YOUR BUSINESS SPRING 2019 - 131

Entrepreneurs
Is it possible to achieve a
good work/life balance?

You need to make it work otherwise
you can burn out very quickly. We've
certainly put in three years of hard
graft but we're aware of the need for
balance and a divide between home
and work. Alison and I support each
other to achieve that. We both work
from home one day a week so we can
do the school runs, bath and bedtimes.
And I'm not allowed to have my phone
at the table as my wife doesn't want
our young son to think it's the norm!

What's your next goal?

Clarus Education has a lot of potential
so it would be great to strengthen what
we already have. We want to continue
to grow and maintain our culture,
and continue to hire people who love
working for us and understand what
we're all about. We are also looking
to develop Clarus Tutors later this
year, so we're always looking at ways
to improve and develop our service.
For more about Clarus Education,
visit clarus-education.co.uk

What has been the best piece
of advice he has given you?
"You can't put in what God has
left out." That quote has really
stuck with me and it's so true. You
can't teach work ethic, passion,
reliability - you've either got them
or you haven't - and for us having
team members who share the same
approach and values is critical.

How do you feel about Brexit?
Uncertainty is probably the biggest
thing surrounding Brexit but it's
a decision that's been made. We
have no real influence from here
on. The government now needs
to ensure we get the best deal.
In regards to business and Brexit, I
don't think it will have such a dramatic
effect on us as our focus is UK-based
and our candidates tend to be UK
citizens who are trained in the UK, as
that is what our clients are looking for.

Looking back, is there
anything you would have
done differently?

Probably not! I may have been more
modest with our first year's forecast
- I thought I could just apply what I
did in my day job but starting a new
business takes times to establish.

What advice would you
give to someone who
is considering starting
their own business?

Be prepared! You need to have a
clear idea what your strategy is, do
your homework and market research
before you start out and make sure
your business idea has potential. And
don't be fooled into thinking that
being your own boss will be easy.
It takes a huge amount of personal
investment, physically and mentally,
and you need to be prepared to
make sacrifices along the way.

Clarus Education's
three qualities for
business success
HONESTY
If you want long-term success, you
must be transparent and honest
with your clients and about what
you hope to achieve, otherwise
you risk being caught out.
WORK ETHIC
It's essential to have the right
mindset and work ethic. It's not
an easy journey and it requires
a lot of personal sacrifice.
BELIEF
You need to believe in what you're
selling. You also need to believe
you're going to succeed and
it's something worth investing
your heart and soul into.

131
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YOUR BUSINESS SPRING 2019

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