I think the answers been staring me in the face..

Now the problem is this............

I sell to retailers...

OOO scary I hear you cry.. well yes actually, its a problem thats frustrating me somewhat.. maybe I should define it some more..

I sell to classic retailers...

You know the type... the family with the shop... think Dad's army.. but well, not Corporal Jones... definitely not corporal Jones.. more Joe Walker, thats a little less insulting I think..

Imagine Dad's army meets the modern world, small shops built with tender loving care with proper service, no all encompassing sheds... no faceless organisation, no pile it high, sell it cheap mentality..

But wait...

At least I thought I did, thats who I was aiming at when I set out... but it seems this recession, this market even, has rid the world of little shops willing to sell proper sausages..

Where did they go?..


I mean... they can't have moved.. there has to be a reason for this mentality.. or is this this just the Tesco legacy?

I used to think they had hopped on the A19 down to Leeds, that the North East was an enigma.. but its becoming increasingly apparent, if you want middle market goods, Kings Cross is about where you will have to go to find a specialist..

So where did the middle market go? I mean why are there such extremes between cheap and expensive? People have argued that there just isn't a middle market in the UK anymore, but hang on..

If a VW Golf is the best selling car in the UK, there is a middle market!!


So why isn't there one in bathrooms? I'm sorry Mr Retailer, but things don't add up.. its time someone sorted this little issue out..


So what do I do... do I battle on through, persuading the whole of the UK industry.. one by one that there is such a magical middle market, or do I box clever and change the game..

Be different..

Well this is me, Will Ryles.. the man who has always done things the hard way.. so yes.. its time to change the game.. bathroom market, you can take your billions, hard fought lessons and rigid ways.. be gone.. I'm changing the rules..

If there is one thing thats been slowly punching me in the face over the past few months, its that..

The internet is the future...


But in no way does our current strategy address the internet.. so what do I do..others have tackled the internet.. and it seems there is one over whelming strategy to beat them all.. the shed..

Should I follow the crowd.. pile it high and sell it cheap online? In one word.. NO..

Aren't there already too many people doing that, hogging keywords and funding expensive adwords campaigns? Information is so easy to access online these days, surely there can only ever be one winner.. so why compete.. join them if you can.. they could bring a whole world of exposure to my products..

So what do I do?


Well it all started with a man called Chris Baxter.. we were sat in my office, not having coffee, but discussing the low caliber of HR managers out there.. quite a serious chat.. and he said one thing.. one brilliant thing that changed the game...

"Will, if everyone else has tried and failed, why are you ploughing the same furrow.. "

Now when I was 18 I had this idea.. what if a manufacturer built a website that sold its goods, but then gave part of the cash to the store that stocks its products locally.. brilliant right.. unless your business link.. who wanted me to cut out the stores that the customer had seen the products in!

Anyhow thanks to a little thing called two way trading our bank blew that one out of the water!

But that willingness to think outside the box was good...

So I actually have a reason to be 18 again!


So, imagine it.. I'm 18, young handsome, full head of hair, and possibly the sexiest thing to walk the planet.. what would I do if I wanted to build a brand online.. the complete opposite to everyone else!

Thus far I know my ideal of independent stores with free design facilities, credit options, good customer service and display opportunities is the way forward.. but how do you combine them with an internet that thus far sells just products..

Simple

By becoming the independents marketing arm, they shift from being in a position of power, to one of partnership.. so all we really need to do is inspire people, get their details and let everyone else do the rest..

Local stores make local sales, all via a massive online presence under the brand Dovcor.. we could even offer free designs, knowing that the stores will do this without us having to lift a finger!

Ok, its not that simple

But why not, as yet, no one has brought the old local shop sales ethos to the internet on a country wide scale.. so why can't we.. best of all.. its just marketing.. the stores do the rest..

Its like having a network of franchises.. without the hassle... ish..

Hard way or what..













and then this new fangled internet thing came along and now everyones running scarred...

Don't sell to them they cry... they'll undercut us!

Why I don't like capitalism

Now I know thats a pretty strange thing to say.. especially as I quite arrogantly used to call this blog "entrepreneur of the north", but its true.. honestly.. I could quite happily go and live on an island somewhere, no phones.. no internet.. nothing.. but seeing as I'm in this for the long haul, I might as well have a go right?

All this money stuff really gets to me, I mean.. does it make you happy.. or doesn't it.. or is it a half happy kind of thing.. who knows.

