Edge Forum

 Mark Aston is a 36 year old entrepreneur running a wide format printing business from Penrith & Manchester. The business specialises in vehicle graphics and has household names as clients. In 2008 Ast Signs was voted UK Sign Business of the Year.

What do you do?

I’m the owner and manager of a sign and printing business, Ast Signs, that does work in wide format printing, and the media side of the printing industry.  We specialise in vinyl wrapping vehicles like lorries and rally cars; our clients include Eddie Stobart Trucks and Malcolm Wilson, the World Rally Team.  The business is now nationwide including covering Ireland as well as starting to branch out into Europe.

What was your journey to get to where you are?

I was never keen on school, and only got a GCSE in Maths as I didn’t enjoy any other subjects.  For me the sooner I left, the better.  I realised early on that the academic route was not for me.

After leaving school at 16, I then went on to have a succession of jobs, none of which I really enjoyed.  I got a job working in accounts where I gained some very valuable computer experience, but then after two years I realised I didn’t want to sit in an office all day, and so got a job stacking wood on a night shift.  I then found myself keen on bricklaying and owning my own van, went around doing odd-jobs for people.  I also set up my own part-time printing business over a shop in Penrith.  It was then just by chance that I went to help a friend out down in London, who was in the sign-printing business, and I realised that this was what I wanted to do.

Seven years ago, I bought the company from my friend and have gone from having 3 to 32 staff working for me.

What does success mean to you?

My own personal success has been breaking into the wide format printing industry, however I think anyone who has managed to build a business and employ people, can be classed as a successful person.

What challenges have you faced?

I had a lot of financial challenges, and when I branched out on my own, it was without any real backing, as I had no chance of any banks helping me out, as there was no reason for them to invest money in me.  My friend, William Stobart, became a customer and then my business partner and he has been really supportive.  Despite me not having many qualifications, I never once encountered any problems to do with the standard of my education.

Did you have any support?

I have never really had any support from family, and have just had to go it alone.  In my opinion, there’s not enough support for people going by themselves.  For example, when young people leave school, there’s not enough guidance, how are you meant to know what to do?  I know a number of people who have gone down the degree route, realised it’s not what they want, but just don’t want to stop and ‘throw their education away’.

What drives you?

I’m going to be honest with you, money.  When I was younger, my family was unfortunate enough to go through the bankruptcy process.

After experiencing that, it made me never want to be in that situation again.  My advice is just to get into a job you love, like I love mine, as the day you get up and you don’t want to go to work, is the day you should quit.

Another thing that is driving me harder now, is that I now have a son with a disability, and I will do everything I can to make his life as great as possible.

Who is your role model?

I have always liked entrepreneurs, however one man in particular I have always admired is Kenny Pallister. 

I have worked for him in the past,  heard a speech of his life story, and found it very inspiring to hear how he got to where he is.

What advice would you give to young people?

Stick in and work hard.  You always have to believe in yourself and when things go wrong, you just have to get over it, and carry on.

Don’t expect respect when you first get into the workplace, you will have to be prepared to work, so don’t be too demanding.

What do you think education should be like?

I think there should be the option to leave school, to do something like a work placement, but it should be more closely linked with the school.  I think there could be a lot more on-site training, because it is then, that things start to click, and you see the links between the theory and the practical.

If you are going to go to university, it is the school’s job to make sure you are prepared for the workload you will encounter.

A change of the system so that having a degree didn’t propel you above others who had been doing the job for 4 years or so would also be an improvement.

Anything to add?

I feel that you should measure the pay packet by how good the person actually is at the job, regardless of their age.  In jobs where anyone can learn how to do it, you have to let the best get the furthest up the ladder.

   www.astsigns.com