Sarah Veakins
“Entrepreneurship is about creating your own box rather than being squashed into someone else’s.”
“Entrepreneurship is about creating your own box rather than being squashed into someone else’s.”
Having a strategy, doing your research, and building a group to bounce your ideas off are key to having a successful first year in business according to Bournemouth-based business mentor Sarah Veakins. As of June 2021, more than 4.2 million people in the UK are registered as self-employed (Ref: here), showing that starting up a business remains a popular career choice. From their office in Bournemouth, the YTKO team provides support for people looking to start a business or who have recently done so through its award-winning Outset service. Existing businesses can also access GetSet Growth for Growth which provides specialist support tailored for businesses with real potential and ambitions for growth. The services in Dorset are funded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered by YTKO.
Sarah Veakins has been a mentor with the organisation for more than six years and helps provide free 1:1 mentoring and marketing and finance support. She said that what makes YTKO different as an organisation was that everyone who works as a mentor, has or had their own businesses, so they have experience setting up a successful business themselves and are best placed to offer practical advice to help budding entrepreneurs make their dreams a reality.
Sarah, who has set up and run a global consultancy in the hospitality industry, said some of her proudest moments were seeing those the organisation had helped at the start, go on to win national awards and grow. She said: “The best part of the job for me is that I get to meet the most amazing people on a journey, and when I help through mentoring, I’m a small, but hopefully essential, moment in that journey. If I can make a difference, that’s job done for me. I really enjoy people’s stories. And I love to work with people and show them that being your own boss is a viable option. Entrepreneurship is about creating your own box rather than being squashed into someone else’s.”
One of the biggest mistakes Sarah sees businesses make in their first year is money management – not getting financial advice and support, and individuals not analysing their relationship and feelings about money. YTKO also provides financial support so that businesses can get their figures in order from the start.
Sarah’s top tips for start-up businesses:
Top businesses tips for businesses that are growing: