Debbie Zaman – The founder & CEO of With PR, who sold her business last year, talks about leaving a legacy, the importance of self belief, and why it’s young girls we really need to inspire.
I founded and sold a PR business called With that helps clients in the technology sector.
Becoming a founder was really all about the vision that I had for the business. I wanted to do things my way. But I also wanted to leave a legacy in the industry that I worked in, and in selling my business to the team that works there last year, I feel like I’ve really been able to achieve that.
I was in my late 30s when I decided to set up a business.
I’d learnt my craft in PR and communications. I’d taken inspiration from great bosses that I’d had, and I’d helped another founder sell their business, and had a little pot of money to start with.
It took me a while to believe that I could be a founder. I think for me, the biggest barrier was self-belief.
I really believe you can set up a business at any age. I’ve got friends looking to do it in their 50s.
Believing in the things you do know and your ability to learn the things you don’t is really important. You’re not going to know everything from day one.
Talk to people. Sound your business idea out with friends, family, contacts, and don’t be afraid to ask for help on the bits of building a business plan that you don’t know.
You need to collaborate. With customers, with the team you’re growing, but also with the network that you have.
In the very early days of With we had so much that went well; clients coming to work with us, team leaving their jobs to come and work in our startup. It felt like there weren’t too many barriers.
But there are moments you’re going to need to dig really deep.
Really learning the language of finance was a big thing for me as we evolved.
There’s lots of ways in which people can support female founders. Celebrate them, fund them, work with them and help create more of them.
We need to get into schools and excite girls about the possibilities of being a female founder themselves.
By the time kids are picking business studies as their GCSE option, it’s too late.
The Department for Education needs entrepreneurs in residence, women founders that go around to schools and excite girls about the possibilities of becoming their own boss.
