| Cheryl Rickman runs her own group of businesses | | | | of the market and, often, circumstances outside a |
| CherryJam - with her partner James in Hampshire. Her | | | | business owner's control. As I say in my book, |
| first company WebCritique a web copywriting and | | | | 'Certainly, there is no entrepreneurial elixir you can |
| marketing consultancy, helps other businesses to | | | | swiftly drink to make you automatically successful |
| improve their online presence and Cheryl provides | | | | (except your own home-made passion-fuelled one). |
| workshops to local businesses on these issues. | | | | But you can prepare yourself to seize opportunities |
| WebCopywriter was borne from WebCritique and | | | | and make it happen for you.'However, if I had to list |
| provides web copy for small and large businesses | | | | attributes that would make the entrepreneurial life |
| alike. Her clients include AnitaRoddick.com, Business | | | | manageable, I would say, you need energy, passion |
| Link Wessex, Motorola and Microsoft. Cheryl's other | | | | and to be dedicated and thick-skinned. You need to be |
| main business is the UK's largest independent online | | | | able to cope with times when your social life will suffer. |
| music magazine - Cheryl has been a freelance writer | | | | You should be a great communicator and someone |
| for the past nine years, writing on business issues for | | | | who enjoys networking, be it face to face or online. |
| Better Business and Internet Works magazine, and | | | | But probably the most key attribute is the desire to |
| interviewing business leaders and music celebrities. As | | | | learn. That includes learning from mistakes.In my book I |
| well as writing The Small Business Start-Up Workbook, | | | | speak to a variety people from Anita Roddick and |
| which has a foreword by Dame Anita Roddick, Cheryl | | | | Stelios to Simon Woodroffe, among others. All of them |
| is author of booklets, 111 winning ways to promote your | | | | told me how important listening and learning is as an |
| website successfully and 127 insider ideas on creating | | | | entrepreneur. And, as soon as you think you know it all, |
| a winning website and has been a Judge at | | | | you're history as a business. As a boss, if small |
| Hampshire's Awards of Web Excellence for the past | | | | business owners can remember that just because |
| two years.The InterviewDS: What inspired you to | | | | they started the business doesn't mean they know |
| follow an entreprenerial path and in particular what | | | | more about marketing than the marketing chap, |
| inspired you to write the Small Business | | | | businesses would flourish easier. Learning should be a |
| Handbook?CR: Well, I was never the 'selling packets of | | | | continuous endeavour, so a capacity and interest in |
| sweets' kind of playground budding entrepreneur at | | | | learning is a crucial attribute for any entrepreneur.DS: |
| school, and my main dream was to become a | | | | What do you believe are the necessary elements for |
| freelance writer, but somewhere at the back of my | | | | a business venture to succeed?CR: Good people. You |
| mind I liked the idea of running my own business, | | | | need the right people working with you, be that in |
| something small and (dare-I-say-it) manageable. (I now | | | | terms of partnerships or staff. They are the lifeblood |
| know that smaller businesses are often harder to | | | | of your business, so you need to value them and they |
| manage due to the lack of people to delegate tasks | | | | will perform well. As Mike Southon says in The |
| to).However, it was mainly circumstance that led me to | | | | Beermat Entrepreneur 'People buy from People.' So |
| start-up, and the support and encouragement of my | | | | ensuring that people working for you share your vision |
| partner, James. And I think it is that circumstance - | | | | and at least can serve your customers in a way that |
| which creates entrepreneurs. The majority of | | | | they themselves would wish to be treated, is the first |
| self-made types are ordinary people doing | | | | step.You need to plan, as it's easier to be passionate |
| extraordinary things.Also, I guess some of my | | | | about getting somewhere if you know where you're |
| 'entrepreneurial spirit' came from my mum. She passed | | | | heading and how you're going to get there. Plus |
| away in 1991 when I was just 17. And, to cope with the | | | | cash-flow can kill businesses, so it's important to know |
| trauma and loss, I began to fill my time with trying to | | | | what is going to be coming in and out of the business |
| further my writing career. Years after her death, one | | | | all the time. Again, being open to learning is a key |
| of my mother's best friends told me that mum always | | | | element. Many businesses fail because those driving |
| believed that I would someday run my own business. I | | | | the business are so caught up working 'in' the business, |
| had no idea that she thought that until a few years into | | | | instead of 'on' the business, that they can't implement |
| my first business, but that gave me the inspiration I | | | | changes, find time to learn or stay creative or on the |
| needed to think about writing my book. Having | | | | ball. That's why planning and hiring the right people with |
| succeeded in business through a combination of | | | | complementary skills who you can delegate to are |
| determination and my own trial and error, I longed to | | | | essential success factors.These are just some of the |
| write a book that would offer insight and | | | | elements included in my Start-Up Checklist which |
| encouragement to young entrepreneurs like me who | | | | appears in the book after the chapter called: |
| dreamt of running their own business, but didn't have | | | | LESSONS FROM LEADERS IN BUSINESS: Success |
| the faintest idea where to start. Ultimately, The Small | | | | Stories, Mistakes and Top TipsDS: How essential do |