Its a shame so many people judge how well your doing by how much money you make.. don't some people have other priorities in life than being the richest man in the graveyard?

Is money even the best indicator of success? Maybe intelligence is a better indicator.. now I know what your thinking.. NO..

And you would be right, but actually I think what we commonly think of as intelligence is really the wrong definition.. let me explain.. or at the very least.. go off on a tangent, and reach some sort of viable conclusion loosely strung together with suspect claims..

I begin..

Wikipedia describes capitalism as:

An economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit..


Great.. so my life will forever be determined by the profit I make.. not the effort I put in or the skill level needed to get there..the immense team I may build or the intelligence of each individual.. just pure unadulterated profit.. fun times!


While effort or the team may be pretty self explanatory, personally I am starting to find a new respect for those more intelligent than myself, those who can do what I can't ..(some would claim this is rare, as a partial.. no.. full on genius it is often stated that I can do everything.. but for the purposes of this blog assume I am a mere human being from Preston, suffering from partial hair loss and an as yet undiagnosed large lips issue that indicates a suspect blood line).


Now to justify this new found love of the intelligent, I feel its about time I mentioned my current interpretation of intelligence is slightly different to everyone elses.. yes thats right.. Will Ryles thinks the masses are wrong and hes right (AGAIN I hasten to add, prick I hear you say??.. correct)


We live in a world where intelligence is defined as the ability to learn a book, with those most able to read and then convey what they have seen paid most handsomely as a reward.. at school the geeks are bullied, but we all know where they are heading, the sporty kid at the back has about as much chance at a good life as a stuffed turkey, but have we got it all wrong, is the bad kid going to do good.. should the bad kid be praised for their lack of reading ability?


For some time now I have been of the opinion that there are several types of intelligence.. you see.. David Beckham.. he plays sport (didn't you know?), was once at the top of his game, and still earns a lot of money from it.. but he has for quite some time, in the least harshest sense possible.. been regarded as well.. not too bright..


Yet this is a man who can do extraordinary things with a football.. (if you have been living below a rock see below)

Now to most people, they would say that Beckham's a gifted footballer, but not a very bright lad..our little cool kid at the back of class that was destined for nothing more than shelf stacking.. but actually.. I'm beginning to think he is actually pretty intelligent too..


I mean he has to be.. logic, skill, reason, interpretation.. its all part of playing football.. ok theres no numbers.. but surely the thoughts that go through his head prior to a free kick, however unconscious they may be.. are actually pretty clever..


And as a result.. this highly intelligent being is rewarded excessively.. brilliant.. a happy ending if ever there was one.. but wait.. what about all the other sporty kids.. that fat fencing boy.. or that athletics goddess that would win everything.. you don't see them earning mega bucks.. but are they any less deserving..


In my mind, intelligence has for too long been linked purely to books..I think as a society we need to disconnect intelligence from school work and open up the possibility to multiple types of intelligence.. no not A.I. or even the alien kind.. just the other stuff schools don't reward.. be it the ability to kick a ball, swash a sword or even just run very very quickly.. that stuff that doesn't have a highly paid job at the end.. we need to appreciate the under appreciated.. but it seems capitalism won't let us..


Now there are two reasons this intelligence/capitalism thing has sprung to mind as of late.. the first being my selection as one of two finalists in the Sunderland area of the If We Can You Can Challenge.. a very capitalist affair


Now this isn't a shameless plug (YES IT IS), so all I am asking is if you could read the two bio's of each competitor in Sunderland and make up your own mind that would be a great help.. (NOTE: VOTE FOR ME) as we need to get as many votes as possible! 


The reason its brought up this capitalism thing is that essentially we have two very different businesses vying for the title of best entrepreneur.. a traditional manufacturing one.. and a modern day service..but how do you measure one against the other? Which one deserves more praise? (ME).. I will let you decide..


But also, as of late it seems two Miss Fosters have found their way into my life, each uniquely brilliant in their own way.. 


Scarily brilliant in fact.. you see both of them are at the top of their game for their own chosen profession.. one runs in super quick time, while the other waddles majestically towards the cake stand..


Now at this point I hasten to add that the waddler.. is in fact my girlfriend and therefore please attach all due humour and possible wit to that statement.. I tried writing this blog post once and have subsequently been castrated so I am just warning you.. shes Irish.. and shes mental.. I carry on..


