Originally from Maryport but based in Newcastle, Jon Waite uses his contacts from both areas to support his business.

He supports the growth of businesses and offers web development, working with his friends’ local businesses and contacts made during his time at Newcastle University.

Having been in the industry on a part-time basis from 2015, Mr Waite took his business full-time in September.

As well as offering web solutions and promoting local companies, he now gives presentations on how to run a business.

One of the organisations he has helped is Maryport Inshore Rescue, giving them a stronger social media presence.

Name: Jon Waite

Job title: Owner and Founder of Advertise1

Employer: Work for myself.

Age: 27.

Where are you from? Maryport.

Where do you live now? Newcastle Upon Tyne, however I do come back to Maryport quite regularly.

Where do you work? My main office is based in the PROTO technology building in Gateshead, I quite often work at either my flat in Heaton, in Cumbria and now over in Barcelona from time to time as I have clients over there too.

How long have you done this job? Part time I have done this for four years. Two years of it was doing portfolio work for family, 18 months of the job was part-time registered as self-employed whilst working for another creative agency, and I have been full time for the last six months.

Take us through a typical day: The mornings start off with checking any emails, messages and any technical jobs to make sure everything is okay and that nothing new has come in. I will then work on my tasks which I have put in the calendar and at the end of the day I will review the calendar and plan the following day. The mornings tend to be all of the unplanned work so that I have everything sorted ready for the rest of the day, then in the afternoon and/or the evening I will do any work which has been scheduled. Jobs can be anything from assisting new or existing clients, doing my own in-house admin tasks or building new projects such as websites or payment terminals for customers to then benefit from.

What do you like most about the job? The fact that I can do the job just about anywhere and in my own working hours. I know when I am most proactive, which is in the afternoons or evenings which is why I do the bigger jobs in that time. I have not been a morning person for years so I do the admin tasks which as easier so just they are done and dusted with, usually while having a cuppa!

What do you like least? How sometimes there is more work which comes in to what I can handle in a day, or even a week, so it is a case of prioritising who comes first and what can be done in a day, leaving time for any unplanned tasks and also rest, food and some socialising time with friends and family.

Why did you want to do this job? Working for multiple employers over the years, I have learned what I like and what I don’t like, so I have therefore made the decision of being able to offer services what I think is right, which at the minute is working fine.

As mentioned before also having the flexibility of working hours and location helps and when planning work I have the full decision in house without waiting from opinions or authorisation from other employees/management.

What jobs have you done previously? As I student I have worked at Matalan and then Booths at Keswick, which the work was primarily over the summer, working in the cafe, the shop floor and customer service, with bar jobs for events such as Newcastle Arena, the Tyne Theatre and Newcastle Racecourse.

In the industry I have done a 12-month placement at Accenture for the HMRC, worked for a creative firm in Keswick called KCS Solutions, and three technology/creative businesses over in Newcastle since finishing university.

What qualifications or experience do you need? I finished university with a 2:1 in Computer and Network Technology at Northumbria University. I have always liked media so I have volunteered with hospital radio, student radio and the university magazine. If someone has had two years’ experience in the industry, have tested the water part time to see if the business will work, have found a handful of customers and are keen to become their own boss, then that is a massive start.

What is a typical salary for this job? Being on my own I am self-employed, and depending on the month this can vary – sometimes I am literally just making enough to pay the bills and sometimes it is a a few thousand per month.

Any advice for people wanting to get into your profession? Be passionate to what you are doing, understand that every day is different which you will have good days and not so good days, eventually the hard works pays off running your own business.

Being in the marketing and advertising industry is competitive, so portfolio work or past experience is definitely necessary – even now when I approach new clients they want to see my past work.