Matthew Collinson - LANLounge
Who are you? What do you do? Where do you do it?
My name is Matthew Collinson, I’m 22 years old and live and work in Doncaster. I own and run an Internet Cafe & Gaming Centre called LANLounge, which I opened in the summer of 2005.
Why did you start-up a business?
After spending time studying A-levels, I realised that further education wasn’t the way forward for me. I spent time helping to run a family business in Southern Africa, and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and rewards it brought. I knew then that I had to look into becoming self-employed upon returning to England.
How (and when) did you start-up a business?
I first looked into starting up in the summer of 2004, and my first port of call was the Doncaster Chamber of Commerce. With help from many of the advisors, I then attended their Business start-up seminars, which helped me understand more, and meet other like minded individuals. However it wasn’t until June 2005, I finally managed to open the doors of my new business and begin trading.
What have been the biggest challenges in running your own business? How have these been overcome?
The earliest challenge was raising the finances needed to cover the start-up costs. This certainly wasn’t easy as, as a young person (20 at the time) banks and various money lenders found it hard to take me and my ideas seriously. The Chamber helped me build a great business plan, which helped people take me more seriously. Since trading began I have found it much harder than expected, for the first 6 months I worked over 16 hours a day 7 days a week, which didn’t leave much time for anything else. This was incredibly tiring, but the rewards have been great. Over a year has passed now and I am still faced with challenges on a daily basis, there are still not enough hours in the day, but things have become more manageable.
What have been your greatest achievements in running your business?
At the beginning of 2006 I was awarded Enterprise Achiever of the Year at the Celebration of Learning Awards. The awards were established by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), to recognise the learning achievements of young people from across South Yorkshire. Until this moment I hadn’t realised what I had achieved with the business, I had been working so hard I hadn’t stopped and taken a step back. To be recognised on this level was a huge achievement – and a great boost for my self esteem which was definitely needed. Another main achievement for me was to celebrate our first birthday at the shop. My idea was a relatively new one to this area, and many people had doubted it would work. Many businesses fail within the first 12 months, and to have passed this is great.
What would be your advice to any young aspiring entrepreneurs?
If you have an exciting idea and you truly believe in it – do something about it. Many people will doubt you, many people will support you. If you believe your product or your business can be a success – then make it a success. Contact Business Link & your local Chamber, seek out as much advice as you can before you make any big steps. Business certainly isn’t easy but if you come at it with the right attitude you can be a success!