Austin Walters

I own a number of businesses in different sectors, from Business Turnaround and Insolvency to Home Care, Hospitality and Tech.

From a young age, I had an interest in business and entrepreneurship.  Growing up I would always look for business and money-making opportunities.  My first business was breeding and selling Gerbils when I was 13.

Over the 30+ years of being in business within multiple sectors, I have experienced many challenges such as the recession, Brexit, Covid to name a few.  Other challenges such as long-term illness, mental health, a growing family & industry specific challenges around recruitment and changing demands have all required a high level of resilience and a good network of friends and experts to call upon in times of need.

Like many business owners and entrepreneurs of my age, Richard Branson would have to be the person who originally inspired me. But over the years, many others have inspired me who are not as well known.  These people have all impacted my journey in one way or another, and sadly some of them are no longer with us, but I think of them often.

I often say this is a question asked by someone who “has never been their own boss” because in reality when you work for yourself, you have many bosses. (Customers, Suppliers, The Government, and so on). Instead of answering to one person, you now answer to many.  It’s all too easy to think that business owners are able to have a day off when they want, or are sailing around the world in their yacht, when the reality is much different.  However, with that said, answering this in the spirit of how the question was intended - the best thing about being your own boss is that all decision making starts and stops with you (for good or bad).