| Business Start-Up Workbook is the culmination of that | | | | you see a University education in achieving success as |
| dream.DS: Did you have any help setting up | | | | an entrepreneur?CR: Not essential. I went to University |
| WebCritique your first company or were you going it | | | | to a) make my parents proud b) delay the prospect of |
| alone?CR: In terms of advice I received help and | | | | working for a few more years and c) because with |
| guidance from my Local Enterprise Agency, but got | | | | A-Levels reading the Media Guardian I realized all the |
| most of the information I needed from the web. In | | | | jobs I wanted to be able to do were only open to |
| terms of finance my personal bank turned me down | | | | graduates. For me, although I ended up on lower or |
| for a business loan, so I set up a new account - great | | | | similar income to many of my peers, I needed to be a |
| while it was free, but not so useful now it isn't. | | | | graduate to get my editorial and writing positions. |
| Choosing the right business bank is a crucial decision | | | | However, I'd have learned a great deal more if I'd gone |
| and worth spending time on. I'm with Lloyds but | | | | into a publishers and worked my way up. I believe |
| wouldn't recommend a bank who's business managers | | | | work experience counts for a lot more (just as some |
| are difficult to get hold of and don't see the | | | | people I sent my CV to as a graduate believed). |
| longer-term bigger picture. My book includes questions | | | | What's more, my partner James is more |
| to ask banks, and you can compare UK banks at or | | | | entrepreneurial than me (and he has the gift of the |
| What was the biggest challenge you faced in bringing | | | | gab, is more confident, etc). He didn't go to university, |
| your idea to fruition? How was it overcome?CR: The | | | | so that proves my point that university education is |
| first was to challenge my own assumptions about | | | | definitely not essential in achieving business success. |
| whether or not I could do it. Everybody has some | | | | Indeed, my BA (Hons) Degree in Media with Cultural |
| element of fear going into it for the first time, but I had | | | | Studies may well have hindered me in some ways. I |
| such a great support mechanism in my boyfriend | | | | could have been working all that time and saving up to |
| James, that he fuelled my own belief in my ideas and | | | | fund my own business. And, if you look at the most |
| capabilities. The second challenge and probably the | | | | successful people in UK business, the majority of them |
| biggest ongoing hurdle that is shared by most small | | | | didn't go to college let alone university. Richard Branson, |
| businesses is funding and cash flow. Finding start-up | | | | Simon Woodroffe...DS: What are the three most |
| capital was far from easy, so I started up with a | | | | important lessons you have learned about business |
| minimal amount. It's certainly easier to borrow bigger | | | | and entrepreneurship?CR: 1. Everything always takes |
| sums than small amounts. In the early days I also found | | | | longer and costs more than you think it will (even when |
| getting clients to pay on time was a challenge. Now | | | | you are fairly stringent with your planning).2. Go with |
| this is less of a problem, but it is still a general rule that | | | | your gut feeling. Learn how to feel what that is and go |
| the bigger the customer, the longer they will take to | | | | with it. The buck stops with you, so you need to get |
| pay you. Another ongoing challenge is finding balance in | | | | as many decisions right as you can. Some of these |
| terms of thinking time. I think mostly about the | | | | decisions will involve others trying to sell you something: |
| businesses and what's going on in them, and need to | | | | support or a service or a partnership. There is a time |
| find a way to switch off more frequently.The bottom | | | | for diplomacy and sometimes you will need to listen to |
| line is that, as an entrepreneur, you have to challenge | | | | your instincts and opt not to go ahead with a certain |
| yourself fairly regularly and be open to that concept. | | | | partnership or project.3. Listen and learn constantly. |
| You're often going to have to enter unchartered | | | | You must never think you know it all as nobody does. |
| territory and do something that is foreign to you and | | | | People like to give advice and tell you what they know |
| your skillset, but that's what happens when you wear | | | | about things, so you can be constantly learning. You |
| many hats. And certainly, on start-up as a sole | | | | also need to delegate, and appreciate that there are |
| proprietor, you are the receptionist, marketing | | | | people out there who can compliment your talents. |
| department, MD, fulfillment house, sales team. You | | | | Remember, it's all about people.DS: What advice would |
| wear ALL the hats, so being challenged on a daily | | | | you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?CR: Do your |
| basis becomes part and parcel of life as an | | | | research, find out what your potential customer needs |
| entrepreneur.Finally - realizing that you may have to | | | | are and test the market where possible. Surround |
| rely on others who don't share your vision/dream and | | | | yourself with a good support network and work out |
| who may/will let you down is a challenge to accept | | | | your break-even point before you take the plunge. Buy |
| and overcome. Once you find reliable and impressive | | | | or create a checklist that you can go through before |
| suppliers you can trust, from a great web developer to | | | | you set up, making sure you've considered everything |
| a great business card supplier, you learn to stick with | | | | from your company name and marketing to your |
