‘Strong will needed to start from scratch’

Alessandro Tricarico, 22, who lives in Plough Road, Smallfield, has built up a thriving company since starting his business in April 2012, covering Horsham, Crawley, East Grinstead, and as far as Leatherhead and Redhill.

Talking about being self-employed, he said: “You have got to be prepared to do everything yourself.

“Often it’s quite hard to start from scratch because you start off with nothing. You have to be quite strong willed.

“I have had countless things that have gone wrong but you have to take it in your stride.”

He was a finalist at the recent Young Start-up Talent business competition, which sees 16-25-year-olds bid for a prize of business tools to turn their idea into reality.

He has picked up some commercial business on the back of the competition, for example from Lingfield Park Hotel, where the final was held.

Alessandro added: “It has not changed what I would have done anyway, but it has helped me make contacts that I would not have been able to have the opportunity to pick up.

“The big clients I never would have got in front of them without the competition, and hopefully there will be others to come.”

In the last few weeks he has added a second arm to the business, offering repairs to old wooden window frames, after having to turn away business offered by regular customers.

He explained: “It’s exciting. It’s just about opportunities. I had several people ask me .My strength is my client base.”

Asked about what plans he had for expansion, he said he could soon be taking on employees of his own.

“I think it’s about finding the right staff and overseeing them and managing them properly,” he said.

“I would like to be able to step back and grow it rather than doing the cleaning.”

Then he might explore the possibility of franchising the business model.

Alessandro explained: “I think there’s lots of potential. I have got the outline of how to take the domestic side of the business forward.

“I think on the commercial side there’s lots of opportunities to grow that side of the business.”

He added: “Look at your competitors, figure out what they are doing right and if you can do it better than them.”

To contact Alessandro call 07968210549.