Karren Brady's Tips For Making It In Business

A lot has been made of my early achievements: a director at a publishing firm at 19, managing director of Birmingham City Football Club at 23; the youngest managing director of a PLC at 27; I was even offering beauty treatments from my bedroom at the age of six.

I’ve always been confident in my abilities and was impatient for success; but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy. What was crucial for me wasn’t simply having self-belief – although I knew I could make a success of almost anything – but the drive to keep pushing forward, even in the face of adversity. With this in mind, I thought I’d share with you budding entrepreneurs my tips on how you can achieve your ambitions:

1. The best way to make it in the business world is through hard work, ambition and spirit. Being an entrepreneur really isn’t so much about academic qualifications, but about absolute confidence and drive and the ability to see an opportunity and take it.
2. I’m often asked if it’s hard for a young person to make it. I know from personal experience that there will be people who doubt your abilities and assume your years make you inexperienced. Don’t let that put you off; use it as a motivator to prove them wrong.
3. Being a woman in business: there are some people out there who see women and business as two mutually exclusive entities. Ignore them. While men and women may have different ways of getting things done, gender should never be on anyone’s agenda. It’s very unfair to judge someone’s ability because of their gender and it really has no place in the modern world.
4. Believe in yourself. It’s wonderful if you have a support network around you, but you’ve got to have confidence in yourself that you can get out there and do it.
5. Don’t fear failure. If you get a few knock-backs, learn from them.

The Ambition AXA Awards are searching for the UK’s most gifted and driven young people. If you are one or know a young person who is, enter the Ambition AXA Awards today. Applications are open until 14 October 2011.