Hi, my name is Phil Teasdale or Philip Teasdale to give you my Sunday Title and I am one of the three directors of Enterprise Made Simple.

 

How did I get to advise people on how to start a business and what qualifies me, people have often asked, well it came about in a number of ways.

 

I went to University in Bradford after a period of what the teachers called “never amounting to nothing” at St Mary’s college in Middlesbrough. I decided that I liked Bradford so much that I would spend as much time away from the place as possible and headed to London every holiday to sell Perfume in Harvey Nichols for Cartier. It sounds really glamorous – It wasn’t! , but I did get to see loads of famous people.

 

I put up with Bradford and Graduated in Marketing and Accounts with a good grade as well. I decided to leave as quickly as possible and head to the big city to work as an advertising executive for Saatchi and Saatchi.

 

Forty interviews later and no advertising job in site, but lots of experience of sitting in front of recruiters, I decided I could do their job better than them, so one interview and presentation later, I started in Recruitment.

 

Luckily I was employed in a company that didn’t have a clue and they pretty much left me to my own devices, the remit was to set up a desk in something I knew about, so I chose Fund Management. This suited my poor grasp of Maths and not going to Cambridge or having any family connections in the City.

 

Somehow everything aligned and I was producing £200,000 of income for the company a year, they loved me, just not enough to give me a raise. So I decided what I would do is when approached by a small company based in Islington and Twelve stops on the Northern Line away from the City, who specialised in Construction, I would recruit Fund Managers from there.

 

It turned out all right and provided me with one of the most rewarding aspects of my career and also a best friend and best man at my wedding. Between four of us we built the company up to a million pound turnover in a year and for the next four years I commuted from South East London to North London everyday. (anyone who has done this knows the joys of the northern line and the free donations of Sure that should be given with the ticket).

 

Well after five good years, my girlfriend at the time said, it was either her and Middlesbrough or me and London, I did quite like her and decided to move back home.

 

The only problem was what should I do with myself, so it stood to reason I would start a recruitment company in Middlesbrough. It was very successful; I still recruited in London and learnt that new technology affords good remote working. Until I had to interview the candidates and spent three days a week back in London.

 

Because I was marrying the bossy girlfriend, she said I needed to be at home more, especially as when on Honeymoon, I spent most of it on the phone and not with her, I sold the business.

 

With not totally knowing what to do next I fell into Business Advise. I felt qualified to know about the ups and downs of running a business, had been in a start up situation effectively three times and an interest in Business I would give it a go.

 

I fell lucky again (I do have a charmed life sometimes) and went to work for a company the believed in reward and was run by someone who was interesting to watch and learn from.

 

I rose through the ranks and became Enterprise Director, learning about all sorts of businesses along the way, from single one man plumber to multi national chemical companies, and loved every minute of it.

 

The company was successful and grew and grew, however so did the excesses of the owner and the company went into Liquidation.

 

Again the stars aligned in the right way and three friends from one company got together a formed another Enterprise Made Simple. We love the company, we have worked hard to establish a brand and over the next few years we are looking to develop and deliver the premier business support service anywhere in the country.

 

We will help anyone, anytime, anywhere, but unlike the flake I nicked the slogan from we don’t crumble, we stand together with any self employed person or business making sure and advising on all aspects of the business life. (how cheesy was that!)