• Who are you?

Sarah Jane Hunt

• What does your business do?

We’re an outsource contact centre with a niche focus that ensures we help all of our clients to generate revenue and grow. Our client base covers a diverse range from charities like the SSPCA through to national newspapers and healthcare providers like Philips. The sub-divisions of the company cover corporate film production; third sector fundraising and telephony provision so every day is very varied!

• Where are you based?

We’re based in the city centre in a listed building. I bought the first property once the company had been trading for eighteen months and have subsequently bought another two, which has provided lot of space for organic growth of the business.

• How did you get started?

Originally I started by renting some desk space with a view that I would operate a ‘virtual’ company initially and outsource but quick business growth led to my first purchase.

• What is your background?

After my BSc degree I had a place at the College of Law but not the money to pay the fees so decided to work for a year. I took a temporary six-month job in marketing that brought me to Glasgow but was quickly taken on as permanent staff (which was great as I worked on some great projects including the first series of Who Wants to be a Millionaire) and left there as Commercial Director almost nine years later to start my business.

• What is your top tip?

When you run a business it’s like a rollercoaster ride with peaks and troughs each day so you need to be able to work through it with a measured approach as well as remembering that ‘every day’s a school day’ so sometimes hard lessons are learnt.

• How long has your business been running?

Amazingly we enter our fourteenth year of trading in April, which is no mean feat especially given I’m sole Director and had my second brain haemorrhage less than a year ago. The fact that we have clients and staff that have been with the company for over a decade means we must be doing something right

• Has anyone helped you get started and how

The help in getting started came from my parents and other business owners who I was expecting to laugh when I suggested I was going to start my own business and when they didn’t I took the view that it wasn’t such a crazy idea after all.

• What was your first deal?

My first deals happened unexpectedly on my first day of trading when we started working with a political party and a healthcare provider; but one of the most fulfilling deals was when we worked with Disasters & Emergency Committee following the Tsunami handling over 80,000 donation calls – it reminds you how kind people can be irrespective of whether they have a lot of money.

• What was your biggest mistake/or what would you do differently?

I don’t want to tempt fate by giving my biggest mistake in case it’s deciding it should be outdone. That said in business if the odd mistake isn’t made then risks aren’t being taken, which makes for a dull business life.

• Who was/is your mentor/or inspiration?

Rudyard Kipling and his poem ‘If’ as it guides you on the ideal way to live both your personal and professional life, especially if you’re running a business.

• Where do you plan your business to be in five years time?

I need to fire up my crystal ball for that! Hopefully the same as currently by delivering the best we can to our expanded client base with a great team of staff.

• Useful contacts: The best resource I found was the Federation of Small Businesses as it covers all aspects of running a business (without having to pay large fees to various consultants). On top of that it provides great networking opportunities for small businesses to support each other as well as lobbying on behalf of members so that small businesses, which are key to Britain’s continued strong economic growth, have their voice heard.

• Contact Details Sarah J Hunt, Managing Director of Purple (UK) Ltd

T: 0141 22 666 00 E: sarahjhunt@purpleuk.co.uk