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Mark Redmond’s Success Story
When Mark Redmond left his job at Royal Mail in 2009, he spent his last £20 to start his own business, which now earns him around £850,000 a year.
Let’s talk about how he achieved this and share tips on how you can become your own boss, including what opportunities exist to get free money to realize your dreams.
Mark with his wife Valentina
He now has a team of over 50 distributors across London – many of whom are from creative industries seeking flexible work
In 2008, 56-year-old Mark, who lives in West Hampstead in north London, left his job with an annual salary of £16,000.
He recalled:
“I was skint. I had £20 to buy food for the week, and I was praying in Sainsbury’s to manage to pay.”
Realizing he needed to find a new job but not wanting to have a boss again, Mark decided to venture into flyer distribution.
“I liked being a postman, being my own boss without someone telling me what to do. So I started delivering flyers. I was surprised when I realized that it was completely disorganized, no one was doing the job properly.”
Thus, Mark decided to create his own business.
Spending his last £20, he bought toner and paper for an old printer and made flyers advertising himself as a “reliable local ex-postman.”
He distributed them in real estate agencies near his home in Kensal Rise and received an order for £1,500 to deliver 35,000 flyers for Winkworth.
“I didn’t even imagine how I would manage to do this,” recalls Mark.
“So I enlisted a few friends who had also left Royal Mail – and that’s how The Private Postman was born.”
In London, Mark realized that a single street of Victorian houses could contain 200 households, so he could distribute 1,000 flyers in a few hours.
In 2010, his business earned £60,000.
Today his team consists of over 50 distributors across London – many of whom work in creative sectors. Revenue has risen to £850,000.
The secret to the entrepreneur’s success lay in implementing GPS trackers so that his clients could track where each flyer went.
Now his systems provide photographic evidence and delivery tracking to within a few centimeters. Clients range from local barbershops to the NHS, Harrods, and restaurant chains, with Mark’s company delivering over 2 million flyers each month.
He now runs the business alongside his wife Valentina, 59.
They plan to develop software to sell tracking technology to companies engaged in flyer delivery worldwide.
“Running a business was stressful at first,” admits Mark. “Sometimes clients owed me £2,000 or £3,000, and I still had to pay my workers.”
“In 2025 it might seem like you need to raise millions to start a business, but that’s not the case. You just need a good idea and the determination to keep going.”
How to Become Your Own Boss
Dreaming of escaping the 9 to 5 and becoming your own boss? Millions of us dream about it, and you don’t need a large amount of money to start.
Research from Enterprise Nation shows that around half of all adults in the UK plan to start a business or side project this year.
There is a wealth of money available to help aspiring entrepreneurs, from free grants to accessible and low-cost loans.
The government’s British Business Bank has a fund of £25 billion ready for distribution, and charities such as The King’s Trust and local councils across the UK are offering up to £5,000 in start-up grants.
Martin McTague from the Federation of Small Businesses notes:
“Starting your own business can be extremely rewarding, allowing you to follow your passion, solve problems, or carve your own career path – but you need to be prepared. It can involve challenges such as uncertainty, long hours, and financial risks.”
Here’s how to start your own venture.
Your Big Idea
To begin, you need a plan. Whether you want to open a nail salon or create an online brand, determine how your idea will stand out.
Does it have the potential to go viral? Does it meet a local need? Or is it something completely new?
Research shows that 42% of startups fail due to a lack of research leading to the launch of products that nobody wants or needs, according to data from CB Insights.
You need a memorable and unique name.
Check if it is available for registration as a domain online – rebranding later can cost a lot.
You can create a website for free or for a small amount, such as through Wix.com or GoDaddy.
Remember, there are restrictions on what you can choose as a company name: it cannot be too similar to existing ones.
How to Write a Business Plan
If you are looking for grants or loans, you will need a formal business plan.
Include:
- how you plan to make money
- strategy for the first five years of your business
- your target audience, competitors, and customer projections
- estimated costs for advertising, rent, or technical support
- forecasted profits and ability to charge a price.
If this sounds daunting, don’t panic: the charity King’s Trust has a business plan template, and the government’s Start Up Loans program offers easy-to-use templates for calculations and business plans.
Make it Official
Next, you need to register your business. Most startups choose to become sole traders or limited companies.
A sole trader is the simplest and most economical option: this means you make all business decisions and receive all profits after taxes are paid.
A limited company is a private legal entity separate from its founders, so anyone running it is a director.
You will be required to submit full accounts and pay corporate tax annually – but you are protected from personal bankruptcy if the business fails.
Money is Always Important
Have no savings? No worries – there are numerous sources of funding for startups. Whatever option you choose, remember that a new business requires restraint: keep expenses as low as possible and spend money only on what can generate income.
Here are options for funding your business:
- Grants: there are over 100 government grants for startups in the UK.
- Loans: many local councils across the UK provide additional funding for startups, so find out if your council can help.
- Bank loans – usually “secured,” meaning your home or other asset is at risk.
- Angel investors – wealthy individuals who exchange their money for a stake in your company (usually 10–25%).
Other Places for Help
Business mentors can be lifesavers in the lonely world of entrepreneurship: 7 out of 10 founders noted that their mentor was important to the viability and survival of their business.
Find mentors through StartUp Loans, as well as through industry networks, LinkedIn, and the Mentorsme program.
There are also plenty of free courses in entrepreneurship that can help you, such as the Open University course on first steps in innovation and entrepreneurship and Google’s Digital Garage for online founders.
Mark’s revenue has risen to £850,000
Thus, Mark Redmond’s story inspires entrepreneurs to seek new opportunities and realize their ideas. His journey is an example of how persistence and self-belief can lead to success. For those dreaming of their own business, now is the perfect Time to start, as there are numerous resources and support available for new entrepreneurs.
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