Duncan Knight 

When you start a business, you can find yourself doing almost everything. Researching, selling, delivering, organising and dealing with whatever needs attention next. In my first business, much of that responsibility initially sat with me. In my second, it was shared. Being involved in everything gives you a close understanding of the business. But as it grows, the same pattern can leave important work waiting and other people depending on you for decisions they could make th

Why did you start your business, and how much does that reason still influence the way you run it? You may have wanted independence, spotted an opportunity or felt frustrated by a problem you knew you could solve. Perhaps you wanted to earn a better living or build something with people you respected. Those reasons can change as the business grows. The work becomes different. More people depend on you. A company that originally offered freedom can begin to fill every availabl

People sometimes ask me what sort of business they should start. How to get it going is usually the next question. There is no single answer I can give them. The decision depends on their experience, circumstances and what they want from running a business, alongside whether there are customers willing to pay. My own route was not a case of dreaming up an entirely original idea. Neither of the two technology businesses I co-founded began with an idea that was mine. In the fir