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Dear Entrepreneur,

What would you advise yourself if you could go back to the day you started your business?

Be much smarter with the marketing! I should have made sure I kept a record of all the customers so I could have done a much more effective job of marketing to them and tracking customer behaviour – I definitely think using that sort of data for insight is invaluable for customer-facing businesses. I would have also been much smarter in terms of pricing and branding – I should have positioned the site as much more premium and charged more!

What inspired you to start a business?

I couldn’t find shoes for my size 13 feet and thought that there must be a better way to do this! My mum and a family friend helped me with the legal stuff, and then I was off! In fairness, I had experience running a mobile disco and so was comfortable with the idea of starting something new, so it was just a case of spotting a new niche really.

Why start a business and not work for someone else?

I think for me, there were a number of reasons. I wanted some pocket money and I thought this would be more fun than waiting tables or mowing lawns! Then there was a real desire to get some proper business experience, which I had always wanted. I think starting your own business is also a lot of fun and you do get a sense of adventure which I don’t think is possible when working for someone else, because you are 100% accountable for everything that goes wrong!

Is it possible to start from scratch?

Yes. Bootstrapping is a well-known practice, and frankly if you’re getting into a business which requires huge upfront investment then you should probably look at doing things another way or looking at another opportunity – startups have such a high failure rate that you can’t afford to commit too much financially at the beginning if you don’t have to!

Do you have any daily routines that make things run smoother?

I make a to-do list, and – crucially – order that to-do list as the time between tasks can be a huge time consumer! Apart from that, I’m focussed and don’t procrastinate – if you work solidly and with focus you can get lots done and still have a life!

Oliver Bridge

Founder, Bigger Feet Ltd

www.biggerfeet.com