.E-Business graduate Chris Roberts

After launching ENTRE.ERA, a blog dedicated to documenting and reporting on issues affecting the business world, E-Business graduate Chris Roberts has expanded his network in just ten months

After graduating from Liverpool John Moores University, Roberts took roles in different companies but the entrepreneur in him had designs on creating his own business and generating his own opportunities.

Now ENTRE.ERA covers interviews with successful business leaders and from next week his podcast will be available to download on I-Tunes.

Roberts’ first foray into the entrepreneurial world came about eighteen months ago, when he struck up a five-aside football business, hiring pitches and organising league games in his spare time and eventually turning this into a full-time, commercial project.

Roberts’ attributes some of his success to networking and since 2011 he has gleaned a number of impressive contacts such as Russell Hall, from taxi app Hailo. Hall secured more than £80m of investment from successful entrepreneurs including Sir Richard Branson, and Brett Akker, who sold his short-term car hire firm Streetcar for £60m. Both will be appearing on Roberts’ podcasts for interviews.

Though commercial success is a priority for Roberts’ he also hopes to utilise his experiences and that his podcast will provide a useful platform for budding entrepreneurs helping to address some of the challenges they may face.

“Sometimes it is seen as a bit more glamorous than it really is. It is perceived as, ‘do this, this, and this, and all of a sudden you’re a millionaire’. But it is not like that.”

Though it may be a tough reality to accept, Roberts hopes that entrepreneurs might learn from the difficulties he faced and ultimately feel more prepared. He added:

“One of the key things I focus on is failure and how to deal with failure. What people are going through might resonate with what they are hearing from the entrepreneurs.”

Roberts’ also confessed that in the beginning his goal had not been to make money, though he has hopes that one day he might be able to capitalise on his business ventures, saying:

“There’s lots of opportunities to do incredible things through the growth of digital technology.”

Words: Daniel Pearce

Source: Liverpool Echo

Image Source: Liverpool Echo