Case Study - John Henderson
Member Name:
John HendersonCompany Name:
Who's Your Neighbour LimitedWhen did you start your business?:
The site went live in January 2007 but development started in January 2006 and we began testing with friends and family in October 2006.What do you do?:
Who’s Your Neighbour is a local community website with a national framework. The idea behind it is to help members interact with the people living around them and also to offer information about their area. A unique feature is that members can vote for local trades-people. So, for example, if you’re looking for a builder you can see who is the most popular in your area and then email the other members using our internal email to ask them why they recommend that particular person. There is also a ‘Car Boot’ section where you can sell items free of charge, and an ‘Activities Board’ for groups and associations – or just if you wanted to find someone to go jogging with!
What made you want to set up your own business?:
I just had the idea for the site while I was reading a book!
What is the biggest problem you have faced?:
Actually getting people on to the site with no money for advertising. However, other community websites have grown by word of mouth – slowly for a long time and then, boom, they take off and everybody knows about them.
How long were you thinking about starting up?:
I had the original idea in October 2005 and mentioned it to a friend, David White, who is a computer programmer. We started planning the site within a couple of weeks.
What is your greatest success?:
Creating the site and seeing it used. For example we’ve had lots of neighbourhood-watch groups join as they use it as a communication tool. We’ve also had some great reviews in local government literature.
What is the most important quality you need to work for yourself?:
It was natural for me as I have always worked for myself. But I think the most important thing is - to try. There will always be loads of people who knock you, and it does hurts, so must learn not to take it personally and you have to really believe in yourself.
What do you love most about working for yourself?:
Flexibility.
How has Bradford Kickstart helped you?:
It has helped a lot. David spent a year developing the programming for the site, and did a great job. But, the site still looked slightly amateurish. Bradford Kickstart put us in touch with a web-site design company and gave us £2000 towards improving the look of the site. The new design isn’t finished yet but what I have seen so far looks brilliant and much more professional.
What advice would you give other people about setting up a business?:
Do It! There are plenty of rubbish people who work for themselves and still make money – so, why can’t you?! It is better to have tried and failed than not to have tried.
