Douglas Palarm

Business Adviser

I was born in North Shields and spent most of my life in sunny Whitley Bay. I'm married to Susan with two great kids Holly and Max, we came to live in Gainford almost two years ago due to commitments of a Business I owned then. We loved the area so much that we decided to stay when those commitments changed.

I have spent almost all my adult life self employed in one business or another and over the past 20 years would hope I have experienced many of the issues (Good & Bad) a new business start up may encounter. The businesses I have owned have been wide and varied coffee shop, residential home, newsagents/convenience store, property development and franchising as well as 'dabbling' in too many things to list. Having previously always worked for myself most of my friends and contacts were self employed which also exposed me to different businesses and problems, as you would often help one another.

Last year (2007) for the first time in my life I got a job and became an employee working for WH Smith as a store manager, this was a major change from being self employed (an easier life!). Although very happy at WH Smiths when I saw the advertisement for the role of start up advisor I had to apply as I knew it would be a job I'd really enjoy and as you can gather from this I got the position.

It's an incredibly varied role in terms of the people I meet and their business ideas, starting your own business requires a huge amount of hard work and commitment and I hope I can benefit every client I meet in some way to make the opening of there business an easier one.