While one crunches numbers on an almost geek like level, while the other sings to herself pretty much ALL the time.. (note: the girlfriend is not a geek, and is in fact super cool and OUT OF MY LEAGUE)


Two very contrasting approaches to life but I fear only one gets the praise she deserves, you see the number crunching geeky one has a brilliant career ahead of her, as her talents will make some one some where a lot of money.. but as for the other one.. well personally I don't think shes rewarded enough.. but in the society in which we live will she ever be? 


I don't think Capitalisms very fair on the little guy or in this case, the super speedy X-Factor contestant that looks slightly like Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, but less.. Kooky and more.. kick my ass like... but why does that mean we have to appreciate them any less?


Point made..

A fairy tale weekend after all..

Question: Has the whole of the UK been on holiday for the past 11 days?

Well that is except me.. a little depressing..but nevertheless I still managed to get most of it off and visit Northern Ireland where I seemingly left something very dear to me behind..

..my dignity..

Yes, some where in a Belfast Airport currently resides my manliness.. if you find it.. let me know because one day it might come in handy..

Anyway, apart from a slow emotional train wreck which consisted of a realisation that it is entirely possible to describe your perfect girl for two years and then realise you actually already know her..I seemingly had a chance to recharge the batteries, play with some oddly shaped rocks and basically realise I can have my own fairy tale if I really want to.. who needs Kate Middleton.. HELLO PIPPA..

So, weird 3 day week over, its back to normality, and you might notice a cheeky little change to my blog. A friend of mine managed to mention, quite kindly, that on occasion I have a tendency to be arrogant.. which isn't true, seemingly confidence and arrogance are easily confused, but thats a rant for another day!

So in ode to that comment, which shall go on record at the one sure way to annoy me very quickly.. I have decided to take a leaf out of Prince William's book and announce myself the Duke of Newcastle.. yep.. two can play at that game sonny and I have better hair..arrogant or what??

Now yesterday was a strange day for me, one in which I felt a little bit of history was made and one in which I feel the West, namely America, let itself down..

You see, its hard to judge when you don't know all the facts, but let me express an opinion here..

While I feel comforted by the fact that Osama Bin Laden can no longer harm innocent lives, that comfort will no doubt be short lived. Al Qaeda by its very nature has many branches, many of which will have had little to no contact with a man on the run for the past 10 years. His removal as a threat will no doubt have an effect upon that organisation, as much as the loss of any figure head would, but it is now that diverse and spread out that his death will in reality be of little consequence.

It saddens me to think that as the figurehead for the free world, America and its President should rejoice in the death of any man without trial. As a beacon for the rest of the world to follow America cannot offer freedom with one hand and repression with the other, it must show the world that it applies its power fairly and is willing to offer even the gravest enemy the rights which that enemy would deny all others, it must follow its own moral code.

No man, whether elected or not has the right to take another's life, yet at some point, be it war or circumstance loss of life is inevitable, but to rejoice at the death of any man should not be applauded.

Yesterday we witnessed America fluff its lines, it had the chance to show the rest of the world how great it can be, how the worlds police man can police itself, instead it showed a hand we often choose to ignore... one we hoped had been left behind.. one of self interest, and yet the rest of the world and our own government did nothing to defend the freedom in which we all share.. yesterday was a bad day for us all.

On a lighter note, yesterday was also a day of many Bin Laden jokes.. many of which I can't repeat.. interesting how as America celebrated, the British decide to make light of the situation.. two slightly contrasting but ever telling differences between our two nations.. but the most telling difference was that half those jokes were pointed at America.. if ever Al Qaeda needed proof of which country is fighting terrorism for the right reasons they only had to look at facebook.

Now in between watching the Royal wedding on Friday I was actually thinking about something far more important than the chances Harry has with Pippa Middleton.. it seems our little Young Entrepreneurs Trust college is well on the way.. did you know we were starting a college in our spare time?

For evidence.. please see the below drawings of the new college building, which is a converted power station from the old coal mining days.. nothing like using the main staple industry of the past to fuel the future.

Its a massive project that will hopefully be a beacon to the rest of the country so please do let me know what you think here.

Picture 1: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22504193/Drawing%201.pdf

Picture 2: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22504193/Drawing%202.pdf

Picture 3: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22504193/Drawing%203.pdf

Can you help us? Let me know, we need all the help we can get on this one!

