Linda Fleetham

When Linda Fleetham left a full-time job to join action group, South Bank Tomorrow, she never guessed that three years later the organisation would have achieved Company Limited by Guarantee status and that she would be the driving force behind the business.

This is Linda Fleetham’s story…

1. Why did you want to start your own business?

   I started out in a voluntary capacity with the organisation and quickly developed a passion for working in the community. I think that people should be empowered to deliver their own services to the places where they live.

2. What was the deciding factor for you?

   I actually left a full-time job I’d had for five years to take up this role, originally on a three month contract, but I enjoyed it so much that’s I’ve now been here three years! I wanted to take South Bank Tomorrow to the next level and I felt I was the right person for the job.

3. How did you get the business off the ground?

   We achieved Company Limited by Guarantee status and I took a chartered management qualification so that I could drive things forward on the business side. We backed up our wider aims with business knowledge and training, so we’re now much more than just a community group, although that remains very much at the core of what we do.

4. Best bits about working for yourself?

   Although I’m technically an employee, I see this project very much as my baby, which I’ve nurtured with amazing support from staff, volunteers and local residents. I love people and I get a real buzz out of seeing use of the centre expanding year on year, while we also encourage people to get active in the wider community. For me, it’s all about making things better

5. What have been the biggest challenges so far?

   Funding issues and training were our biggest headaches in the beginning and this is where the Enterprise Team has been a big help. I’ve also had to work hard to gain the trust of the community and it’s only now, after three years, that I feel we’re really starting to make a difference. You have to be patient.

6. What would you have done differently if you could go back?

   I would be less naïve about things. I came in here with a warm glow, thinking that a community group would be all warm and fluffy, but it’s a learning curve. It’s actually a constant struggle to attract funding, meet the demands of your users and engage local people. We’ve met the challenge by being more strategic, organising ourselves as a business and working with partners to deliver for the local community.

7. How does it feel to be your own boss?

   I work to a board, but I have day-to-day responsibility for the management of South Bank Tomorrow and I take strategic decisions, so the buck stops with me. I take this responsibility very seriously and I’m hugely committed to my role, seeing every day as a personal challenge.

8. A piece of advice for those thinking about starting up?

   You need to research. Ask people in similar positions or businesses to your own, take off your rose-tinted glasses and know your own limitations. There’s help and support out there, but it won’t come to you. I’d also say keep everything organised and control your finances..

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