good idea and your market research tells you there is a gap in the market then..." Sue Harris
"Its not the hours that you put in, it’s what you put in the hours that counts. It’s what you do when you’re there, not..." Sir Peter Vardy
"A lot of entrepreneurs analyse a situation and make a pragmatic decision to go one way or the other, and that decision..." Ross Cooney
"Our aim was to match employees to our expansion, and use training to influence profitability. If you have good staff..." Steven Bell
"I think the public perception of an entrepreneur is that they’ve got the right connections; they know the right people..." Antonia Clifford
"I basically found out about being in business by just doing it. I’d love to be able to tell you about the grand plan..." Sir Tom Hunter
"Be prepared to be open to people’s advice and criticism, but don’t feel like you have to take it. You don’t have to be..." Pete Hunt
"I don’t think there’s any stage of starting a business that’s academically difficult. It’s not like learning algebra..." Pete Hunt
"Retirement is to be in a position to do what you want when you want to do it. But then again, so is being chairman of..." Keith Miller
"If you’re thinking of starting a business, my advice would be, don’t be afraid to seek advice. The North East is a..." Satish Shewhorak
"In order to become successful you need to have that self belief and confidence that your product or service can take..." Rosie Willett
"I would always say that if you don’t know about something, then ask someone who does. That doesn’t show weakness - far..." Gavin Blowman
"You need to have ways of measuring customer satisfaction. A good entrepreneur isn’t satisfied by just good sales..." Steven Bell
"If you’re thinking of starting your own business, I would say it’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth it. So you’ve..." Chris Quickfall
"People often say that your mistakes are attached to people; recruiting the wrong person. I don’t believe that because..." Roy Stanley
"If you want to start your own business, it has to be something that you love. Running your own company has to be a..." Kari Owers
"If you’re thinking of starting your own business, all you need is the ability to believe in it, and to do it." Fiona Cruickshank
"I think in order to be successful you need passion, commitment and determination. My motto in life is pursue your..." Matt Stirland
"I genuinely believe that adversity is a test to see what you do next. The majority of people often back off but..." Peter Nixon
"You don’t need to know everything about running a business to start one. There’s lots of people out there to help you..." Lorna Moran
"You need to be prepared to work hard for what you want and to be able to work through challenges and set backs, so a..." Nicole Race
"It’s up to the individual to make it happen. You can go for all the advice and support in the world, but unless you..." Nickie Gott
"I think most things fail because people only half heartedly try them, or they don’t run at them fast enough. If you’re..." Alan Timothy
"If you’re thinking about taking the plunge yourself, do it… but when the time is right, and plan well to work towards..." Sean Gerrie
"My previous experience taught me that if an issue arises, deal with it head on and don’t put your head in the sand." Jamie Greenwood
"There are people out there who are cautious- folks who tell you you can’t do this, you can’t do that. But if you..." Sir Peter Vardy
"I would say to other emerging entrepreneurs if you really want to achieve something just go for it. I took the plunge..." Susan Pluse
"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
"If the stream’s running in one direction, sometimes there’s opportunities to be had by swimming against the tide." John Hays
"In order to be successful you need lots of enthusiasm about your business and a lot of hard work promoting and..." Fiona Houghton
"One of the biggest problems with having a good job is that you’re frightened of leaving. It’s a very big decision to..." Jonathan Wells
"Other people running businesses is the fast track way to make sure yours is a success. Especially when it comes to..." Kari Owers
"People often think, it’s a completely new experience, what if it doesn’t work out, what if I don’t enjoy it? But..." Alistair McLean
"I think you can either be an optimist or a pessimist, and I’m an optimist so I think that if you work hard enough, you..." Carol Metcalfe
"I don’t think business is difficult from an intellectual point of view. It’s grinding and tough at times, but if..." Lorna Moran
"You really need tenacity and determination to get through a difficult period and also learn to not accept ‘no’. ‘No’..." James Robson
"Don’t let things knock you back, and if they do, bounce straight back. David Beckham’s got golden ones; to build your..." Louise Allcroft
"There’s things about creativity that creates entrepreneurs, it’s all about taking risks in order to get something..." Angela Brown
"I think it’s probably easier to set up a business in the North East than anywhere else in terms of opportunities that..." Kari Owers
