A WORD FROM THE
EDITOR
Dark clouds mean silver linings
I
t’s official, the UK economy is back in recession. Following two quarters of negative growth, this is the second time the UK has been in recession in three years, and for the longest period of time within the last 100 years. Market observers forecast that it will be 2014 before we see signs of financial life. More and more statistics have churned though the media. Silver linings have been few and far between; youth unemployment, redundancy and businesses entering administration have taken up far more column inches. One report that did make us sit up and take notice here at AWM was a recent Avon-commissioned survey of 1,000 self-employed women. It revealed that almost 40% of those surveyed believed their business will grow in the next three years; and 46% think it will remain stable. From this small cross - section of UK business owners, it is clear that entrepreneurial confidence has not been dampened by the continuing waves of headlines bemoaning businesses falling victim to the administrators, and employees falling victim to the well-sharpened (and often-wielded) knife of redundancy. When putting together our first issue of AWM, we have also noticed that entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kicking within the Asian community, something we want to encourage and celebrate in this edition and future issues. It is clear by reading the pages of AWM that where there is challenge there is opportunity. We talk to Vishal Misal, a 24-yearold who made his own headlines earlier this year when he booked his business hero Sir Richard Branson as the keynote speaker at the event Business 2012.
Vishal talks about his decision to start his own business as an alternative to getting a corporate job. If I put the same amount of effort into my own business as I was putting into job applications, I knew I could be a success, he told us. The extent of Vishal’s early success may be the dream for many graduates, and seasoned entrepreneurs for that matter, but he puts it down to hard work and common sense. Yet it is not just common sense that makes an entrepreneur. In this first issue you will find an in- depth interview with the entrepreneur Pinky Lilani, a one-woman force to be reckoned with behind the Asian Women of Achievement Awards and Spice Magic. Pinky talks about her passion and belief behind her business, which inevitably makes it a success. Bav Patel, the founder of Mistique Events, talks to us about using creativity to get a competitive foothold within business; something that is hard to come by and even harder to keep. It is clear by reading the pages of AWM that where there is challenge there is opportunity. Each business faces its own individual barriers; but with each test comes its own reward. What matters is to keep the end goal in mind, and find or develop the skills to overcome those bumps in the road. Many graduates, or seasoned employees for that matter, considering an entrepreneurial life may look back in 10 years and decide that this long and dark recession is the best chance they ever had. The key is to grab that chance with both hands and never let it go.
Editor AsianWealthMag.co.uk |
5