Poonam Gupta OBE is the founder of PG Paper, an international, award-winning paper solutions company headquartered in Scotland and operating in over 60 countries across the globe.
When meeting with potential business partners I made sure I was the best researched person in the room and earned peoples respect by being on top of the subject.
Poonam’s story
I started my entrepreneurial journey when I arrived in Scotland in 2002. I had an MBA in international business, but no one would employ me because I had no experience. My determination to build a career continued. However, after more and more rejections and being told I was over-qualified, I started thinking about the possibility of starting my own business.
My biggest challenge was
One of the biggest challenges I found myself having to overcome was entering a new market and opening those first couple of doors. Yes, I had found a niche to enter, but I was also a start-up business, unknown in the market, and a woman of Indian descent. Through research and great service, I worked hard to overcome these and break down any barriers that stood in my way.
Poonam recommends
How to make sales
Making the leap to start
How do you know you’re ready?