| them.DS: What makes you most proud of your | | | | website, staff and expenditure needs.DS: What's the |
| entrepreneurial achievements ?CR: The book does | | | | number one book you would recommend to aspiring |
| because it's something tangible that I can pick up and | | | | entrepreneurs?CR: Of course my own book - The |
| say 'Yes! I did this!'I must admit, I'm often so busy that I | | | | Small Business Start-Up Workbook. However, another |
| only rarely stop to 'smell the roses' and appreciate | | | | book I would heartily recommend is Anyone Can Do It |
| what I'm achieving. This is a lesson in itself that I have | | | | by Sahar and Bobby Hashemi of Coffee Republic, and |
| to learn to do more and is certainly something that I | | | | also Anita Roddick's Business As Unusual - both are |
| suggest others do in my book. People (myself included) | | | | inspirational and help you get things into perspective. |
| should list their achievements more frequently. Some | | | | Both are available from Amazon.co.uk, or you can |
| books advise to do this on a daily basis, writing down | | | | order Anita's books via her own site at What |
| mini-achievements.I guess the main milestones that | | | | memorable mistakes, if any, have you made in |
| make me feel proud of my achievements are: | | | | business? What did you learn from them and how can |
| The friendships and contacts I've gained since | | | | they be avoided?CR: Earlier I mentioned the |
| embarking on my entrepreneurial journey, including a | | | | importance of going with your gut feeling. Well, if I'd |
| few 'celebrities' such as Anita Roddick and Wendy | | | | done that on at least two occasions, I could have |
| James, among others, plus a whole host of people | | | | saved a lot of time, credibility and money. We chose a |
| who are part of the same online networks as me | | | | web development team based on referral who ended |
| (such as and Digital Eve) who inspire me and make | | | | up being appalling. They made very technical looking |
| me feel proud. The people I've managed to interview | | | | sites which had a reduced Google ranking, terrible |
| both in the business world and music world makes me | | | | indexability and were poorly designed and coded. |
| feel proud. Learning is so important in life, and being | | | | Effectively they talked the talk but didn't walk the walk. |
| able to learn from those who are 'living the dream' is | | | | If I'd followed my gut instinct earlier on when the |
| important.Knowing that we're still doing it and are | | | | partnership was being discussed, I'd have walked |
| stronger than ever makes me feel proud, with I Like | | | | alright... away from them. The partnership cost us |
| Music ( it's taken us four years, but we are now at a | | | | credibility, lost Google ranking, plus a whole year of our |
| point where some of the larger well-known brands | | | | time. Fortunately, we found a new developer who has |
| and companies who've spent pots of cash but with | | | | made our sites the best they have ever been. But |
| minimal results are now taking notice of us and can | | | | that's just part of the roller-coaster ride of running your |
| see our strengths. We now have four years worth of | | | | own business.DS: What are the best and worst things |
| great content, contacts and traffic and are ready to | | | | about being an entrepreneur?CR: Best things are the |
| take the site to the next level, but we've not forked | | | | freedom and flexibility it gives you in terms of trying to |
| out on flash offices or streams of staff. And with | | | | reach your goals and in being your own boss. Plus, it's |
| Web Copywriter it's great that the original business | | | | nice to feel in control of your destiny. The worst things |
| 'WebCritique' has grown organically into this niche area | | | | are that nobody can understand what it's like to run |
| of writing for the web. The fact that all businesses are | | | | their own business until they do it themselves and the |
| still going makes me feel proud.DS: How did you | | | | fact that you lose a lot of 'me' time and social life |
| actually fund your business to get it off the | | | | when you work long hours on your business. Not |
| ground?CR: WebCritique was launched with just a | | | | getting paid holiday is another negative and personally |
| small amount of my own savings, plus a £1500 | | | | it's my occasional inability to switch off from business |
| bank loan. My personal loan bank refused me for a | | | | mode.DS: Are there any other thoughts, insights, or |
| business loan, so I set up a business account | | | | advice for aspiring entrepreneurs that you'd like to |
| elsewhere. I also sold my car. Since then I've financed | | | | add?CR: If you believe in your idea, have some proof |
| the business on cash flow, plus overdrafts and | | | | to back it up and have the energy to be your own |
| occasional loans, which is also the case for I Like | | | | boss, go for it. Remember, it's better to try and fail than |
| Music, which is entirely self-funded. WebCopywriter | | | | to not even bother to try then get to the end of your |
| cost nothing as the design was done in house.I wish | | | | life wondering, 'what if' and 'if only I'd done that.'Damien |
| there was more cash readily available in the form of | | | | Senn helps entrepreneurs create compelling |
| grants to small businesses in all areas: both affluent | | | | businesses. He is one of the UK's top Business |
| and under-privileged areas.DS: What attributes do you | | | | Coaches as well as a fully qualified Chartered |
| think make a successful entrepreneur?CR: That's a | | | | Accountant.Damien is the author of the 'Senn-Sational |
| tough question because there are so many variables | | | | Success Journal' and has developed his own coaching |
| that go toward making a business actually work; from | | | | model called the 'Senn-Sational Success System'. |
| personalities and people to the viability of an idea, state | | | | |