Interview
“ We want a global footprint and to change the way not just men, but how people in general buy presents online ”
kids to school I’ll put them to bed or get them ready and being an entrepreneur means I am able to do that now. Men also have to make compromises! They miss out on their children too. I hope that my children will learn about our way of working as they won’t necessarily be taught this at school.”
Remaining on the subject of the British education system and whether they develop future entrepreneurs, Rachael is keen to elaborate. “Children are still being taught to aspire for traditional careers and the same emphasis isn’t given to start something for yourself. I believe what made Britain great was that get up and go and there isn’t that same hunger.
Teenagers need to be encouraged to have self belief and I think government should provide consultants with a track record of starting businesses in tough environments and offer them to small businesses.” Kate adds; “Young entrepreneurs can’t access capital. Government and banks are locked down and unless you’re from a wealthy background it becomes very tough. Teaching students about finance, not just maths, would really help and it needs to apply to everyone. If you’re at university studying art
they should teach you how to turn a painting or a sculpture into money and build it into the course.” Kate agrees that business education is needed within all fields of interest. “You also need to know how to market yourself. Having a concept is not enough and a supplier won’t work with thin air. You need a clear brand and target market – when we first started we understood this and it served us well.”
On concluding the interview, I ask Rachael and Kate, both quite clearly in the fast lane to success after gaining many valuable lessons along the way, to divulge a few tips to budding entrepreneurs beginning their first venture. “When I was young I wanted to be perfect at everything and was told to ‘not die on every hill.’ Now I filter what requires me to go into battle in comparison to instances when I only need 80 per cent of my energy. I’ve also learnt that sometimes experience is irrelevant in today’s society and you need to be open to different methods of business. We have a guy that works with us who is 22 and he understands Twitter far better than I do and I’m open to that.”
Rachael then confesses to lessons she has learnt in terms of her character and how she uses it as a business advantage. “I’m quite shy and I worry a lot about not being good enough. That haunts me and it could have killed my confidence, but somehow I think it is at the heart of my ambition.” Does this continued ambition transcend to Rachael being able to envision the success of the company in 5 years? “Indeed. We want a global footprint and to change the way not just men, but how people in general buy presents online. Most gift websites are so big and it’s inconvenient to use them, whereas our system is suggestion based. We will never be happy with where we are and we will continue to strive for the best.”
42 entrepreneurcountry
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