TAPE STUDIO LIMITEDTape is a high end boutique Recording studio

o�ering a range of studio services

What made you want to start a business in your specific field?

I have always held a huge passion for music and

have spent my twenties working in and around the

industry, which is where the idea of Tape grew from.

I had this �eld in mind as a

long-term project. However, I was aware that there was a gap for a serious, high end recording

studio in Edinburgh and our space has been designed with

this in mind.

Was your business influenced by identifying an untapped target audience or did you always have your specific field in mind?

How did you finance your start-up? I was gifted money through inheritanceand I also had money saved from income I receive through properties.

Did you make use of start-up funding? Were you aware of the options?No. I was aware of a number fundingoptions but, I did not require them.

How important was researching your competitors before launching?I have created my business based on what feels right to me – never mind what other people are doing, do what feels right for you. I wanted to create something di�erent from what others in the �eld do and so I suppose I did research a bit in that I saw what I didn’t want in my competitors. It has been important though to research pricing among competitors in order to build a market ready business.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE BEST PLATFORM

FOR YOUR PRODUCT/SERVICE? The nature of the business meant that a permanent physical

presence was always going to have to exist however; we knew it would be important to have a great website as �rst point of call for potential clients.

Do you have a website optimised for mobiles and/or tablets? How important do you think it is for businesses to have this?

Yes, I have a fully responsive website. Design and ease of use is very important to me and the ethos of my business. I personally, can be put o� a business if their website is bad to

look at and/or hard to use.

Is there enough support for new and growing SMEs? I cannot really answer this as I did not apply for any outside support. I do

however feel that it is hard for new businesses to survive the �rst few years when business rates are sooo high. I would like to see a reduction of

these rates for new small businesses - lower rates means businesses can get o� the ground, employ sta�

and ensure less empty commercial property.

What’s been your biggest mistake, regret, lesson or struggle?

I have no regrets, you can only learn from your

mistakes. It has taken 5 years from initial idea to launch of my business and although the length of time has

been frustrating and stressful at times, looking back it has all

worked out for the best.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to your own business, do

what feels right for you and what feels

comfortable

What’s the best piecE of business advice you’ve been given?

What one bit of advice would you give other start ups?Get a good accountant that you enjoy meeting with right

at the start. They will make sure you are completing all the right paperwork and they will also help you to understand

good bookeeping etc.

You have to make mistakes – sometimes huge – to learn how to work better. Do not give yourself a hard time for

making mistakes; they only help you understand your business better.

Given the industry you have gone into, do you think you are at a disadvantage being so removed from London?

I have long held the belief that creative businesses should not feel disadvantaged just because they are not located

in London. I dislike the idea that it's London or nothing as there are so many wonderful, creative businesses and

projects happening all over the UK.

I hope that, once established, being outside of London will be a key strength for my business mainly due to

pricing/costs of London compared to other cities.

Being in such a specialised field, how important was it to find the correct premises to run the business?

It was very important to me as I have such a keen interest in design/buildings/interiors. For me the whole concept

of my business is based on thoughtful, craft like ideals and I spent 2 years actively searching for the ideal base the

operate from. I’m not sure how important it is to other businesses but for me it was key.

Do you think there is scope for further expansion of music industry based businesses in Scotland?

I de�nitely think so – we are a very creative, enterprising nation. In order for this to happen I do

think we need to see some changes in rates for new businesses across the board though. We need less

start-ups relying on loans or small, token grants – instead start-ups need to be able to support

themselves quicker.

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