Business Matters
A new column from Amble-based Small Business PR specialist Claire Shiels
Determination and Motivation are what we need to keep Amble thriving
I hope 2018 has got off to a flying start for those of you with your own business or budding entrepreneurs.
My two key words for this year are determination and motivation, both of which are equally as important when setting up or growing a firm.
Ten years ago, I was stuck in a job I didn’t enjoy, trying to balance a full-time workload with part-time hours and a daughter who was just starting school and needed me to be there for her, too. I was failing miserably on all counts and my self-confidence was at an all-time low. I figured what I needed was to be my own boss so I could have the best of both worlds.
Being completely honest, it was tough and you’ll find it the same unless you have a few thousand pounds stashed away in the bank. There were many days in the past when I was advised to pack it all in and get a “proper” job. It was determination, motivation and a healthy dose of self-belief which pulled me through. A decade later, I now have my own established PR agency supported by eight account managers, servicing clients right across the globe.
And you can do the same.
Over the last couple of months, we’ve seen a few For Sale signs going up on Queen Street as businesses falter. Inevitably, there have been complaints about the town being taken over by tourism and inundated with eating places, yet all I see is opportunity. And I’m not alone.
Let me assure you, the entrepreneurial spirit in and around Amble is thriving. I see it in local networking meetings, in emails asking for advice, in chance discussions with new and existing residents and in the businesses which pop up almost as suddenly as another is closed.
Amble’s reputation as an up and coming, beautiful tourist destination is now being spread far and wide, demonstrated by the sheer numbers of out-of-season tourists we’ve welcomed over the winter. It offers huge potential for new businesses. Will you be one of them in 2018?
Claire Shiels