I used to dream...

When I was a kid I always used to get in trouble for day dreaming..

You see I used to have an amazing ability to ignore completely what was going on in the present, switch off from the outside world and live out my ideal day in my head. As I grew up the dreams changed from being a secret agent, to effectively ruling the world but that spark of inspiration, that ability to dream always stayed with me.

Now I can't speak for anyone else that runs their own business, but I started out with very grand ideas indeed... most of these came from this very dream world itself. I wanted the big house, the big car.. the jet-set lifestyle.. all of which I had been thinking about since I was little.

But the thing is, once I started.. once I pulled the 17 hour shifts.. once I worked in a freezing cold warehouse with lads on just over minimum wage, and realised that effort is in no means correlated to reward, then it became apparent that these dreams were everyone else's.. forced upon me by society.. rather than who I was.. or what I would like to be.

It became pretty clear, that big house had no real benefit to me, other than to make me feel better than my neighbours.. that jet-set lifestyle would take me away from my family and that big car.. well.. whats wrong with the one I have?

You see I changed as a person in that first year, I grew up.. I left image behind me as my sole reason for wanting to be successful...

Its interesting that as a person, I don't care about image.. I have written in the past how important image is to everyone else.. yet to me.. its not the big issue it once was..

I think anyone who gets to know me will see this. I have friends who will buy a new car just because their flat mate did, but to me, I don't see the point in buying something just because its shiny!

This puts me in a very interesting position... you see as I don't care about my image.. I have the unique opportunity to build my image into what ever the company needs me to be, I can make Will Ryles into anyone I want, because I understand how other people think..

The best example I can give of this is Lady Gaga... I KNOW.. I can't quite believe I am referencing her.. BUT.. actually her image is very inspiring..

For years record labels controlled artists public image to get a desired reaction.. and then came along the Gaga to throw it all back in their faces...

But all these people out there that love her for being an individual have got it wrong.. shes not anti-image.. she is all about image! 

Every outfit she wears, everything she does is even more fake than that Britney Spears stuff we were all used to.. Gaga is a prime example of a record label using image to provoke a reaction from the public. And thats my point, Stefani Germanotta has created an image for herself that is unlike her own, and I am willing to bet its probably because she doesn't actually care about her own image.

There is a reason for my change of heart. Around the time I started working with the lads in the warehouse, I came to realise that being a success, making something out of myself wasn't as easy as they made it look in TV. As I became bogged down by working in my company, I started to lose that vision, and sense of purpose I had always had.. I made the classic business owner mistake of trying to do everything myself, and to a certain degree I made myself feel guilty for not working anything short of 24hrs a day.

It must have been two years since I stopped day dreaming, focused on my business and decided to go for it.. but last night.. I started dreaming again.

You see over recent weeks we have made some pretty big changes to the way we work.. My Dad takes issue with some of the changes that I have made, but I think they are for the best.. when you actually analyse them, you will see I have changed my entire role within the business..

My Dad came to me a few weeks ago and said this very interesting line.. "William, I feel like your making me redundant in the business".. My honest reply was, no Dad, I am making myself redundant.

You see, as much as I don't want to admit it.. I am not perfect.. I'm close.. but sadly.. I am not as yet "a God".. I can't be everywhere.. I can't do everything.. so something needed to change.

It took me ages to realise this simple point.. I have to accept that there are people out there who individually can do every task at Dovcor better than me.. if put all these people together then Dovcor will be successful..

So thats what I set about doing.. we had some false starts, but actually now I have a team.. who I trust to do their jobs better than me.. and best of all.. it means I can work normal hours doing what I enjoy.. building the business, defining our image and opening the doors for the rest of my team to walk through.

Now this freedom to work on the business isn't the only reason I have started to dream again, to think about what I want to achieve and who I want to be.. you see there is one extra special reason..

For a long time now I have argued that the government has neglected the social and personal aspects of running a business.. they will help you with a business plan, but what they won't do is help you address the psychological aspects of running a business.. the pressures, the feeling of being alone.. 

Thats why I started the Young Entrepreneurs Trust.. to create a community of friends, each who run their own business, to at least try and fill in the gaps left by the current system.

But if I am completely honest, the trust has given me good friends, the changes at work have reduced my stress levels, but there is one more pivotal thing.. one more variable that has allowed me to dream again.. to think big..

