Bradford University Talk, How to Start Your Own Business & Sustain It, with James Priestley

Last week our Director of Lettings, James Priestley had the honour of speaking at Bradford University. James gave a tri-lingual talk to students on; How to start your own business but more importantly, how to sustain it.

Talk and Discussion Involved

James outlined the importance of communication in business. Whether this be internally via team members and colleagues or via potential clients and emphasised the importance of communication via speaking in French and Spanish at the start of the lecture.

The talk involved the struggles regarding cash flow when starting a new business, do’s and don’ts when hiring staff and how to upscale your business and manage expansion.

In motivating the group on what it takes to run your own business by never giving up and having the true grit to hang in there, James used the story of the lobster for the students to remember that when faced with the impossible, hang in there.

The story of every lobster in the world is great motivation:

When every lobster reaches breaking point via growing too big for their shells, they cant breath, they are in agony for days as there body grows but their shell stays the same size.

The lobster has 2 choices;

1. Stop eating, stop growing, stay safe, and eventually there bodies will get smaller and they will no longer be under pressure with the lack of space.
2. Hang in there, keep growing through the pain and agony, keep telling yourself the pain will pass. Then eventually, break through your old shell and produce a larger more efficient shell.

The talk then took the students through a real life problem that James’s business faced with regards to communicating with new clients in Leeds. Priestley Lettings cant seem to get our brand out there to landlords, vendors, tenants, and purchaser’s. The students presented James with ideas on how to increase brand awareness and create that bridge between clients so they can communicate with us.