Digital enthusiast Bridget is a self taught web marketeer that came up with her crowd-funding web business ‘Pass Peace On’. Keen to pass on her expertise and helping hand to others who are interested in music and the web, she would use her grant to further develop the online presence of the business.
Outline your business and entrepreneurial skills, including your relative achievements to date in running a business:
I’ve been in business for just over four years. I began my first company in 2010 which was a social media platform for musicians. The model didn’t prove very successful in the end – but I acquired a host of skills and eventually began my current business – Pass Peace On which is a crowdfunding platform to fuel social change. Over time, I’ve learned how to set manageable goals which has led to sourcing great contacts, attending relevant events and generally planning and developing my business. Sounds simple but, one of the biggest mistakes I made early on in my career was thinking I could do everything at the start of the business and this led to a lot of time wasted on doing tasks really quickly instead of really well. I’ve developed strong communication skills and now have a knack for networking with professionals of all success levels from various industries and this shows in my network of associates. I am currently managing a team of four staff who have helped to develop Pass Peace On from an idea to a developing platform with a social media presence thus advancing my leadership skills hugely. I’ve also learned to delegate tasks and trust my team to make judgements based on their skills and with the help of my local business centre and through doing several revisions, I’ve been able to put together a strong business plan with detailed and comprehensive finances. Along with relationship building and public speaking skills which I gained from working with freelancers in both businesses, I’ve learned an appreciation for the development of others around me and regularly source free/affordable courses for my staff to use to develop their skills and add value to the business.
Why do you have the ability to be an inspiring role model? Provide examples to illustrate:
Like anybody else, I have the ability to inspire others based on the passion I have to make my dreams a reality. Before my business hat came on, I was a musician. In 2009 I launched a domestic abuse campaign using my music called ‘Treat Me as You Will’ – it was based on the experiences of some friends. I created a music video, shot an advert with influential musicians and partnered alongside a charity to promote the campaign. Through that, I was nominated for a GUBA award in 2012. Although my work commitments meant that I couldn’t pursue music as much as I wanted, I still believed I could help others to achieve their goals. So I began ‘Chord & Drum’ which was to be a platform where musicians could collaborate with each other. After months of promotion and hard work, I believed was almost ready to launch but regular meetings with my business adviser showed that my revenue streams just wasn’t very viable. I was gutted – as I had several subscribers, merchandise and had a strong social media presence. It was an extremely difficult decision to close the business, but following this, my passion for business grew even stronger and I began Pass Peace On with a lot less mistakes than I made the first time around. Other adversities have helped fuel my passion to succeed and inspire. In 2012, my dad was diagnosed with cancer – three months later, he died. Last year, I participated in the Cancer Research walk ‘Shine’ and exceeded my fundraising goal by 300%. I didn’t know I had the strength to overcome such a painful tragedy yet alone help to raise funds for a cause. Being an inspiring role model is more than what you have achieved – it’s about how you influence others to achieve their goals too. Pass Peace On will provide a platform for people to do something about the causes that matter to them the most!
What is your business / idea and what would you use the £5,000 towards if you were to win
www.passpeaceon.com is a free to use crowdfunding website that enables everyday people to raise funds for causes they are passionate about. It could be a sports team, youth program, healthcare cause etc. Whatever users feel can make a positive change to society with the help of financial and general support. The aim of the business is to encourage more people to do something about the things they feel need changing by providing them with a platform to do so! The £5000 would pay for the platform to be fully developed by a team of web programmers– with all of the necessary features including integrated payment system, social media integration, online management system, analytics and tracking information – as well as the design of the platform. An additional percentage of the funds would go towards the marketing and promotional budget to spread awareness of the business and promote its growth.
