World Entrepreneurs Day: An Interview with Seon Ripley

In celebration of World Entrepreneurs Day, we had the opportunity to sit down with Seon Ripley. He tells us about what it takes to run a successful business.

What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?

“Hardworking, reliable and honest.”

What do you enjoy most about entrepreneurship? What do you find hardest about it?

“I enjoy the flexibility and the constant challenge and how no one day is the same. The trickiest thing for me is knowing when and how to switch off.. Missus can vouch for this.”

What top 3 websites/apps do you use every day?

• “Headway: I use this on a morning when I’m walking my dog. They’re very short audio books that summarise longer books; it could be about motivation, finance, training etc so it’s a good way to start the day.
• LinkedIn: What sort of recruiter would I be without this?
• Twitter: I hate Facebook and get bored of Instagram, Twitter is quite good for knowing what’s going on in the world and also for some fantasy football pointers…”

What are your values?

“As YourCode says: integrity, growth, innovation, compassion and drive.”

When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

“I don’t really think there was a specific time, the idea just progressed over time after I’d built certain relationships and gained insight into the industry. “

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

“My strengths are that I’m honest, determined and trustworthy. I think maybe my weakness is that I can be too trusting sometimes.”

How did you start your business?

“Josh was fortunate enough to meet me and the rest is history.”

What problems are you trying to solve?

“We’re always thinking about how we can be better than other recruitment agencies and avoid getting such a bad name, which a lot in the industry unfortunately do.”

What are some key lessons you’ve learned on your entrepreneurial journey?

• “You should always take risks if the positives outweigh the negatives.
• Trust your gut.
• Never give up.”

What motivates you to keep going?

“It’s very cliche but my family and wanting to ensure I look after them. I also hate failing / losing so that’s always something that keeps me going.”

How do you manage stress?

“Stress is a natural part of running a business and I think it’s important to be able to speak about it, especially with those who are invested in the business like a business partner. There is always a solution to whatever problem you’re facing that’s causing the stress; so talk and figure out what that is to help manage it.”

What are your tips for building a great team?

“Hire for culture not always for skills; you can teach the skills if the person fits in well with your team.”

How would you describe your leadership style?

“I’d say I’m quite relaxed, approachable and understanding of the team’s personal situations outside of work.”

How do you encourage company culture?

“Having open communication and being open to ideas from everyone (even Stefan sometimes). Having set goals as targets for everyone to achieve and have the same end goal is also important.”

What are you most excited about at work right now?

“Everything! Internal growth, client growth, award nominations, company milestones – there’s always something to be excited about.”

How do you acquire new customers and retain existing ones?

“For me it’s about honesty; be realistic on what you can deliver as a business and always over achieve. If you want to retain business you need to deliver on what you say you’re going to deliver.”

What are some hard choices you had to make to get where you are?

“Giving up time – whether that’s with family or friends you have to sacrifice that time if you want to be successful.”

Is there any popular entrepreneurial advice that you agree/disagree with? Why?

“Entrepreneurship is not a 9-5 job” – 1000% I agree with this, especially working in recruitment. If you’re thinking running a business is 9-5 then it’s definitely not for you!”

What advice would you give to starting entrepreneurs?

“It’s not easy and it’s a bit of a rollercoaster; it takes a lot of hard work and time so if things are difficult in the beginning it’s important to think about your long term goal as you should be in it for the long run, it will all be worth it in the end!”