Case Studies

Shona Jackson

What and when were your first involvements with PSYBT?

My initial contact with PSYBT was in 2003 after I had been made redundant from a local textile and design sourcing company. I always try and turn a positive out of a negative and I wanted to do something with my redundancy. I have a Business & Design Degree so I wanted to use my skills by setting up my own shop and luckily a friend reccommended PSYBT to me, who helped me put together a business plan.

What were the main barriers you had to overcome when first setting up in business?

The main barrier that I had to overcome was that ultimately I was responsible for everything! Although my advisers, Tommy and Geoff, were fantastic you really have to step up to the mark in terms of dealing with land lords, solicitors, journalists and bank managers - even awkward customers can be testing! I couldn't let the fact that I was a young person put me off but it was a bit daunting sometimes, whether on the phone or face to face!

What skills did you develop during the period that you ran your own business?

I developed many skills whilst running my own business; it was a real learning curve from day one and covered so many different areas from book keeping, training, self confidence, people skills through to promotion and managing deadlines and sales targets. I feel that I am a much stronger person because of this and these skills have carried over into other parts of my life. Every day was different and I had to be able to react to the changes when they happened whether they were good or bad!

Why did you volunteer to be PSYBT mentor?

After seeing what it was like to run my own business I really wanted to give something back to PSYBT for all their help and assistance. I know how much it means to have someone to share their knowledge and experience with you and, perhaps most valuable of all, someone to listen to ideas and concerns. I wanted to do the same and that was why I wanted to become a volunteer!

What valuable information or advice would you pass on to other young people considering self employment?

I would tell young people to do their homework! You can never have too much information and even the most trivial thing may turn out to be important in the future. Be as open minded as possible as this will keep you open to new ideas and look for new opportunities as you never know what is around the corner. Also, don’t be scared as having your own business will empower you and build up self confidence. Even if you do come across a problem or concern there will always be someone on the PSYBT team that will be able to help.