About Nigel T. Heffer
Entrepreneur • Business Owner • Company Director (Retired)
Nigel has been running his own businesses for more than 30 years. He became self-employed in 1993 at the
age of 33, starting as a sole trader, then building a limited company, and eventually
selling his business for a substantial profit.
Back in 1989, Nigel worked as an audiovisual technician for an equipment-hire company. He quickly noticed that the freelancers
hired by his employer earned double his salary and had far more control over their time and work.
He wanted that freedom, but becoming self-employed felt intimidating: taxes, legal requirements, finding clients,
managing irregular income – all without a clear roadmap.
With very few beginner-friendly business books available in the early 1990s, Nigel realised he would have to
build his own step-by-step plan. He focused on the fundamentals every small business and freelancer needs:
marketing, financial clarity, legal basics, building professional relationships, attracting clients and keeping them,
and developing a resilient entrepreneurial mindset.
It worked. Nigel built a successful career as a freelance events technician and technical manager, travelling to more than
65 cities across 25 countries, including Hong Kong, Miami and Orlando. He flew business class, stayed in
five-star hotels paid for by clients, and became a trusted specialist in the corporate events sector.
He later founded his own technical management company, working with blue-chip pharmaceutical clients across Europe,
and ultimately sold the business for a significant return – turning years of skill and preparation into a valuable asset.
Nigel believes a business isn’t just a way to earn a living today – it’s a long-term investment, a retirement plan and
a legacy for your family. He wrote Start and Grow a Successful Business to give beginners the clear, practical,
step-by-step guidance he wishes he’d had in 1993.
