Interview with AJ Media

Welcome to the second of the interviews, in my series of introducing creative businesses supported by The Prince Trust.

My next interview victim, is AJ Media, whom I happen to actually know in real life, as we did part of the Enterprise Programme together. It has been really cool to see how his business has developed over the past year or so. Anthony had a much more developed idea, than I did, when he approached The Prince's Trust for help, so it has been interesting to see how the enterprise programme adapts and caters for everybody in a different way.

Without further ado........................... AJ Media

Who are you?

My name is Anthony Jones and I run AJ Media, Its just me myself and I!

What are you?

AJ Media is a video production business, I make everything from corporate and health and safety videos, to live shows and motion graphics.

Where are you? 

I am based in Widnes and I operate at home, I am currently looking to get my own premise to expand the business. At the moment I mostly operate from my website AJ Media Productions

Best thing about working with the Prince’s Trust?

Really, if it wasn't for The Prince's Trust there would be no AJ Media. All I had was the idea to go self employed. I had gone to the job centre, and they told me I had to apply for the head of Administration at Liverpool Hope University, based on the fact that I had done some admin for a few months. That was the moment that I realised that as much as the job Centre is there to help you, they are really just trying to hit targets rather than get a job because there was no way on earth that I could do that job. After that it spurred me on to look into self employment, I knew I could do this as a profession, most people will volunteer hoping to get a job, but looking at the companies out there I knew that job would never appear so it was best to try and make a living from it. The self employment course was fantastic, it helped me look at my skills more as a business and how I could really make a go of this. It also helped with networking skills and having a business mentor was great to help start the business, I needed guidance and I got it, plain and simple! With that I have been able to turn what was a passion into a living, this year so far has been my best to date, in fact May was the best month I have ever recorded as a business and June is looking good too!

Any advice for budding entrepreneurs?

I think if you have an idea, and you believe in it, then my advice is to go for it! You never know what could happen. I think rather than me just say the generic things, the best advice would be two quotes from Jim Valvano, who was an American Basketball Coach, until he sadly passed away, after a fight with cancer many years ago. This first quote I think sums up the feelings when starting up:

 'No matter what business you're in, you can't run in place or someone will pass you by. It doesn't matter how many games you've won.'

The second, sums up the mentality you have to have:

 'Don't give up. Don't ever give up.'

 (Check out Widnes Food bank on Facebook and their website)  

Thanks ever so much for playing along Anthony!

Social Media Hangouts for AJ Media:

Facebook: AJ Media 

Twitter: @AJmediaTV

Youtube: Anthony Jones

Website: AJ Media 

Check out previous interview with another business supported by The Prince's Trust: An interview with Tile Fire

Hopefully you are enjoying this interview series? Which happily coincides with The Prince's Trust celebrating thirty years of the Enterprise Programme. 

If there is anything specific that you would like to ask myself or the other businesses featured, then drop me a comment and I will see what I can do.

I wonder who I will be interviewing next?