Are you working from home or from premises?

I work from home. Initially I was living and working in a one bedroom flat. I didn’t see the need for offices as I could meet clients at their offices or in a local restaurant.

I love the flexibility and freedom of working from home - nothing better than typing away while dressed in pyjamas!

If I choose to move the business towards training in writing then I may seek out local premises.

How many hours are you working at the moment?

Some weeks I work 40 hours, some weeks it is more like 70. It depends on my workload. Creativity strikes me at anytime of the day, so I often write late at night.

I’ve made a conscious decision not to work weekends unless it is vital. I’m very organised and manage my time very well - I’m yet to miss a client deadline and pride myself on this approach.

What about staff, is it just you?

At the moment the business is me. However, if the business continues to grow I intend to sub contract work to other writers.

I find it hard to be alone 5 days a week so make sure I have at least a couple of occasions a week where I go and meet someone or go networking.

Is the amount of red tape that comes with taking on an employee something that concerns you?

Yes, and to avoid it I intend to sub contract.

What marketing and advertising have you done so far?

I’ve grown my business through contacts, networking and word of mouth.

I had no marketing budget so had to find cost effective ways of promoting the business. I’ve found networking invaluable as a marketing method.

Where do you hope to be in 12 months time?

I hope to continue the growth I have and maybe have a book or two of mine published!

What are the main obstacles to growth?

It’s the old adage of are you spending time working in your business or on your business? Every time I take time out to work on the business I’m moving away from my passion - working in the business writing.

Tell us about your website.

My website was launched very recently and has already provided leads. I’ve always had a profile on Ecademy.com which has led to business and a presence on Google.

I exchanged my skills for the design and build of my site and plan to update it myself. My website, like the rest of my branding, is an extension of my personality.

What are your main ambitions, to make a lot of money or enjoy what you do?

Money is great but it isn’t why I did this. I wanted to pursue a dream and that is what I remain focussed on. If you want to make lots of money then you have to wait a while for it to happen.

What have you found difficult about starting up and what do you wish you’d done differently?

The most difficult aspect has been cash flow. I thought I’d considered most aspects of starting up. However, the one thing I hadn’t realised was the time taken from instruction by a customer to final payment. This kept my awake many nights in the first few months of the business.

You need to be brave - it takes real determination to stick with a business when you have no money and you see no light at the end of the tunnel.

You need to be positive and passionate - it is so much easier to sell yourself if you care about what you do.

So what advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting a business?

Find something you have a burning desire to do and then do your research. The best ideas can come undone because people just go into a business blindly without considering demand for their product or service.

Be prepared to work hard - really, really hard. Expect the first few months to be a rollercoaster, be brave and hold on tight. And finally, take advice from experienced business people and really listen to what they say - they have been there and know what you are going through.

Thanks a lot and the very best of luck. Will you come back and tell us how you’re getting on in six months’ time?

Yes