Superman| Entrepreneur Tim Connor

Hard work, drive, an immense passion for success and fearlessness are just some of the characteristics that our feature Entrepreneur Tim Connor possesses. At such a young age, Tim mastered the lessons needed to excel in business and hasn’t looked back since. Read more to learn how Tim’s collaboration with the massive unsigned acts event ShowcaseLIVE has seen the brand expand with a new and renewed vision to reach international audiences. how he managed to succeed in business within his school playground and more vitally, learn about what encourages Tim to keep striving. The sky is most definitely the limit, once you read this, you will know this for sure. #Bein-spired.

Tim you have managed to make a successful career within business but it seems it came naturally to you. Explain to In-spireLS readers how at the ripe old age of 13, you managed to make £500+ pounds a month selling sweets to children and teachers alike at your school?

Like with all great business ventures, it’s about seeing a gap in the market! It was around the time that sweets and fizzy drinks were banned from schools. I saw that the kids still wanted these things and so there I was to sell it to them.

Looking back it was pretty crazy how I managed to convince the teachers and canteen staff that I was doing them all a favor, despite the many conflicts of interests! For the teachers, it prevented kids truanting from the grounds at break and lunch to buy it themselves and for the Canteen staff, my constant supply of small change meant the end to having to go to the bank in the morning to cash up. I think best of all was that eventually the teachers became my customers too!

I have always been a believer that ambition and the burning desire to succeed cannot be learnt, but has to be felt from within. You have never been afraid of hard work, but in your opinion, what has been the factors behind your drive and success in business to date?

The biggest driving point for me are setting goals that I knew no one had ever achieved. I like to take risks. Without risk there can be no gain.

From selling sweets at 13 to becoming a fully fledged entrepreneur within the entertainment industry. Why entertainment? And how did you venture into this sector?

Entertainment is something I have always enjoyed. Too many times I had seen other people do things and looked at how I was able to do it better. This gave me a burning desire to achieve something good.

You hadn’t finished college when you were offered employment within Swiss Re/ GE Insurance in IT. Within a short time you rose up the ranks to be the youngest in the world across the brand. How did you manage this major feat and how would you say your experience there prepared you for your own business ventures?

It taught me about corporate life. I had some amazing people that believed in me and many people that were so negative. Instead of taking negativity the wrong way I worked on how I could do it better.

One of your ventures is businesses within a ticket and hospitality company. Your growth has been astronomical with 200% in the last year. With so many companies feeling the pressure of the recession. Why and how would you say you have managed to stay on top?

I think this is because I started my business in the recession, so for me as a business leader, I have never known anything different. Strangely enough, the recession was a great opportunity for me. A lot of what would have been my competition was struggling and the big shot companies were no longer so big. I looked at things from the reversed perspective that if I started my business in the recession, then things could only really go up.

I feel a lot of other companies were so used to doing things in a certain way that the recession really hit them, whereas I went in knowing that things were tough and built strategy and a business model around this.

A lot of the consulting work I have done in the past has been to do with cost cutting and it has been these elements and ideas, which I have really pushed in my own business.

There are so many individuals who have not needed education to succeed in business. Away from qualifications, what key attributes would you say a key figure needs to possess in business, in order to see results?

M D W S: Motivation, Drive, Will and Sacrifice.

The first three are more obvious, but the last one sacrifice is something that can prevent the other three from happening.
A lot about succeeding is in sacrificing. Although, it is important to have a work life balance, if you want to go that extra mile and achieve those things that everyday people don’t, then it means devoting yourself to doing that. I am fortunate to have people around me that understand sometimes things like time and fun have to be sacrificed to get to the bigger picture and the end goals. But I know that for a lot of young people this can become too much.

What has been the best advice you have been given whilst on your entrepreneurial journey?

Don’t look back unless you intend to go that way.

