Interview: Adam Churcher

In recent news, the Business Insider posted an article showing the list of highest paying jobs you can can without a degree. 

Included in the list was Web Developers; fortunately for those who are great in front of a computer screen, one of the most important things that businesses have now are their website, according to Business Insider. They add that you do not need to be a university graduate in order to learn how to design, create and modify websites. 

Made by Magnitude is a multi-faceted web design and development agency which, "can provide you with a whole design and development from start to finish", focusing on logo design, branding, graphic and web design, web development, mobile app development and SEO.

The company was founded in 2014 by Adam Churcher and his partner Lewis Theobald. Adam, a 22-year-old tech enthusiast, was just 19 when they decided to “take the plunge” and create their own company; he says, “I used the money I was earning from that job to pay rent, bills & get the new business off the ground.”

The young entrepreneur, who is originally from South Wales, started the business instead of heading to university. He says, “I grappled for a long time with the decision to move onto university and changed my mind multiple times. I ended up deciding not to go as I wasn't certain exactly what course I wanted to do.

“I feel like there is so much pressure on young people to have decided what direction they want their lives to take before they even get to college. Some people know what they want to do, and that's fantastic. But others, like me, really have (or had) no idea. My initial plan was to take a year out so I could focus on my passions and what I really wanted to do without jumping in blind.”

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

"I began the business in March 2014, as myself and my partner Lewis both had individual skills that we thought would work really well together in a workplace setting. I am a designer and he is a developer, so together we agreed that we could start a website design company that would design websites for local SME clients and hopefully we could grow it into something more."

Who are your biggest supporters?

"Lewis & I support each other, which is why it's always great to have another party involved in business as there will always be someone going through the same experience as you and it gives you somebody to lean on. Both of our parents are incredibly supportive and want to see the business succeed. My dad actually owns his own business in Newport, South Wales, so we often rely on him for a lot of guidance and wisdom. Our retainer clients are actually really big supporters of us too, and we see them as friends as well as clients."

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

"I probably float somewhere in the middle. I don't think you can be too much of either is business as you need to be hopeful, but cautious. Though I like to see the good in people and situations, so I suppose I'm more optimistic."

Have you had any major set backs?

"We've mostly been lucky in the setback department as we tend to keep a low profile and only work with a few clients at a time. We've had a few clients from hell and have learned some hard lessons along the way, the main one being to trust your gut. If you have a bad feeling about something, don't go for it just because you're excited to get new work. If something seems off, it usually is.

We have had a few clients who I knew that we shouldn't have taken on at the time, but we needed the money and went ahead with it anyway. This came back around to bite us a year or so later when we had a long-running dispute with the same client. Everything is okay now, but it was a lot of stress and lost time on our part. Be wary of people who say "if you can do this for us cheaply, we have loads more business." They normally don't have any more business and are just trying to take advantage of you. Learn how to say no!"

Do you have a business mentor, if not why? If so, how has it helped you?

"We don't have a dedicated business mentor, as I mentioned earlier my dad also runs his own business so we seek a lot of guidance from him. It's never really been something that we've looked into, and there are tonnes of great resources out there online, as well as communities for like-minded individuals who are all in the same boat together. Our accountant is also a great help and we definitely rely on him for a lot of the financial side of things."

Who do you look up to in the business industry?

"In all honesty, I don't particularly have role models in a business sense. I enjoy the work of Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk to name a few; mostly for their forward-thinking & innovative outlook, but I'm not sure whether I'd call them role models. My parents are of course role models across all aspects of my life, my dad for his logical and intelligent approach to situations and my mum for having an emotional and empathetic outlook on life. Both keep me grounded."

Do you have any advice you for young budding entrepreneurs who want to start their own business?

"If possible, have a full-time or even part-time job. You're going to need money and you aren't going to start generating cash straight away. You might need to pay out expenses for certain things, depending on your business, so it's always good to have a backup plan.

