What do you currently do?
I am the founder of printed.com which is based in both London and Newcastle. We launched the company in 2011, setting out with the mission to innovate in the print sector and challenge the way in which businesses have traditionally ordered printed material, by offering a simple and convenient online shop.
What is your inspiration in business?
I like the idea of creating something that a lot of people may one day find useful. Recently, someone from my kids’ school came up to me and said that they had used our site, commenting that they loved it and were really happy with the product they’d received.
liked the feeling that we had provided that experience. I accept we might not be solving problems in the world, but if you are in business then I think you should want your business to be the best at what it does. I want people to have a great experience, and hearing they have, or reading great feedback on social media platforms, inspires me to go further.
Who do you admire?
Immediately, I would say it has to be my Dad. He runs a great company but continues to remind me of what is important in life. He’s very inspiring as businessman to look up to.
Looking back, are there things you would have done differently?
In hindsight, I wouldn’t have written a long business plan that tried to work out what we might be doing in years to come when really, we needed to change things at times. I think it’s quite easy to want to jump steps in the early stages of a start-up but from my experience, I think it’s important to focus on the here and now.
What defines your way of doing business?
Whilst I always strive for total perfection, sometimes rigorous time restraints mean we have to endeavour to ensure things are completed within the deadline.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out?
Be prepared to change the plans you initially put in place! These days nothing is certain, so embrace change when you’re confronted with it and adjust accordingly.