Will Ryles is officially off the market.. 

The phrase next to every great man stands an even greater woman could not be more true.. if only I had realised this 6 years ago.

Writing a book is so easy...

I've been thinking..

I need to write a book.. (the world must hear my ramblings!)

Now thats great.. but sadly.. I have no idea what to write.. seriously.. for the first time I am lost for words.

I seemingly only have one skill.."talking" and if thats gone then what else will I do??..well you can't class looks as a skill can you?

Only recently have people started to notice my ability to speak.. to talk off the cuff with no prompts or prior thought what so ever and actually sound like I know what I am talking about! But writing a book is a whole different ball game, can I put pen to paper and have quite the same effect?

Now if you have ever seen me talk in public, I like to tell a story, to engage the audience with a smile, movement, emphasis and overall make them feel that no matter how many people are in the crowd, that I am their best friend.

Its a skill that has opened a few doors for me in the past, and honestly I can put it down mostly to the fact that I never lie, I don't need to.. be passionate and honest, and most people will love you even if you are slightly out of your depth.

But without these visual aids, the walking around, the vocal emphasis and self confidence, how exactly will I be able to convey my thoughts to the reader.. I'm not so sure I can..

Now most would say, work out what it is that makes your speeches different and try and replicate it on paper.. but thats the problem..

I don't actually think I know what I am doing, I think in all honesty I could eternally be winging it!!

But then maybe winging it is what makes my talks interesting.. the lack of a script?!

Now to go off on a tangent slightly, there is this one person in my life thats pretty much popped up and thrown my whole plan way wide of its eventual aim..

Many people have asked me why I do this job, and I can honestly say its to change the world.. I want to leave my mark on this earth and be remembered as somebody.. but thats it.. WHY do I want to change the world and be remembered..

Now in the past I have spoken about wanting to be a beacon, to inspire others, yet I have also said that I don't like capitalism.. I would be quite happy on a desert island with no technology at all..

Now this would lead me to believe that I don't do this for money.. I do it for the thrill of it.. which is probably also why I'm not a finer details man.. I like to open doors for everyone else to walk through.. I do this for happiness not profit.

To go back to the person thats made me think of this, I can honestly say that she makes me happier than anyone or thing I have ever met or done..

And herein lies the big question.. if I do this for happiness, and she makes me happier than anything.. would I give it all up for her in a heart beat?

Now I have to say, one of the reasons I care about her so much is that I know she would never ask me to give it all up, but actually I think the answer is yes..

BUT THEN.. where would that leave me!? I'm pretty sure, my business makes me who I am, it defines me.. if I got rid of it then who would I be?  A strange revelation if there was ever one!

I think love does this to a person, for the eternal thinker.. the man who analyses every little detail, the one thing I am not prepared for is my heart. I can neither control it, or rationalize it.. the heart is a law unto itself, and no matter what the head says.. the heart does what it wants.

You see in business, my gut instinct is always right.. and I mean ALWAYS.. its actually pretty scary..when you combine that with the ability to think 10 steps ahead of the rest and to be able to find the minutest opportunity in even the darkest cloud.. it makes me a pretty formidable opponent..

So why then, can I be bowled over so easily by a girl.. be hanging on every text, be driven to the point of distraction every day.. this is not good for business!

Now I can often be found lecturing people on the head vs heart battle..but it seems I am the worst person for not taking my own advice.

Most people don't realise it.. but the head can in fact control the heart.. you just have to put it in the right situation..

Take for example the post break up boy.. heart breaking.. very upset.. he meets a girl that is the total opposite of his ex.. and BANG.. hes in love with the greatest girl hes ever met..

Unfortunately, I hate to break it to you boyo.. but its not love..

Its what I call imprinting.. its your head transferring your feelings for your ex onto the new girl to trick you into being happy.. a self defence mechanism.. and it happens to everyone at some point in their lives.. (Head 1 - Heart 0)

But I'm not in that situation.. so unless I suffer some major trauma how am I going to get over this girl.. how can I put my head back in the driving seat?

Head vs Heart..

Looks like I have found my book topic..

Why do we do this?

Now I know that sounds like an obvious question..and if you listen to the TV.. or any real person who doesn't run their own business then the answer is clear..

Last week I was at a school teaching (part of my perfect man drive) and the teacher asked the obvious question to the students "why do businesses exist?".. with the standard A++ reply of.. to make a profit..

