When it'S HIT THE FAN

Being an entrepreneur involves taking risks and Elizabeth Jane Wilks has taken more than most. Riding the initial wave of the dot.com boom in the UK was a brave and foolhardy venture, but for one woman the dream of taking a company to the stock market was a driving passion. From the modest start of a two person home-based business turning a reasonable profit, to the exciting challenge of running teams of people, fundraising, and the highs of ‘live’ presentations, everything was going to plan. But soon after a successful flotation, the euphoria quickly faded and she found herself having to cope with office politics, looming product deadlines, factional board meetings, the stress of dwindling bank accounts and widening cracks in her personal relationships. This is a valiant account of surviving overwhelming challenges and the regaining of a fighting spirit!

Being an entrepreneur involves taking risks and Elizabeth Jane Wilks has taken more than most. Riding the initial wave of the dot.com boom in the UK was a brave and foolhardy venture, but for one woman the dream of taking a company to the stock market was a driving passion. From the modest start of a two person home-based business turning a reasonable profit, to the exciting challenge of running teams of people, fundraising, and the highs of ‘live’ presentations, everything was going to plan. But soon after a successful flotation, the euphoria quickly faded and she found herself having to cope with office politics, looming product deadlines, factional board meetings, the stress of dwindling bank accounts and widening cracks in her personal relationships. This is a valiant account of surviving overwhelming challenges and the regaining of a fighting spirit! 'It is all here, the journey from kitchen table, to IPO, to bloody boardroom battles and shutting down her company. Jane tells us her story with a sense of humor, a lot of humility and a welcome dose of honesty. This is a great account of a baby boomers entrepreneurial journey leading to the internet bubble. For those of us that lived through it, this is a nostalgic tale, for those that missed out on those heady days, this book shares the passion, joy, letdowns and valuable lessons that can only be learned by chasing dreams and taking risks.' Larry Lopez Partner Australian Venture Consultants and MD Silicon Valley Bank, 1989-2006 'This book has been a while in the making, because it is a very personal journey; to push aside the emotional bruising of the exciting nightmare of entrepreneurship. It has been worth it though, because the author, through her personal story, has been devastatingly honest about how her journey started and progressed. Readers can set aside the dry messages of business planning books and instead learn about the twists and turns in business and how adaptable they have to be to be an entrepreneur.' Dr Shailendra Vyakarnam Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning Judge Business School University of Cambridge ‘Not your normal business book – but a heartfelt expression of the trials and tribulations, the often painful journey, of funding, starting and keeping control of a new business, from the viewpoint of a determined but very human female entrepreneur. For anyone embarking on a similar venture, some real-world lessons can be gleaned from this fascinating story.’ Richard Thorning Director - Entrepreneurship & Executive Education Curtin Business School

Elizabeth Jane Wilks, born in England in the 1950s, was brought up to be a good housewife and mother and to devote her life to looking after her husband and children. But at age 18 Elizabeth had other ideas. Rebelling against her upbringing, she left home to attend university; leaving 3 years later with a degree in Physics and her firstborn son tucked under her arm. Trying to balance home life and a career, a foray into teaching was short lived, as was her first marriage. A few years later after a second marriage and the arrival of her second son, Elizabeth saw the rapid rise of technology businesses in the mid-1980s and with little knowledge of technology she jumped career to work in a rapidly growing and exciting market, where the burning desire to start her own company began. With no formal business training, learning very much ‘on-the-job’ Elizabeth’s business education was, at times, a ‘baptism by fire’ but by the early 1990s she had successfully make the break to ‘go it alone’ and by the end of the 1990s was on her third company which in year 2000 was floated on London’s Alternative Investment Market. Market forces contrived that the success be short lived and in 2001 Elizabeth walked away from what remained of her business to piece together a new life and to find new challenges. She now lives in a remote part of Australia mentoring, teaching and training up and coming entrepreneurs to take their business to the next stage. She tries hard to enjoy the remoteness of her location but remains too devoted to her work!