 A Glaswegian business woman is taking on the business directory giants with the launch of her new business. And as a former employee of both Yell and BT, Gillian Dick believes she has what it takes to compete with them and succeed.
Her new online directory, Find Me Glasgow, acts as a complete guide to what’s on when in the city. And unlike the larger directories which focus solely on businesses, Find Me Glasgow includes information on where to shop, where to eat and even where the most doggie friendly bar in Glasgow is.
And the inspiration for her new venture? A Fleetwood Mac concert in Toronto.
Gillian said: “My relationship broke down and I wasn’t happy at work. My family suggested I should launch my own directory and it was something I’d been thinking about it so I spoke to Business Gateway.
“There was a Fleetwood Mac concert in Toronto that I really wanted to go to, but I didn’t have any holidays left so I wouldn’t be able to go if I was still working where I was.
“I bought the tickets anyway and said to myself that if I made it to the concert then I would know I could set up my own business. After Fleetwood Mac sang the last song that night it suddenly hit me that I had to start my own firm.”
With a £500 start-up grant from East Dunbartonshire Council and support from Women into Business, the new website went live in June. Since then, Gillian has already attracted attention from the business world and has recently turned down an offer of investment, preferring to keep the business 100% hers.
She said: “I started with the core of the Glasgow underground because as you can access a lot of things within a five minute walk. The underground is great - last year there were 14 million journeys so it’s a fantastic market to target.
“And O2 has invested £2 million in the Glasgow underground to strengthen signal so you can use your mobile phone so I’m looking to develop an application for the iPhone which will be a condensed version of the website.
“Having worked for BT and Yell I know I can compete with them because Find Me is done on a local level. They are national companies and don’t necessarily have the customer service people would expect. The big thing about us is that you can always speak to somebody in Glasgow. Everybody who is involved in the website is based in Glasgow so it’s true to what it is. And it’s a different offering. The directories are just that – you can find an accountant or a plumber so all the everyday things in life – you won’t find that on Find Me Glasgow but what you will find is what’s on where and when. Everything from craft fairs to places to go and eat.”
And despite the firm being just four months old, fledgling entrepreneur Gillian already has plans to expand the directory into other cities including Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle.
Contact
T: 0141 353 9327
E:
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www.findmeglasgow.com
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