July 2009 - Featured Person
5 Minutes with Craig Toyne from
Toyne Business Consultants
UB: What has been your biggest challenge in business and how did you overcome it?
CT: Overcoming self doubt. Being in business can be quite a lonely experience. It is very easy to take any negative aspects of the business personally. The loss of a client or an unsuccessful tender can make you question yourself. I found dealing with this and remaining positive to be my biggest challenge. I found that my confidence increased over time in line with my successes and the set backs don't effect me as much. The more confidence I have, the easier I find it to achieve what I want in business.
UB: If you had to start your business or employed again from scratch, what would you do differently?
CT: I would be more selective in the clients I chose to work with. In the early stages of a business it is easy to take on just any work to do, solely to pay the bills. However, time spent on the wrong work (or wrong clients) is time you can’t spend working on your plans. Losing focus on your target market will hurt your bottom line.
UB: Who do you admire and why?
CT: I admire anyone who takes responsibility for their own actions. I think there is too much inclination for people to blame others. There is no place better, then running your own business, to take responsibility for your own actions and influence the outcomes you achieve.
UB: It takes a lot of determination and dedication to succeed in business. What keeps you motivated?
CT: I find it easy to stay motivated because I love what I do and have a very clear vision of what I want to achieve. If your only motivation is to make money, then motivation can wane. However, if you have a true passion for something then it will never feel like work.
UB: What are your top 3 success tips?
- Understand what your customers want
- Be different and give your customers a ‘WOW’ experience.