“I was actually in a project for my dissertation and I had to create a company and run a test of a business model and through that, I actually created a business model that worked quite well. And by the time I graduated I was employing three people and the business was growing revenues. So I stayed in the UK to run that and that was really kind of how I fell into entrepreneurship, but ever since then it's really been something that I am so attached to and passionate about and I am so grateful that I did have that experience because it certainly feels every day like it's what I should be doing,” said Snover.
By becoming an entrepreneur at such a young age, Snover learned three very important lessons about herself, her businesses and the pursuit of success.
“I think the first thing that I learned was to be very careful about who you take investment from, because that is a relationship which will last quite a long time. And it's a relationship with varied interests—which if they're not aligned to a common goal, can really make your life and the progress and the potential of your company, very difficult to achieve and not very enjoyable.
"I also learned that you don't have to have a degree or be an expert in something to do it extremely well, you just have to be extremely motivated and tenacious in your search for information and I learned a lot of the things that I do today—including the development of 3D printing hardware technology, completely online and through books and through buying things and taking them apart and putting them back together. I never studied at uni to do any of that and I think that's a very big testament to the freedom of information we have today.
"And then lastly, I think something that took me probably the longest to learn is to ask for help. Everyone says that, but I was very reluctant. But I've learned over time that, you as an entrepreneur can become the biggest bottleneck for your business's success if you don't build a huge, you know, team around you with loads of supporters because you as one, human, no matter how amazing you might be, cannot do everything.”
Snover hopes that by sharing her story, she will inspire girls to bet on themselves and help pave the way for a new generation of female business innovators.
“There's this lovely saying which is ‘you can't be what you can't see.’ So if we can get in front of people and show them what it could be like, I think that would be something that will really start to help show young girls that this is something they can aspire to.”