Secondly, a lot of people will be telling you a lot of different things. Know what you want to create, and map your own road to get there. If possible, don't be easily swayed. Find somebody you can trust and talk to them. Where possible, trust your instinct (even though all of this will be new). It's not easy, but enjoy the ride, because it certainly is one."

Does a degree matter in business?

"A tough question and really situationally dependent. There's many career paths that are soaked in knowledge and the chances are you will need a degree to walk in and show up to work. On the other hand, being an entrepreneur is often something you learn yourself and aren't taught from a textbook."

What would you say to someone who doesn't want to go to university and has an idea for a business?

"Don't be pressured into going to university! It's not the end-game of your education by any means. I am still learning every day, learning even more than I would in university. It was far more valuable for me to learn as I went along rather than learn a bunch of theory in university and try and put it into practice. This is the real world, and you need real world experience."

What are the key skills you obtain that make you successful?

"The ability to say no. This was a skill that I had to learn, but I'd never be without it again. When you run a business you pick up on signs and situations that just aren't right. You also need to accept when you're at max-capacity and turn down work if you need to. Learning to say no will be one of the best things you'll ever do.

Self-confidence. If you're lucky enough to have it, use it. If you're struggling with that right now, fake it. If you are confident and passionate about what you're doing, you'll always find a way to make it work. I was incredibly nervous to meet clients when we first started our business, but now it's always exciting and I can't wait to talk to them.

You need to have motivation. You're at the steering wheel, nobody else is going to take over if you want to take a few days off. If you take a few days off, you aren't making any money. Make sure you're doing something that gets you out of bed in the morning. If you don't have a passion for what you're doing, it's going to show through.

Do you find people take you more or less seriously because of your age?

"Less. 100%. And it sucks."

Where can you see yourself in five years?

“We're looking to productise and diversify our business, take on some new members of staff and hopefully grow profits year-on-year.”

What skills do you think are essential for becoming an entrepreneur?

"I've learnt how to be a fantastic bluffer. Not liar! Just bluffer. If I'm not totally sure what I'm doing, I convince the world that I do, go away to research and make sure I know the next time I'm asked about it. I'm not sure if this is great advice…"

Give me an example of something impressive that you have been able to do since starting your business?

"I've bought my own house! A lot of my friends have just graduated from university and are figuring out what they want to do next, but I'm happy to say that I've been able to purchase my own property and get my foot on the ladder."

Is the business industry better/worse than you first thought it would be?

"Honestly I didn't really have any thoughts first going in, because I genuinely didn't know what to expect. Standing here and looking back, it's been hard but rewarding. So I guess it's been somewhere in the middle!"

If you didn't start your own business where would you be now and what would you be doing?

“The chances are I would've ended up going on to university as that's just what you're 'supposed to do' nowadays and still not have any idea what I want to do. But I'm grateful and lucky to be able to run my own business and it's something I'm very proud of. I always wanted to be an archaeologist growing up, looking way into the past and history. But now I'm really focussed on the future and new technology, so I've pretty much done a 180.”

What's it like being your own boss?

"Hard. Work.

There really is nobody there to pick up after you and sort things out when they go wrong. You can have a 5 or 500 staff company, but at the end of the day, if something goes wrong everybody will be looking at you. It's a huge responsibility to have on your shoulders and it takes a strong person to thrive in that situation. Having said that, it's pretty much the best thing in the world and I don't think I could work for somebody else ever again. The mix of freedom and responsibility is strange, but liberating, as well as seeing something you are so passionate about come to life."

Does age matter in business?

"Without a doubt. It doesn't matter to me, and it might not matter to you. But there's a whole bunch of people out there (and trust me, there's a lot of them) that it does matter to. If you're too young, you're categorised as untrustworthy, unknowledgeable and reckless. It can be really disheartening to hear clients bring up age in a negative aspect, but know your self-worth and power through. On another note, there's many people out there who will try to take advantage of the fact you're young and potentially inexperienced. Keep an eye of for over-promises and under-deliveries. Don't get taken for a ride."