Big round of applause.. gold stickers everywhere.. massive tick on the standard 101 education spreadsheet..

Now the thing is.. had they of asked me that very question I honestly would not have been able to give a simple answer..

*PLEASE NOTE* I am well aware that with my gift of talking utter rubbish simple was something that I would never be able to do..

..but for the purposes of the next few lines imagine I can..

Although most people would not guess this about me.. I don't actually like capitalism.. I would much rather be living on a remote island.. with no phone or emails.. no tv.. no fast food.. leading essentially a very simple life..

The thing is though.. I can't.. someone somewhere high up decided to expose me to a world which has incredible technology.. fast cars and beautiful women (the last one is debatable.. ) so I felt from an early age the need to grab all things shiny... and so at a young age I decided to run my own business..

But now I am here.. doing what it is I love.. then I find myself questioning the very reasons why it is I do this..

You see its not that I do not strive for profit.. its that when I have it.. what do I do with it.. do I spend it on me, do I waste it on material things.. or can I get more enjoyment from it by doing something else.

Now on Friday night I went out to dinner with an old friend.. the kind of friend you don't speak to in two years but can just turn on that relationship like a light switch.. and it hit me.. I do this for everyone else..not just in business.. but in life aswell..

At this point please assume I AM NOT CRAZY..

You see I realised a few years ago that if I ate a Mars bar.. it gave me a few minutes of pleasure.. but then that pleasure was gone..

BUT if I gave that Mars bar to a friend who really wanted it, I would be happy with myself for about a day or two..

Now for years I have been following this philosophy.. make your friends happy and you in turn will be happy..

Can I spend the rewards of enterprise on others, and in turn be happier than if I had just spent them on myself?

Now to take it back a bit.. the reason for me thinking about this is that at the meal on Friday, the old friend was somewhat of a blast from the past.. someone who had pretty much hurt me and thought nothing of it.. and they were asking me to forgive them.

Now my answer was this.. I have given you many chances before.. all of which you threw away.. but I will give you another.. and I don't want anything in return.. I just want to know your happy.. and in turn I was happy..

Yep.. I know what your thinking.. is he stupid (most likely yes.. ) but the way I see it, most people would have looked to profit from the situation and I didn't.. why.. because I am not in life to profit for myself..

I am here to make sure everyone else benefits from my success.. the way I see it Ill be happier that way..

Profit is important to me... just like every teacher will tell you.. but it seems my reasons for making a profit are not as selfish as some would have you think..

Can I run dovcor like a big company?

Now I was always told by a man much wiser than myself.. (he could have been a random man).. that the only way you can make money is to make other people do it for you..

"if you can't run your business from a laptop on a beach your not an entrepreneur"

Now I have been fortunate enough over my short time in business to meet some truly great young entrepreneurs, all of whom run their own successful businesses and are much more talented than I, but none of whom seem to run their business from a laptop!

Anyhow, in my eternal struggle to launch a brand (Will Ryles vs the world..) I have noticed that while I would love to delegate out all my day to day tasks, sit back and relax, I simply can't afford to!

What small business can employ an army of staff, surely we all rely upon the heroic actions of the man (or woman) at the top working at 900mph and doing the jobs of 5 people! (yes I did just compare myself to the likes of Superman).

But then I think.. is this what taking risks is all about... putting in the investment and hoping.. praying there will be a return?

Now on my journey into the business world I have learnt a few things, surround yourself with positive people.. don't take life too seriously.. and outsource! But I have also noticed that my ability to learn, mature and ultimately improve as both a person and a businessman are being held back by this supposed delegation dilemma.. how can you learn to manage without a team?

Luckily dovcor aside I have managed to find a way to prove this delegation theory once and for all. As you will by now know, I am leading a project called the Young Entrepreneurs Trust, which aims to bring budding entrepreneurs from all over the region (and eventually the country) together.

The team I have assembled around me is first rate for a number of reasons, firstly they are all experts in their own fields, finance, sales, web design but interestingly, they are all young entrepreneurs too, who truly have ownership over the idea itself, meaning the effort they put in is at the very least 450mph while sleeping!

I have been able to give them their areas of expertise to focus on, with general directions, not implicit "how to's".. and the pace at which we have moved forward is amazing..we are already discussing funding into the 100's of thousands, buildings and new events!

Hmmm I might have to take that risk after all.