Growing Your Small Business: What drove Bespoke Communications to success

27 November 2015 -

The co-founder and joint owner of presentation and media skills training agency Bespoke Communications, Camilla Long, tells her story of how returning to study helped her business thrive

Additionally, as a small business owner I often find myself dealing with unfamiliar situations. I have many years of business development, sales and marketing experience and am comfortable building my business with these skills. When it comes to finance or HR, I have more limited professional experience to fall back on.

I decided that a joint Masters and CMI qualification would be the best way to bring the latest thinking into our business, helping our company to attract high quality customers. We incorporate up-to-the-minute tools and techniques in every training course we run. I also use the skills that my CMI qualification gives me, every day, to help grow my own business.

My biggest challenge was finding the time to return to study. I work full-time, have two children and have many family and voluntary commitments.

Fitting study and assignments into an already full schedule seemed just a step too far.

So I decided to study part-time. Friends and family help me out all the time, and my husband has been so generous and supportive. I have learned to focus on what is important so studying has helped my time management.

I have gained a perspective that I could not have imagined a year ago. I have greater confidence in unfamiliar situations, and have a window on a new world of information. I’m a typical small business owner; I have few resources to draw on to build and grow our business, so the development of my own skills is the best investment I can make in my company’s future.