Easing off can pay off in business

Russel Coultart has even managed to make it into the charts

Russel Coultart has followed a slightly unorthodox career path - moving from management, finance and catering to the music industry.

After setting up a record label, as well as becoming a record engineer, artist and DJ himself, he moved into selling his records over the web.

By 2000 his sales were growing so quickly he decided to expand and started a separate company selling music and merchandise over the web.

He is still chief executive of his record label, Automatic Records, and has now launched a new e-business, Teeshirtstore, to sell official merchandise from bands artists and labels over the internet.

What was your first car?

A rather fantastic orange Austin Allegro. Mine was the one with the square steering wheel - one of British Leyland's crazier ideas.

What I really had my eye on was the brand new Opel Manta GTE, and I got one two years later.

What was your first job?

Saturday boy in the local butchers, which was almost enough to make me a vegetarian for life.

Bleaching the walk-in fridge, making burgers out of the "spare" bits of meat laying around and so on. I think I was paid £10 a week

What was the first house you owned?

It was a three-bed flat above a shop in Dalston, London E8.

I couldn't afford it on my own and bought it with two school friends.

It cost us £48,000 in 1986 and is probably worth about £220,000 now.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Richard Branson. I've never met the guy, and I don't agree with all of his ideas but I love the endless drive and energy he seems to possess.

What's the best bit of business advice you've had?

When you're growing a business, and you've reached a certain size, you as the owner or managing director have got to stop dealing with the day to day activities of the business to think about and focus on the bigger picture.

What was the proudest moment of your career?

I know this is not strictly my business career, however it is one of my proudest moments.

In 1996 I had my one and only hit record, reaching the giddy heights of number 50 in the national charts for one week.

It was a big club hit called "Automatic" by Floorplay, released by Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto label.

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Recordstore.co.uk began life as part of the record label Transient Records, which was set up in 1994.

Four years later Transient began selling records over the web and the business became so successful that Recordstore was set up as an independent company.

The e-tailer now runs the online stores for more than 120 bands and labels including Robbie Williams, The Darkness, Franz Ferdinand, Universal Music, Warner Brothers, BMG, Sony Music UK and Sanctuary.