Karen Finch Supports Local Business Start Up Event

In front of an audience of more than two hundred delegates, in the Legend’s Suite at Ipswich Town Football Club, Karen Finch was questioned by René Carayol about how she set up her hearing care business in the town twelve years ago.

Karen was the principal guest at the seminar, organised by Barclays – one of ten to be held around the Country in the coming months.  Multi-millionaire René Carayol chaired the high-status event.

René has a very colourful business background including acting as an advisor for CBI, McKinsey & Co and Barclays, conducting interviews with prominent figures such as Bill Clinton, David Cameron, Al Gore and Kofi Annan, as well being the author of a bestselling leadership book, titled “Corporate Voodo”.

He also has many television and radio appearances to his name, becoming a regular voice on BBC’s 5Live and a press reviewer on Sky Breakfast News.

During the question and answer session Karen had to explain why she set up her business, what inspired her and what had driven her to the point where she now - regularly winning awards for her entrepreneurial spirit, and her Company is recognised with awards for the quality of its staff training regimes and for its high level of customer care and community involvement.

“It was quite scary to sit in front of so many people and be asked questions by René who required me to bare my business soul,” said Karen, adding:  “but it was also a delight to know that I might be encouraging other people who have a dream to run their own business to get up and give it a go.”

Karen Finch established The Hearing Care Centre Ltd, based on High Street in Ipswich, when she became disillusioned with what she perceived as a lack of customer service in the hearing care sector.

Her business model is to compete on customer service, not price and to run an ethical business offering superlative customer service delivered as near to her customers as possible.

She now has more that a dozen staff and a network of 12 outreach centres right across Suffolk, offering care for thousands of people in the County with hearing loss.

Karen says: “Running your own business is definitely not an easy option: I have friends who have ordinary jobs and earn more than I do but who can sit back on Friday evening knowing that the weekend belongs to them.

“I am not exaggerating when I say that for much of the last ten or so years I have concentrated my entire energy on The Hearing Care Centre.  But as I told the audience at the seminar, there is still nothing quite like the feeling you get when you walk in the door and see your business in action, knowing that it is all down to you, and the team you have put together, to make it all work.

“But even more important for me is that I know I am providing a service that a lot of people in Suffolk appreciate and as a hearing care professional I also go home each night knowing that the work we do is making a difference to the quality of life for a lot of people in this County.”

In recent times Karen has become more involved in helping inspire young people to consider starting up in business on their own. As well as mentoring youngsters she has taken part in several keynote events aimed at encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit in the business people of the future.

“It was because these seminars are intended to help get business ideas off the ground, that I agreed to take part,” says Karen.  “Occasions like this are a great opportunity to get practical tips from local entrepreneurs, as well as industry experts. And because they have the support of organisations like Business Link, Barclays and the Inland Revenue, it means they can lure along people like René Carayol to share his experiences and top tips on how to launch a new business venture”.