PHIL DOYLE/Fairfax NZ

IN THE BLOOD: "My parents have always had their own businesses and together as a family we have another two businesses over and above Spaceworks," says Lizzi Hines.

As a single 28-year old mum, with no assets, and living with her parents, Lizzi Hines took a massive leap of faith when she bought an office design agency in 2006.

Many straight-backed accountants would advise strongly against such a move. Hines' accountant did, and her lawyer. Cash is king when starting or buying a business, right?

Not according to Hines. As a junior designer at Auckland-based Spaceworks she knew "in her gut" she was making the right move to buy the business and had the backing of the company's founder.

More to the point she had the support of her number one advisers - her parents, a lawyer and an accountant. It took a month of selling her business proposition every day at the bank, for them to finally lend her the money.

Hine's parents were overseas on a cruise in Europe during the bank negotiations. "They tell this story of waking up every morning and turning on their phone and hearing beep, beep, beep with all my crazy emails and texts," she laughs.

Fast-forward six years; Spaceworks has not only survived the recession, through diversifying its client base to other industries, but in the past two years has doubled turnover each year.

The company provides services throughout the country, and has also completed projects in Australia and the South Pacific, where it eventually wants to have permanent hubs.

Why did you become an entrepreneur?

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Entrepreneur has designs on success