Claire Young Gives Some Business Advice

06 August 2009

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For many people, setting up their own business can be a daunting thing, especially with the credit crunch sapping all our finances. But why give up on your dream? I caught up with The Apprentice star Claire Young to find out just what it takes to go it alone, and how you can get £10,000 towards starting your own business.

Hey Claire, what are you getting up to at the moment?

Well I came out of The Apprentice and turned down some very lovely job offers and decided to start my own business, id reached the point where I knew I needed to take a risk and that it was now of never.

So I started a consultancy which is doing really well and it sounds awful but with the credit crunch people’s business problems have been good for me and then about six months ago we hit a gap in the hospitality market and started our business called Elegant Venues which sees us work with private propitiates, it could be different types - we have converted barns and stately homes and we do most of business in weddings, but we are starting to do more corporate business now so it worked out well.

It’s hard work though, people who work in events usually work seven days a week because it’s a service industry and people expect more for their money, but if you are good at what you do they will come back to you and that’s how you build up a reputation. Touch wood it’s all going well so far though!

Outside of business I do a lot of work with young people and I’ve done National Apprentice Week with Sir Alan Sugar and National Council For Young Entrepreneurs too as well as a company called Biz. I’m doing a lot of work with graduates actually because obviously with people graduating we’re not going to have enough jobs.

I also do public speaking and some TV work too, and I’ve lost three and a half stone! I did a bikini shoot with Fabulous magazine. [FF: Oh Claire, well done! How did you do that?] I stopped drinking, stopped eating rubbish and started to run and now I’ve signed up to do the London Marathon next year.

That’s amazing, I’m trying to lose weight too but I can’t seem to shift it…

Well I did it in bursts, I lost two and a half stone from September 18 to December 11 and then I chilled out a bit because I was working so hard. Then I did about another stone in three weeks. So I just really go for it and then try to plateau then I’ll do it again on August 1.

So what do you do? I need it!

I met with my trainer and she said that the only thing I could do is to run. And honestly, I just got bitten by the bug, and I know it’s really cliché, but a healthy body is a healthy mind. I am so busy 24/7 you see, that running for a hour… aside from feeling your bum and legs toning as you running - and you burn like 700 calories in a hour -you completely clear your head.

Wow, I’m going to swap the gym for a run this week then, but you’ve also been likened to Kimberly Walsh from Girls Aloud because you’re such a great role model to young women by proving you don’t have to have an eating disorder to be a success… how does that make you feel?

Well it was very flattering that when I did my bikini shoot for Fabulous Magazine they also had Mel B on the front cover and online, on every click on her they had eight clicks on mine and I think that it’s because I was a big size 16 but half the country is a size 16 so people can relate to that and I can’t turn around and say something like “Oh I lost four stone in two weeks” I did it from September to May so it’s been really great.

Obviously being involved in with BT on their Essence of the Entrepreneur 2009 campaign has been really great for me because business has become quite fashionable thanks to shows like The Apprentice and Dragons Den. I knew of business because my dad was a businessman, but if your family background isn’t about business you wouldn’t have a clue about it and I think it’s really good that it gives people the opportunity to do something. Winning £10,000 towards your business is great, I started my own business and £10,000 is a significant amount of cash with which you can get yourself started.

So tell us a bit about the BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur 2009 campaign then