Manchester, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/02/2013 -- After an economic downturn came crashing down on the public and private employment sectors in the UK a few years ago, both the public and expert economists have approached signs of a recovery warily. With thousands of businesses shutting their doors and job losses in the millions, many felt that the disaster had struck too close to home to forget so easily.

In fact, a growing number of formerly-unemployed workers are taking their financial well-being and stability into their own hands; for example, after Andrew Irvine’s job at Durnbridge Office Supplies was made redundant back in 2011, he let free his entrepreneurial spirit and opened a stationery store of his own, calling it AI Office Supplies.

"I was very disappointed when they [Durnbridge Office Supplies] told us that they were closing the shop for good, but it turned out to be quite an opportunity; applying everything I had learned there to my own business was fun and exciting, and it’s paid off," explained Irvine.

Venturing into entrepreneurship like Irvine carries its own risks, but growing uncertainty in the traditional job market has bridged the gap between the two considerably. Higher risks come with higher rewards, and there is only one person in control of an entrepreneur’s future:

Irvine said that launching AI Office Supplies put his destiny into his own hands, "There’s nothing wrong with working for someone else, but you have to be able to live with their decisions and accept that they have an impact on your future.

"Everyone has their own vision about what values should be most important to a business and how to handle certain situations; for me, I put a lot of stock into forming a relationship with customers and offering a personal level of service that they simply can’t find elsewhere. Others have their own ideas, and they’ll never know whether they’re right or wrong unless they try.

"I think that anyone considering pursuing their dreams about owning a business or becoming an entrepreneur should get out there and do it. At worst, you’ll lose your job – which might just be a blessing in disguise."

Previous Media Article: Manchester Evening News

Website: AI Office Supplies

Contact Name: Andrew Irvine, Founder.
Contact Details:
Ai Communications Limited
230 Stanley Grove,
Manchester,
M18 7DA
Tel: 0161 408 2215
Email: support@aiofficesupplies.com

Full re-write permissions provide, free-of-charge.  For photos, please contact Andrew Irvine (above).