This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Oscar Boatfield, co-owner of Wildish, the business he founded with partner Dr Nell Wharton, in Pateley Bridge.

Tell us in fewer than 30 words what your firm does.

There are two core elements to your business. Wildish makes things (bags and clothing, mainly) for outside people, and Wildish Club makes spaces for outside people.

It's the community interest non-profit arm of the business and we say it's "a bit like Cubs but for adults” but really it’s just a way for people to get outside with other people.

We – Nell and I – do all this from our little shop in Pateley Bridge.

What does it require to be successful in business?

For me personally, so much of it is about kindness and treating people with respect.

I've always tried to trust people, and it doesn't always necessarily work out well, but it does mean that when the right opportunities have come along, I've put a lot of trust in people, and wonderful things have happened. Recognising when those right opportunities are there, though – that's the hard bit.

What drives you to do what you do every day?

To be honest, I really love meeting and being around incredible people, and that's what having a business allows you to do.

What has been the toughest issue your company has had to deal with over the last 12 months?

Like a lot of small businesses, there's been a definite downturn, for obvious reasons. That's been quite difficult to navigate at times.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why?

We really like Owl in Harrogate. That's a brilliant shop that sells wonderful things – and they're lovely.

King Street Workshops in Pateley Bridge is great too. It's full of brilliant artists making fantastic things.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders?

I'm not that up to date with who those local leaders might be. I don't have an answer to that!

What could be done locally to boost business?

Our shop is in Pateley Bridge, and it feels like rural areas need a lot more support and focus. They need more guidance about how to build more of a brand around the place. More coordination around that would be useful so that businesses could work together more closely towards common goals.

Best and worst things about running a business from Pateley Bridge?

I'm from Cambridge and Nell's a qualified vet from Sydney, Australia, and we originally came up here for the fly-fishing, which I was teaching.

The fact that we're now part of the community and we get to be a part of people's lives is very special.

The worst? Winter is very, very quiet. But it's getting less quiet, so that's good.

What are your business plans for the future?

We started the shop because we wanted an office for our bag business, and we wanted to be part of a community.

We've always been mad about coffee, so we got some coffee in, roasted by my brother. We thought the worst-case scenario would be that we'd sit in an office all day, drinking great coffee!

But it turns out a lot of people like good coffee, so now we also use it as a hub for Wildish Club. There are now eight or nine Wildish Clubs around the country. We provide structure and support, but pretty much everything we do for it is totally free.

It's just about creating a space for people who aren't really drawn to other offerings – people who want to get out more. Nothing intense – just wild. Ish.

To be honest, it surprises me as much as anyoneelse that Wildish is a functioning business. Ours is a saturated market, with some big names to contend with. But people are choosing our products over huge brands such as Patagonia.

We make 10 styles of bags, and they're really for people who like to buy high-quality things from small producers.

Are they expensive? Well no, not really. They last a lot longer than other bags, which aren't cheaper if you need to replace them loads of times. So ours are still affordable, but you might have to save up.

What do you like to do in your time off?

We don't have much time off, but I never really feel as if I need much time off. If I had more, I'd probably go off and set up another business. It's just what I like to do – I'm very lucky.

Best place to eat and drink locally?

Domo Japanese restaurant in Harrogate. The food is just so good – the sushi is amazing. And the owner [Ruby Wang] is just lovely.

The Sportsman's Arms in Wath was one of the first places we went when we first came here, and the food is great. We like to support nice people doing good things.

If you know someone in business in the Harrogate district and you'd like to suggest them for this feature, drop us a line at contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.