Russell Newsome

Russell Newsome is the proud owner of his family?s 30 year old fish and chips takeaway business. Now with the expansion into new premises on Redcar seafront and the possibility of his son to carry on the tradition, Chips R Us is in a healthy position to move forward. Oh, and the sea view from the historical 100 year old building is not too bad either.

This is Russell Newsome’s story…

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

   Well I already have a fish and chips restaurant in the centre of Redcar but I wanted to capitalise on the seafront. I thought it was time to develop and expand the business so when I saw this property on the seafront, I knew it was the right location and a great way to move forward.

2. What was the deciding factor for you?

   I really wanted to expand the business so I?ve been looking around for somewhere on the seafront. I also have a son who is coming to the age where he can help out behind the counter, so it?s great that he is also following the family tradition. I have put no pressure on him to carry on the business and he is going to college after the summer, so whatever decision he makes I will support him.

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

   Well the fish and chips takeaway is not yet open as we have been investing a lot of money renovating the building, but we will hopefully have it running by the middle of June. As far as advertising is concerned we have done very little because the business and location we are in, the product sells itself. Everyone loves fish and chips by the seafront and I cannot wait to get things sorted for the summer.

4. Best bits about working for yourself?

   It would have to be the satisfaction in doing what I do, as I am proud to be involved in the family business that has been running successfully for 30 years. I also love meeting and speaking to people - the best bits about having my own business goes beyond the money factor. However, keep your head down as you have a responsibility to run a successful business.

5. What have been the biggest challenges so far?

   It would be working with the contractors who have been renovating the shop because it?s been challenging getting work done properly and on time. There have been occasions where I have asked people to come back and do the job properly because it has not been up to my expectations.

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

   It is very hard to say. I would say nothing because I?ve always made sure I?m at the shop when things are happening so that everything is to my satisfaction and done correctly.

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

   I love the fact that I am carrying on the family tradition and I?m very proud of serving fish and chips to the North East.

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

   Make sure you have sufficient funds to begin with because it will probably cost more than you expect. Also, expect there to be a lot of hard work involved; you cannot really have a day off at the start because you need to get your head down and look at different strategies, ways to save money, having enough staff, etc. Although, having your own business is a fantastic privilege..

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