IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH MEMBER ..
Karl Newman
Direct Peak
When you were a child what did you aspire to be?
A Rock Star, I play electric guitar and was in many bands in my teenage years.
Did you enjoy education?
Yes, maths was my favourite.
What motivated you to learn your service/trade?
Whilst working in an office admin role I was given some basic accountancy tasks, which I took really well to and it made me want to develop those skills.
What motivated you to start your own Business?
I thrive on being challenged, which I felt I wasn't getting from employment. Setting up a business from nothing and turning it into something that prospers is a huge motivation for me.
Do you wish you had started your Business earlier?
Yes, I didn't realise how much I would enjoy running my own business.
What are the rewards of being your ‘own Boss’?
There are a lot of rewards, but what I find really rewarding is delivering key work for our clients and seeing how that makes a change within their own business to help them.
How did you support yourself financially to start your own Business?
I saved six months worth of my previous salary before I left my job to ensure I had cash reserves if I needed them.
What is the best part of your daily routine?
I always leave the office at 5pm and with home not far away, I get in not long after. When I get in I take the time to speak to my family about their day and about my day - it's a great way to unwind from work and keep work at the office.
What have you learnt about yourself since starting your own Business?
You cannot do everything yourself. If you want your business to grow you need to bring other people into help, whether that be staff or outsourcing.
What does it mean to you now you are running your own Business?
It means that I can have the flexibility to fit in everything I want - like activities my son participates in at school - this flexibility is something that I also pass onto my staff.
What is your vision for your Business in the next 5 years?
Direct Peak will continue to grow organically and fill allthe positions the business needs internally so it can run without me being involved on a day to day basis. I can then focus on working completely on the businesses strategy for the next 5 years.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking about starting their own Business?
Make sure you have a solid business plan before you start and get a professional to check it over - 30% of new businesses fail in the first year and 50% in the first 5 years.
See Karl's Safe Local Services profile at Direct Peak
Read our previous member spotlights:
Quentin Pain of PROOFMedia
Esther Redman of Introspective Training & Development
Libby Rolfe of Elastoclass First Aid Training
Victor Sacks of VS Financial Services Ltd
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