Please note:

There is an extensive list of questions below. Feel free to answer them all, or just those that are most relevant to you and your business. Write as much or as little as you like for each, and don’t worry about spelling, grammar or sentence structure. The most important thing is to get your story across. We’ll do the rest!

The final story will be approx. 3-400 words long. Whilst we’ll squeeze in everything we can, we can’t promise every response you give will feature. Please do highlight if anything is a must-use comment.

If you need support with any of the below, please email enquiries@ellon.life with ‘ELQ’ as the subject.

Can you give us a whistle-stop tour of your career (including training, and personal life if relevant) prior to starting your company?

Where did you get the big idea for your company?

Why/how did you decide to make it happen?

Was there a gap in the market? If not, how did you plan to set yourself apart from competitors?

Has your career and/or business been influenced by personal circumstances in any way? If so, we’d love to hear about it.

What was your first priority in terms of starting your business?

Why did you choose your premises?

How did you feel about launching your business? And why did you launch when you did?

Did you have a particular brand/look/customer approach in mind and why?

What are your values and philosophies, and why? What’s the one thing you want your customers to feel or remember about your business?

In a nutshell, what do you do/offer/sell?

How does your company/product make your customers’ life better? What problem do you solve?

And why are you the company to fix it for them?

Tell us about your team. Why do customers love the people behind the business?

How is life in business going? Are you successful? What’s better than expected/harder than expected?

What’s your role in your business now, and how has that changed since you launched?

What does a typical day/week look like for you and your business?

What have been the biggest challenges and opportunities for your business so far?

What is the best part/thing of working in your business? And the worst?

What’s the single, most important thing that makes you special and different; your USP?

What is the one thing you really wanted when you started your business?

What’s the biggest problem you’ve faced? How did you overcome it?

What’s the best piece of customer feedback you’ve had?

If you could do it all over again, what’s the one thing you’d do differently and why?

What’s been the highlight of your business life so far?

What advice would you give to others setting up a business?

Are you where you hoped you’d be today, and why?

What’s next for your business?

What will your business look like in five years’ time?

If you could have one wish for your business, what would it be?

What do you love most about Ellon?

Describe Ellon and its community in three words.

Would you recommend Ellon as a location for setting up and growing business? Why?

Who/what in Ellon has helped your business become a success?

What about on a personal basis – what does Ellon have to offer couples, families, etc.?

What do you think Ellon will be like in 10 years’ time?

Would you like to offer Ellon Life readers a promotion at the end your story?

It’s a great opportunity to drive sales, enquiries and social media traffic.

Let us know if you need help with ideas… How about 10% off your products or service with a special code? Or letting readers know a sale is coming soon, and they’ll find out more on your Facebook page.

Lastly, we would love at least one high-resolution picture of you in your place of business.

The more you can send, though, the better!