Some years ago she established a health and safety consultancy which she franchised and then sold.
Her latest venture, Beyond Dispute, is a great example of a business that began and grew in a gap in the market. It also grew out of her health and safety background - her firm provided H&S services on a television studio construction project and shortly before shooting she was invited to provide adjudication services for a new quiz programme.
Adjudicators are required on every show that involves quizzes or competitions. Their role is to ensure that if something goes wrong or a contestant is unhappy, a decision can be arrived at which is fair and reasonable.
Her strategy has proved successful. Although it's relatively new, her firm Beyond Dispute now employs four people and uses a team of a dozen freelance adjudicators. Olivia is confident that turnover will triple in 2010.
Setting up a service business does not always require a large investment of cash, but it does demand time. Olivia has poured hours into getting Beyond Dispute off the ground and she's pleased to have broken into a market where there is so little specialist competition.
Her advice for anyone else starting in business is to avoid turning into a "busy fool". You mustn't get bogged down in bookkeeping, marketing and administration. They're all important but you need to focus on what she calls the "widget", the thing that you do that actually makes money. Because at the end of the day that's what running a business is all about - generating an income.
Visit the Beyond Dispute website to discover more about the services that Olivia supplies.
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