Name: Rachel Morgan-Trimmer
Age: 30
Business: SugarCat Publishing
Type of business: Internet publishing
Start date: 1 April 2005

Corporate website: www.sugarcat.co.uk
Consumer website: www.thecareerbreaksite.com 

When did you first decide you wanting start your own business?
I’ve always wanted to run my own business, but it was years before I decided what to do. My last job was with a small company, reporting directly to the MD, and it was there that I picked up a lot of the knowledge about how to run a business.

Tell us about your business
SugarCat Publishing makes information websites in niche markets. These sites are free to people using them, and revenue is generating from selling the advertising space. The two key USPs of our sites are firstly, that there is a need for them, and secondly, that there is nothing else like them. We launched our first site, www.thecareerbreaksite.com in June this year, and we have several more in development.

Was it your first business idea and where did it come from?
No, I have had lots of business ideas (and still do!). However, many of them were impractical and/or had high start-up costs. The idea of internet publishing grew over a number of years – I always wanted to build my own websites (rather than for clients). Once I figured out a way of generating revenue from them, I was ready to go!

Was your decision to start a business inspired by any other companies or individuals?
Yes, my father had run his own company from when I was very small, so I grew up with strong entrepreneurial ideas. Also, I met other entrepreneurs in a diverse range of fields through networking, and seeing their achievements was inspiring.

What makes you think there’s a market for your business?
I knew for a long time that there was a market for a career break website. Career breaks had had a lot of coverage in the press, and I knew there was no other website dedicated to offering impartial advice and information on career breaks, with online resources. We were right too – we have had a lot of press coverage since we launched, and our site is becoming well known through word of mouth.

Once you’d decided to start a business, what did you do first?
I went on a career break! Partly it was so I knew what I was talking about when I set up The Career Break Site, and partly because I knew I wouldn’t get the chance for a few more years. While I was travelling, my mum taught herself advanced web design (as you do) so she could work for me when I got back.

What research did you do?
I did a lot of online research to make sure there would be no competition for The Career Break Site. I also cut out every newspaper article on career breaks that I could find. While I was on my career break, I sounded out people about why they were there, what they were doing and what they wanted to do when they got back. I’ve also had a lot of useful information from talking to my clients.

What advice did you seek?
I talked to my dad first, and also spoke to a few key contacts, who offered useful advice. I didn’t approach any official body (eg BusinessLink) immediately, as I didn’t need financial assistance, and I have already had a lot of training. However, I have plans to go to more networking and training events in the future.

What other help did you get?
It sounds a bit fluffy, but my friends have been really supportive and that makes quite a difference. Starting your own business can be quite an emotional experience – and having a decent support network can really make a difference. Some of them have given me excellent professional help (such as PR and marketing) and have refused to take payment for it, which has saved me a lot of money.

Also, having my parents work for me is fantastic, as I know they’ve both got the best interests of the company at heart. They’re very good at their respective jobs, which frees up a lot of my time, as I don’t have to micro-manage them.

Does the government need to provide more help to people trying to start a business?
I think the government already provides a lot of help to business start-ups, and they have some very useful information online. Perhaps more specialist information would be helpful; for example, links to websites with information on online marketing. Some information is too general to be of any tangible benefit.

Talk us through the process of writing your business plan.
I didn’t write one! For a small company with a fairly simple structure, it didn’t seem necessary.

How much did it cost to start the business?
We started on a budget of exactly nothing. Anything I bought for the business (such as software) came out of my own pocket.

How did you fund this?
My own savings. I already had a number of assets (eg a computer) which saved me a lot of money.

Similarly, how are you funding your running costs until the business takes off?
Again, out of my own pocket.

Have you made any provisions for business not being as prosperous as expected?
Yes, I am already planning to cut costs by moving. We also have some plans to borrow money if we need to.

When did you stop working?
I left my day job last summer, and went travelling. I have freelanced before so it wasn’t a huge transition, and, as the business developed gradually, there wasn’t a big launch or anything. I think the biggest moment was getting my business cards back from the printer with ‘Managing Director’ on them. That and my first sale.