 |
| Company: |
Olive Strachan Resources (OSR) |
| Location: |
Manchester |
| Established: |
1998 |
| Sector: |
Education and training | |
How did your business idea come about?
My background is recruitment and selection. Whilst working as a Manager for Reed Employment we were encouraged to run our department like it was our own company, justifying expenditure, cold calling major blue chip companies and ensuring we achieved sales targets. After that I worked as a Regional Manager for Video Arts Limited, who are a well known training provider. This combined experience equipped me with the confidence to sell and the knowledge of the training industry. To ensure I could provide clients with the expertise required I completed my post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management. After 20 years working as a manager advising clients on recruitment, training and staff issues I felt the time was right to open my own business and provide organisations with first class training consultancy coupled with excellent customer care.
Who, if anyone, has inspired you?
As soon as I was qualified I became a member of the CIPD and joined the committee straight away. I was surrounded by Human Resource experts, which was instrumental in gaining confidence and performing well at work.
My father once told me that the only limitation you face is yourself which is so true when it comes to most things in life, including entrepreneurship. As long as you are able to believe in yourself, nothing will be able to stop you.
What are the main barriers that you have faced in getting to where you are today?
i am a wife and mother, as well as running OSR, so I have found it difficult over the years to find enough time for both. I am very much a family person and am never happier than when I am surrounded by family and friends sitting together enjoying a meal. When my children were younger I would try to focus on the business during the week and give my all to the family at weekends. Initially I was concerned that my gender and race would hold me back within this industry, as the image of a consultant is normally a mature English male, but I am pleased to say that I have never encountered a problem and I have had tremendous support from my clients.
I believe that whilst delegates are learning they should enjoy the experience and it should be inspirational and interactive and enjoyable. Occasionally when there is the sound of laughter coming from the training room it could give the impression that the training is not being taken seriously, however, if delegates are enjoying the experience it tends to aid retention. The comment we get on our feedback sheets is that our training is ‘inspirational’.
What advice would you offer to others thinking of setting up in business?
I would advise new entrepreneurs to get as much advice as they can and not to be afraid to ask for help when they need it. There will always be people and organisations that are more than willing to help you any way that they can.
Most importantly, you should be passionate about your chosen area in order to be successful and enjoy what you do. There are bound to be countless long hours and hard work when you’re running your own business. However, when you love what you do it is never a problem to put in the extra effort necessary to be successful.