For all those who are returning to work from holiday with dreams of being their own boss, the subject of this week's SME Focus, Lorna Leckie, provides proof that building successful firms is not the preserve of the business school brigade.

Name: Lorna Leckie.
Age: 35.
What is your business called? The Scottish Wedding Directory.
Where is it based? Govan, Glasgow.
What does it produce? What services does it offer? We produce the Scottish Wedding Directory, Real Life Weddings magazine, and our website. We also recently launched the only consumer-led wedding industry awards in Scotland, the VOWS awards. In Scotland, as a wedding magazine we have been established the longest (since 1995), we are the biggest (physically) with over 552 pages per issue, we outsell any other wedding title in Scotland. We have won the PPA Scotland magazine award for best online presence' three years in a row in addition to a highly commended' two years in a row for best consumer magazine'.
To whom does it sell? Anybody who's involved with planning a wedding in Scotland - whether they're based here, down south or abroad - as well as those who would like to get married one day, and even those who did so a while ago.
How many employees? Twelve.
What is the business's turnover? £1m.
When was it formed? In 1995.
What were you doing before you took the plunge? I went to university and then travelled the world, both on a shoe-string budget.
Why did you take the plunge? Two things happened. Firstly, I came home after travelling, owing my dad £300. Secondly, my sister had got engaged and was struggling to find the suppliers she needed to plan her Scottish wedding. We decided that with Dad's brain (he's a former mechanical engineer who had been involved in an engineering publication) and knowledge, coupled with my enthusiasm, personality (very talkative) and outstanding debt, the best solution to both situations was to launch a Scottish wedding magazine. Twelve years later, we're still going strong, so I guess it was a pretty good move.
How did you raise the start-up funding? We self-funded what we could afford and took advantage of any local enterprise schemes that were available at the time (employment incentives, website incentives, small business tax relief, grants for training and for equipment etcetera). Oh, and there was my £300 ...
What was your biggest break? Two different aspects were probably equally important for the company's success. One was the launch of our website in 1998 and the other was an opportunity to bring the magazine design in-house. They both gave us so much more control and, therefore, potential to develop. The website has proved a brilliant way to reach a wider audience, and I'm really glad we had the foresight to recognise it as something that would complement the print offering, rather than sticking our heads in the sand because we viewed the web simply as a threat to our business. Once we'd strengthened our position online, we had a solid platform to launch the VOWS awards from.
What was your worst moment? Family commitments meant one of us had to take a step back from the business in 1999 and we decided it would be my dad. Until then we had always worked together on the magazine and we were a great partnership. I hadn't realised just how much I relied on bouncing ideas off him until he was no longer in the office every day.
What do you most enjoy about running the business? Knowing that we're the leading Scottish wedding magazine is a great feeling. It means we're in a position where launching the VOWS industry awards seemed like a natural step. VOWS has not only cemented our standing in the marketplace, but also allowed us to give something back to the businesses that have been supporting us from the start. On the consumer side of things, we're known as a bible' for Scottish brides, and it's always satisfying to hear that we've helped brides' dreams come true - that sounds horribly cheesy, but it is the truth. Then there are the BOBs - benefits of being the boss - which I frequently enjoy.
What do you least enjoy? When there aren't enough hours in the day, which seems to be almost every day when we're on deadline. Then there are the heart-stopping moments when you borrow a £15,000 dress for a photo-shoot and the courier company "misplaces" it.
What is your biggest bugbear? When someone eats the last biscuit but leaves the empty packet. Also, suppliers who don't have the same values as us and don't seem to care about their businesses.
What are your ambitions for the firm? To expand the business to include a collection of successful specialised magazines and websites.
What are your five priorities? Producing a high-quality magazine every time. Having fun while we do it and ensuring the whole team is happy. Helping promote a strong Scottish wedding industry. Remaining positive at all times. Maintaining a healthy social life even when we're working 70-hour weeks.
What single thing would most help? If, as independent publishers, we had the same financial resources to spend on distribution and production as our competitors that are owned by powerful multinationals.
What could the Scottish Executive and/or Westminster government do that would most help? Increase grant funding available to established companies looking to expand and increase employment. Improve vocational education at schools/colleges/universities so those coming into the workforce have a knowledge of business. Attract people to the merits of living in Scotland rather than focusing on the negatives of our social and health problems.
What was the most useful lesson you learned in business? Can I have two? Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity. Persistence beats resistance.

How do you relax? The Scottish Wedding Directory team works really hard, so I'm always trying to think of fun things that we can do together to let off steam. This weekend we're going to the races and in a couple of weeks it will be time for our annual sports day again, which is always a good laugh. Personally, I like to learn something new and I'm currently learning how to snowboard. I'm in a class with two nine-year olds who have no concept of pain or fear - trying to keep up with them clears my mind and really helps me switch off.