From launching her own business at 21, to helping others run theirs today, Chelmsford’s Charlie Day can change your 2023
Have you always had an entrepreneurial spirit?
No! When I launched my first business (a theatre school), I didn’t know anyone who ran their own business so it was all alien to me. In fact, my parents were concerned about me running my own business, and warned me off the idea! I am actually quite disorganised and I get bored easily (this now works to my advantage as I’m always brainstorming new business ideas) so they didn’t think it would last. However, it turned out I had the tenacity and resilience it takes to run a successful business.
Was it a big leap for you to go into business at 21?
It was a huge leap, I didn’t know what I was doing and I needed some money, so I borrowed £1,000 from my sister to get some flyers and posters. We ironed logos onto t-shirts to make it look more professional and hired costumes and a hall. I told my sister that I would pay her straight back, but, to my surprise, I actually ended up losing money during my first summer of trading – so she had to wait a while for her money! I was so determined to make it work though:I felt like everyone was waiting for me to fail and I was too stubborn to give up, which looking back now was probably a very good thing.
How do you look back on those days?
I always wish I could go back and tell my 21-year-old self not to worry, and that I would be ok in the end, but hindsight is a great thing. Perhaps I wouldn’t have worked so hard if I knew that it would all work out. I look back on those days really fondly. I used to sit in front of my computer waiting for sales to come in and I remember thinking, ‘you’ve got to go to them’ and I just got really good at making sales and connections, which is why this became such a big part of my business.
I was nominated for an Essex Business Award in 2013 (which I went on to win) and they asked me: ‘what will you do if this doesn’t work out?’ and I just said ‘it will work out, there’s no other option.’ Later on, I was told that it was this sentence that made me win! Closing my business and giving up was simply never an option for me.
What would you say was the biggest thing you learnt at the start?
Sales is the most important thing when it comes to running a business and I was going to have to get really good at sales if I wanted to be successful.
How has this evolved into a company where you help others in business?
The more I learnt about sales, the more it impacted my business. My first business didn’t make any profit in year one, and it took me five years to get to six figures. Whereas my second business made profit from the first day and we made six figures within the second year. In my current business, we made six figures in the first nine months and we were multi six figures by year two. Each business I have run grows much quicker, and now that I understand how to scale a business to six figures very easily I can help others to put in the right sales strategy so they can see the same growth. My business has evolved to now running a successful business membership for other entrepreneurs and working with business owners to help take their businesses to the next level.
What do you offer?
I run a membership (The Entrepreneurs Sales Lounge) course, a mastermind and one-to-one training to create the perfect sales strategy for your business. I also go into businesses and give them training so that their teams can make more sales.
What is The Entrepreneurs Growth Club?
The Entrepreneurs Growth Club is my free online community on Facebook of over 7,000 business owners. I share my top hints and tips on how to create more sales in your business.
You are a mum of one – how does all this fit in with family life?
When I first became a mum I found it really hard to juggle. I had become a business owner before I became a mum, so when my little boy came along I struggled to understand how I could do both and felt really guilty. But then one day I just decided to stop feeling guilty. If I wanted to be the best version of myself that involved being a business owner and a mum, and actually my little boy was seeing that anything was possible! I hoped that he someday would have the courage and confidence it takes to run his own business too. He is a huge part of all of my businesses and knows exactly what I do and why I do it. When I franchised my Phonics business in Australia he came with me, I recently spoke at an event in Malta and he came with me to that too, and he loves the opportunities gets to have because of my business.
Whereabouts do you live in Essex and what do you love about it?
I live in Channels, in Chelmsford, and I absolutely love where I live. They have built houses on what used to be the Channels golf course and I live there looking out on the lake, it’s beautiful and so tranquil.
Where would be your three favourite places in the county?
La Maison Talbooth (Talbooth Hotel & Spa) in Dedham is definitely one of my favourite spots. We got married there and we go back all the time as we love it. I actually hold my Sales and Marketing Retreat there twice a year too. New London is one of my favourite restaurants. And Little Stars Theatre School, which offers classes all over Essex – I set this up in 2011 and although I have nothing to do with the company now, my little boy attends the class and it’s his favourite thing.
What does 2023 hold in store for you?
I want to scale my business from multi six figures to seven figures! All whilst selling easily and confidently and teaching other business owners that they can do the same.
