Meenakshi says to start-ups you need to keep on ‘knocking on doors’ and some will be a customer

Guest blog from our speaker this week Meenakshi Sharma

I was asked by Ros to do a session with the Enterprise Club and I agreed a little reluctantly, because I really didn’t know what I could offer to others. I’ve never considered myself to be a businesswomen. My business, for want of a better word, is just me trying to to find ways to do the work I want to do in the way I want to do it. I’m happy to work for organisations in a employee capacity or as freelancer, where they share my outlook, and I also offer my services directly. I love the autonomy, freedom and creativity this gives me.

There were about ten start-ups who came to the session and it was very interesting for me to hear their thoughts on setting up a business and what drives them to do this. Listening to them, I felt sure they are doing what I try to do: enhancing their skills and knowledge at every opportunity; working hard and not being complacent but always trying to do a little better.

I told them that although I’m a child of first generation immigrants, who came to England to better their lives and, understandably, were very concerned with financial security, money has never been a primary driver for me. It’s always just lurked ominously in the background. That’s given me the freedom to try out lots of things, but as Bill who is trying to set up a painter and decorator business pointed out to me, I’ve never been homeless or completely desperate for money. I’ve been very fortunate in not having huge housing expenses like some people, which would have limited me incredibly.

I am an educator and very passionate about helping others to learn and about learning myself. I talked about my belief in the importance of being passionate about what you do and identifying your strengths, in order to enthuse other people. This struck a chord with quite a few of the other participants, particularly the teachers of which there were several. I also stressed how being pro-active and constantly looking for opportunities where I could use my skills has been really productive for me. I have always found that if you knock on enough doors, one of them will open some time!