Nicola Standing is living proof that experience can often count for more than qualifications.

The mother-of-three left school with no exam passes, yet in 2003 she became managing director of her own business, which she and business partner Andrew Breslin are now developing.

Nicola’s path to professional success began by working hard from a very young age.

“I left school with nothing,” she recalls. “I just wanted to work. When I was 13, I started working in pizza outlets and cafes. All I wanted to do was earn money. I went into an office junior position and then into telesales.”

Nicola worked for some of Bradford’s high profile companies, including the Telegraph & Argus, before motherhood intervened.

Despite juggling family life and working for a marketing company, she decided to return to the classroom, completing a business degree and marketing diploma over seven years at night school.

Her next step up was as sales and marketing manager until the owners retired, prompting Nicola to set up on her own. She says it was a risk but one she was prepared to take. She invested a small amount of cash into buying a computer and telephone line, and Incentive Ideas, a merchandising operation, has soared ever since.

“We import pens, mouse mats, mugs and other promotional things; anything you can put a logo on. If you can put a logo on it, we will sell it,” says Nicola.

Ecentif, launched by Nicola last August, is a marketing agency which promotes established brands. She set this up with Andrew, a brand consultant from Calverley, who honed his expertise working in London.

Their intention is to offer a ‘one-stop shop’ for businesses for all their promotional needs. Some of the high profile campaigns they have worked on include the Lipo Band adverts currently on television advertising slimming pills.

They also created trolley coins for Skipton Building Society and have produced merchandise products, pens and mouse mats for Bradford College and the T&A.

I ask whether the credit crunch is having an impact on her industry, as businesses often withdraw from promotional work and advertising in challenging financial times.

Nicola says if businesses axe advertising, their business is taken out of the public eye, which could have an adverse affect.

The fact she and her team are keeping busy during these testing times is testimony to their experience and expertise in what Nicola says is a highly-competitive industry.

“It is quite tough,” she says. “Merchandising is a competitive industry, but it is a good stepping stone if you want to get into sales.”

Nicola says her greatest job satisfaction is seeing a project come to fruition.

“When you have put the work into sourcing it, making sure the deliveries are on time – especially when you are dealing with countries like Japan where there is a time difference – and you get an e-mail from customers saying they love it; that is very satisfying.”

She also loves the variety of the job.

“I like talking – and there is always something different. We have so many inquiries saying ‘we have this event and want to do something different’. The fun is searching for that product.”

Nicola recommends people wanting to follow her footsteps into this profession to get telesales or marketing experience.

Bradford College runs sales and marketing courses – for more information call (01274) 433333. To find out more about a career in marketing and merchandising, call Incentive Ideas on (01274) 666615.