Apart from your hospitality and ticket company you also work on the successful joint venture with previous Superman feature George Eason ‘ShowcaseLIVE’ which has built up a reputable cv of housing and showcasing the best in UK talent. Bringing major previously unsigned talents including JLS and Jessie J to a whole new audience and gaining coverage in everything from the Mirror to Music Week. You recently re-launched at ‘Under the Bridge’ in Chelsea Football Club. You haven’t worked on the venture for very long, but have already made major strides to take the brand to the next level. What has been the overall plan of action?

Our overall plan has been to develop and expand the original platform to reach a wider audience and create a better product in which to showcase fresh unsigned talent. We get contacted a lot asking why Showcase:LIVE is not in so many parts of the country, we plan to roll this out across the UK and Europe over the coming months and into the USA market in the second quarter of 2012.

What would you say drives you the most within your career?

The want to achieve. Sure money and material things are great things to work for, but I just feel that is inevitable with success. Anyone can get those things if they really want them. For me its more about ‘achieving goals’ especially ones no one else has.

Being young, it used to be about being the youngest to do this or achieve that…but now I no longer want to just be the youngest at something…I want to be known for being the greatest.

Who would you list as your biggest supporters?

The people closest to me, they believe in me enough to support me in everything I do.

What is the best thing about being you?

That I have such a great support network around me that I can trust and rely on…and waking up every morning knowing that if I put my mind to it I can achieve anything I want to.

Do you have any in-spirations or mentors who you turn to for guidance and advice? If yes, who are they?

These days, some of my closest friends are large business leaders. What’s great about being young is that a lot of other great and successful leaders are always willing to pass on advice and guidance.

No success story is a success without some form of battle. No matter the size, what challenges have you faced so far and what steps have you taken to overcoming them?

I have a tendency to disagree here. Too often people look for problems that make things more difficult so that if they do make a success of something it is a bigger deal than it is. I know people love an underdog story, but I think if you are really serious about being a success and making a success of what you do, then you put your mind to it and do it…You don’t see things as problems or challenges but rather learning experiences that means you will never face the same challenge twice.

If your own personal business ventures were not enough, you also play a fundamental part within the rebranding of your family owned food and wine business. How much would you say your family business impacted on your own direction and development in business?

I would have to say, not that much. From when I was very young, I was always adamant that I didn’t want any handouts. My mark of success is making it yourself not being given it. I didn’t want to be another kid who just gets taken in by the family business and eventually inherits it.

My involvement with the family business now, is from totally the opposite end. I have come in using the infrastructure, team and expertise of my own businesses to help bring the family business up to the 21st century way of thinking.

Do you have any positive quotations or affirmations that you live by and apply to your life. If yes, what are they?

Quotations are a funny thing, my friends and family always mocking me for coming out with what they call ‘Tims inspirational phrases’ but I find them great motivational tools. One thing I always tell my team is that ‘the difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will and if you put your mind to it, set goals and targets you will get anywhere you want.’

Do you have any more ventures up your sleeves that you would like to share with In-spireLS readers?

I have many ventures up my sleeve at the moment, but being a ‘‘businessman’’…I couldn’t possibly tell!

Away from your business ventures, do you have any other hidden talents?

I would love to say I’m a real dab hand in the kitchen, but I am sure my girlfriend would strongly disagree! I love driving…in another life I would have loved to be a racing driver. Maybe one day I will find a way of incorporating this into one of my business ventures!

How can readers of In-spireLS keep up with you and all of your projects?

Find me on twitter @timmycon

Thank you Tim for answering our questions. Please round them off by completing these sentences.

I am at my happiest when… I am able enjoy the fruits of my labour with those who are important to me.

Self love can… prevent other people from loving you.

Passion is… smiling when problems come up because you know that you are going to learn something and that you will never make that mistake again.

I am most focused on… achieving the so-called impossible.

Self confidence can… make people believe in you.

Life is… about making the most of everything and striving for the best.

I am at my best when… I am around other driven and successful people because it inspires me to do better.

I am a ‘Superman’ because… I won’t put a limit on what I can achieve.