Little has big plans for ExecSpace

EMMA Little, the 33-year-old Edinburgh entrepreneur who founded conference and events business ExecSpace, is on track to hit sales of £2.5 million this year after setting up her firm at the height of the recession.

Little has opted to grow her company organically after walking away from a six-figure angel investment deal this year.

The one-stop shop for companies which need to organise conferences and events is likely to see sales double during the current financial year, despite the former Vodafone sales executive turning her back on the angel funding route.

She admitted it was hard to turn down a deal that took 14 months to broker but she felt now was not the right time to give away an equity stake.

“I will give away any percentage of the business if it’s going to help me achieve what I want to achieve,” she said. “It’s fine going down that route but you have got to reach your peak organically first.”

Little set up the firm in March 2008 with £40,000 of her own money before seeking bank funding.

“I invested £40,000 in the business but that money ran out after month three,” she said. “It was at that point that I asked six banks and they all said no. I asked a seventh and it said yes.”

HSBC is helping to further the company’s growth as Little aims towards a goal of heading a Scottish plc by the time she is 45.

She will next month go head to head with two budding Asian entrepreneurs at the Junior Chamber International’s World Congress.