"You’ve got to believe in yourself and your capabilities. You often come across the expression ‘if it was any good..." Phil Cronin
"If you have an ambition and a dream, to achieve it you’ve got to keep going for it. It is there and it is available." Keith Miller
"Becoming an entrepreneur, my two boys have realised that being brought up by a single parent has no relevance if you..." Anh Mao
"Your gut reaction’s a very good measure. If you have a gut reaction that tells you you’re onto something good, then..." Keith Miller
"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
"Once you’ve got people who share your vision, you need to make sure they have the same work rate as you. Everyone..." Sir Peter Vardy
"Business goes in cycles. You know you’ve got the right team if you’re able to get through the bad times, not just the..." Steven Bell
"I don’t think I was particularly ambitious when I started the company. Like everything else, it snowballs. Suddenly..." Lorna Moran
"You can’t be on fire all the time twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. People aren’t built like that. People’s..." Sir Peter Vardy
"It’s important to be honest with your clients so you can build up a relationship of trust. We know we can only take on..." Paul Bell
"If you have an idea all you need is the belief to make it happen. If I was to give one tip to a budding entrepreneur it..." Tom Bivens
"When you get bad advice, when people say your idea’s never going to work, really pursue it. Don’t give up." Sarah Taylor
"Don’t give up and don’t lie there thinking you can’t do this. I reckon just about anyone could set up their own..." Sheila Stokes-White
"Over the past 20 years, I don’t think there’s a way that I haven’t funded the business, be it from bank money, debt, a..." Roy Stanley
"I think to be a successful entrepreneur requires vision, integrity, great communication and listening skills and most..." Michelle Taylor
"I didn’t really see myself being different to anyone else; all I knew was that I wanted to take control of my..." Lynn Gate
"I wouldn’t change what I did under any circumstances. Even if the company fails, I’ve had a fantastic time and I’ve..." Jonathan Wells
"One of my favourite sayings is ‘fail often and fail cheap’. Try things, and if they fail, let them fail; don’t keep..." John Elliott
"Also, don’t be intimidated by high powered people for advice and support. Be bold and approach them, they’re only..." James Robson
"An entrepreneur is somebody who has that self belief and wants to make a success out of something. It’s about..." Steven Bell
"If I were to give advice to someone wanting to start their own business I’d say don’t sit around and wait for something..." David Shannon
"Simply to go for it! As long as you’re passionate, know the area and believe in your idea you can make a success out of..." Terry Barnett
"To be an entrepreneur takes a lot of hard work and some long hours, but if you are determined to succeed, research your..." Les Calvert
"If you’re thinking about starting your own business, choose something you really enjoy, and be prepared to work hard...." Jonathan Grubin
"There’s nothing wrong with keeping a business small. But it does limit success, and it also limits the economy. The..." Lorna Moran
"There’s no better thing than to take control of your life and not have other people control you. You should never be..." Lynn Gate
"Someone once said to me, ‘Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity, cash is reality’ and it really is true. In business..." Simon Pearson
"The only advice I’d give to any budding entrepreneurs would be to go for it! You don’t always need business experience..." Leanne Hodgson
"There’s a simple premise; if you have the right product or service for your customer, you do it well. That’s a given...." Fiona Cruickshank
"Start as you mean to go on and be honest with yourself. There’s a danger you can think ‘I can get away with this’..." Geoffrey Johns
"I think an entrepreneur needs determination, lots of support and a bit of luck. We like to remind ourselves of the..." Rona Askew
"Work hard, play hard, and if you can give something back. I genuinely believe that works." Keith Miller
"If you have a feeling that you want to start a business, if you have an idea or a thought that you’d like to process..." Keith Miller
"If you want to run your own business or get off Incapacity Benefit, there is all the help in the world for you and I’m..." David Goldsmith
"Simply to go for it and be persistent. If you get knocked down, get up again and believe in what you are doing." Anne Larvin
"Someone who is prepared to follow their ambitions and dreams have the makings of a successful entrepreneur. It is also..." Lorna James
"I’m not sure I see myself as an entrepreneur. I think it is the company that is successful but I do acknowledge that..." Anne Curtis
"Don’t give up and be persistent. Don’t be disheartened if it’s not coming together immediately as it isn’t given to..." Alison Stanley
