Selina Anne Ryan

To have the confidence that it will work and then do the work to get there. When I was starting out, I questioned throughout the whole process and worried whether people would come and what I would do if no one came. Confidence is built with experience and time, so just push forward.

Selina Anne RyanSelina Anne Fitness

Seek advice. Get in touch with people who have done it before and are doing it successfully. Have pride in your business, but don’t be too proud to seek out knowledge from other people because it’s so valuable.

Lewis WheatleyCharlie’s Last Stand

Know what you are getting into. It’s important to have an understanding of the hidden aspects of the business – the legal side and the accounting side, so make sure you get good advice.

You need to be prepared to ride through the highs and lows because no business is entirely clear sailing – you need to keep focused on the long term. When you hit a hurdle, it’s important to look at the options carefully and decide on the way forward – there’s generally a solution for any problem. Sometimes it takes you out of your comfort zone, but in the end that’s how the business grows and succeeds.

Also, it’s important to focus on communication – from the top down and the bottom up. All members of the team have a voice and that’s where the best parts of the business grow from. And the communication goes further than that: it’s important to maintain good and open communication with all of our customers.

Lisa WhittyHunt's Carpets

You’ve got to be in it to win it. If you think something is going to work, just have a crack at it. Who thought putting poo in a bag would pay for a wedding?

Do your research. I engaged with the New England Gardeners page and chatted with Lou Forsythe. Lou was really influential in keeping me going throughout the drought.

You need to be open to being a bit versatile, especially at first. We only offered bags to start with, then we started offering loose trailer loads. Not just because people want larger quantities, but some people would rather avoid using bags. Our bags are biodegradable, but ideally, we would like to source a compostable bag. So being open to change is important.

Ben RyanCow Pow

Look after people and help them as much as you can. If you can’t do something, don’t say you can do it. The goal is not a one-off sale – business is about repeat business. Form relationships with your customers, listen to them, and treat them well.

Tony ElderBlack Dot Music

The most important thing is to do your homework before you start. Ask yourself if the business is viable or if there are too many competitors in the market already. Also, you need to be clear about your financial backing – you need to be realistic and realise that, unless you are really lucky, business will be fairly slow when you start out. And you really do need to be honest about your capabilities – ask yourself, ‘am I good at what I do?’

If you’re starting up a family-based business, try not to mix the business and family – it is really important to separate the business from the personal.

Jeff McCannH2O Plumbing & Maintenance

Selina Anne Ryan

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