In every issue of our Aycliffe Business magazine, we take a break and sit down with a different employee or business owner/leader to ask them 20 questions about a variety of subjects.
In our latest issue, we feature Penny Gordon. Penny and husband Paul own and run The Fish Tank on Aycliffe Business Park – winners of the Best Newcomer category in the 2022 Make Your Mark Awards…
1: What do you do?
A: I own and run The Fish Tank, a family swimming and activity centre on Aycliffe Business Park with my husband Paul. We also own The Happy Swim Company, teaching babies, toddlers, and children to swim.
2: Who have you worked for in the past?
A: I began my working life as an apprentice accountant, for Chester-le-Street DC, working my way up through several roles to finance manager and group accountant at Hartlepool BC. After having children and taking our eldest daughter to swimming lessons the opportunity came up to retrain as a swimming teacher. It was a hobby that I enjoyed alongside my career until the opportunity came along to buy and run the baby swimming franchise ourselves.
3: Best part of your job?
A: Being able to offer a quality, supportive venue for families to visit and enjoy, and know we’re making a difference to people’s lives.
4: Is there anything about your job that you really don’t like?
A: I like everything about what we do, which is great because when you’re your own boss there’s always something to be done. If I had to choose one thing, it would be always being on call!
5: Favourite thing about working on Aycliffe Business Park?
A: I love the diversity and the community feel across the business park. The Aycliffe Business Park Community events provide great opportunities to find out more about our neighbours and what we can offer each other.
6: Which company/individual on the park do you do the most work with?
A: We always like to use local companies wherever possible. Before we opened our doors we commissioned local marketing agency, Thrive, to help drill down into our ethos and design our branding. Another park business, Classic Signs, helped bring our branding to life both in and outside The Fish Tank.
7: Which Aycliffe business or individual do you tip for future success?
A: After recently having the pleasure of being shown around Marcia and Phillip Atkinson’s BTS Facades’ headquarters we’d love to see their business grow. As another family business you can see their passion and commitment to succeed and it’s great to see them reinvesting into the local area.
8. Four famous people you’d love to have round for dinner and why?
A: Maybe Duncan Bannatyne and Richard Branson, they’re both successful in the leisure industry and it would be great to hear their stories. Angelina Jolie would be great to hear from about being a mum and her life behind the camera and I like to follow Sara Davies on Facebook, she’s a mum, dragon, celebrity and fellow ABP business owner, so a bit of everything to keep the conversation flowing. I wonder if they’d be free?
9: If you could do something else in business, what would it be?
A: I love the marketing aspect of our business and putting systems and processes into place. If I were to do something else, it might be helping other businesses get started with their behind-the-scenes processes.
10: Who’s your favourite Tweeter?
A: I haven’t been on Twitter in a long while, but Duncan Bannatyne’s account always came across as down to earth and genuine.
11: Have you ever done anything really daring?
A: I’m not sure if it would be classed as daring but it was certainly well outside my comfort zone when I was interviewed live on BBC Radio Tees about our business when we first opened.
12: What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
A: After looking round for venues to purchase/refurbish to grow our business at the time our bank manager suggested we build our own. The life changing advice was his belief in us to succeed and the realisation that it’s not having the knowledge and experience to be able to do it all yourself but the ability to get the right people around you.
13: If money was no object, what would be your ideal car?
A: This might be a little boring, but I think I already have my ideal car – my X7!
14: Money no object, your dream holiday would be?
A: Definitely some kind of round-the-world trip. We have family in Japan and Australia, and I’ve never been to America. We loved holidaying in Asia before having children so that would probably be in there, too.
15: Do you have a favourite band or type of music?
A: Not really, I’ll listen to almost anything which is great as I don’t often have much say in the choices, especially in the car now our girls are getting older.
16: What is your greatest achievement?
A: Apart from our children, having the vision, perseverance and determination to continue building The Fish Tank after the whole purpose of it was taken away along with our income and planned customers.
17: How would you best describe yourself in four words?
A: Determined, inclusive, hard-working and successful.
18: Where do you see yourself in five years?
A: The owner of multiple successful venues, directing the business more strategically and having more time for our family.
19: Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met?
A: I once interviewed David Bellamy OBE as a child. He was very patient and knowledgeable.
20: Do you have any guilty pleasures?
A: Mmmm chocolate, definitely chocolate!