Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Start of Year Three in Business!

It was literally on a barge on the Canal du Midi in France in July 07 (having finished a contract to series produce Don't Get Done Get Dom for BBC1) that I had my Eureka Moment and thought of www.findatvexpert.com.

So when I got back from holiday I did some research. There wasn’t a similar service out there – I knew this from having worked in the industry for 15 years – and when I mentioned my idea to a few expert friends and TV colleagues everyone thought it was a winner.

This was a service the experts wanted and the industry needed. I’d never set up a business before but I believed in my idea so much that when I was offered another 10 months contract at Flame TV starting in September 07 (10 months of financial and job security!) I turned it down and decided to live off my limited savings and set up findatvexpert.com from my kitchen table (luckily that domain name was available – so many have already been taken.)

And nine months after I’d had the idea on the Canal du Midi, www.findaTVexpert.com went live.

I still remember the excitement I felt on Monday, 28th April 2008 when I sat at my desk at 8am and 'launched' findaTVexpert. And here I am at the start of year three. As excited now as I was then.

There have been challenges along the way, but I'm loving every minute of the journey.

Best of all, it's working: more and more members of the media are registering to search the site every week and experts are being found and booked for presenting roles, interviews, screentests and other media opportunities.

I don't really believe in horoscopes, but I happened to read one in YOU Magazine in September 07 when I started setting up findaTVexpert and it said (because I kept it as a reminder): 'You are entering an important new cycle in your life, a cycle which - if used properly - will bring lasting rewards in the future. It may be difficult - even painful - at times, but it will almost certainly be rewarding in the long run. No matter what you dreams may be, Saturn will create the conditions that make the realisation possible. From then on, it's up to you."

And it was spot on!

Here's to a successful Year Three and many more successful years ahead for the business - and for all the experts being found through it!

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