6 northern entrepreneurs share their secrets on how to thrive in London-centric industries

Louisa Rogers – Founder of Trendlistr and Fashion Communication lecturer at Northumbria University 

’Tap into the willingness people have in the North to support local businesses’
 
Following what she describes as ‘a painfully underwhelming undergraduate experience’, Louisa is now a lecturer in Fashion Communication at Northumbria University and the founder of Trendlistr, an online destination for sustainably-sourced vintage fashion. 

Despite this success, Louisa says there’s always an assumption that her business is based in the South. ‘The most obvious disparity is the sheer density of wealth in London. Unfortunately, it’s still largely about the circles you move in and there are more circles with disposable income down south.’
  
Although pragmatic about the challenges of living in the North East, she believes the positives outweigh any negatives. ‘Our premises are generously sized and reasonably priced and we have proximity to three fantastic universities creating thousands of talented graduates every year.’

The biggest lure? ‘You can’t beat the willingness of people in the North East to help out and support you as an independent business.’

Danny Richmond – Managing Director of Tic Watches

‘Make the most cheaper operating costs’

Based in Darlington, Danny doesn’t regard location as an obstacle to the success of Tic Watches, which is the UK’s top-rated retailer of designer watches and made £7.1 million in online sales in the year ending July 2020.

‘The area has cheaper operating costs and is full of talent when looking to employ staff. Despite not being located in London, we still do trade in the city due to our online presence.

‘It has allowed us to expand and develop the business with less investment and open a retail store, which we might not have achieved in London due to the high rental costs.’

Has he ever considered moving to London to further his career? ‘To be honest, it’s never crossed my mind. I am proud to be employing local talent. We will continue to build and reinvest money into the local economy with our growth and potential new business ideas.’

Not surprisingly, Hull being named The City of Culture in 2017 provided a boost for the classical music scene. ‘We noticed great improvement in audience numbers and engagement.’ However, she does admit these numbers didn’t last beyond 2017 and the arts industry has, of course, been badly hit by lockdown.

Despite her early fears, Katie has found it easier to build a network in the region than she perhaps would have done in the South ‘People who work in the arts up north tend to work across the whole region and so my contacts from Hull are still relevant in Newcastle. The trick is to make the best of your network where you’re based and the wealth of online networking events.
 
‘Try to embrace the benefits of being north-based and not feel as though it is holding you back and, if it really is holding you back, look at taking steps to rectify it.’

Kirsty Holden – Online Business Manager and Virtual Assistant 

‘You have the technology at your fingertips’
  
Having always lived in Yorkshire, Kirsty is an Efficiency Strategist, Tech Virtual Assistant and Business Mentor, providing virtual support to entrepreneurs through social media management and general administrative duties. 

‘I used to love playing computer games as a child and have always been the go-to person to help.’ After leaving school, she went into office work and was also involved in a transformation programme within an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice.

‘The biggest achievement in my career has been starting my own business and leaving a pretty secure job to give me the opportunity to help and support those who have done exactly the same: those who had chosen to create a business around their life instead of a life around somebody else’s business. Now it’s on my terms.’

Kirsty stresses the importance of leveraging virtual network opportunities when based in a more geographically-remote location. ‘The fact that I’m not just around the corner from the big cities doesn’t mean anything with the technology we have available to us right now.’

What would she say to professionals based in the North looking to make the transition into a career in tech? ‘There will never be a better time, given the need for technology right now in so many ways. You have the facilities at your fingertips.’