This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Ali Orr, founder of the Nearly New Cashmere Co in Masham.

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

We buy and sell second-hand cashmere, as well as vintage and designer scarves. We buy 40,000 items of cashmere a year from all over – the US, Dubai, Italy, Pakistan and elsewhere – and recondition them: washing, steaming, pressing, debobbling and making minor repairs.

Items we can't sell we cut up and turn into hats, fingerless gloves, snoods, babies' bootees and other things.

What does it require to be successful in business?

Flexibility. It's all very well having a good idea, but it's no good being a 'busy fool', doing something that isn't working as you intended it to. You have to adapt.

I'm in my fifties and grew up in the pre-digital age, so I've found you've got to be up for learning new skills.

You also need to put in a lot of hard work. I have: I work five long days a week now, but in the beginning I worked every day – 60 or 70 hours a week.

What drives you to do what you do every day?

Underneath it all, a strong belief that we're overconsuming and should use what we've got instead of manufacturing ever more. 

I've always been attracted to second-hand things, and I think we should make more use of them. But it's difficult to do unless someone like us puts it all into some sort of order – otherwise you're left trawling around the charity shops.

There's also somehting in me that needs to run a business. I've run others before, but this one is the culmination of all the experience I gained with the previous ones.

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

We want to stay here in Masham, and not everyone wants to work in agriculture or tourism. I want to provide interesting jobs for people in a rural location, but it's not easy – that's the big challenge.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why?

There are queues every day at Bordar House Teas in Masham. They're not doing anything very glamorous – just doing a great job of providing a really good service in a very friendly way.

I also like Bah Humbugs. It's a good little business that sells online too – they send sweeties all over the UK and beyond.

Both these businesses are well worth visiting if you're in the area.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders?

Felicity Cunliffe-Lister of the Swinton Estate is quite an inspiration to me. She was a lawyer and then she did a fantastic job of developing the hotel and spa, and now she's become a councillor. I admire her ability to turn her hand to anything.

What could be done locally to boost business?

More investment in affordable premises for businesses of all sizes. I don't think all new premises should be in huge blocks near the M1 – we need them in the countryside too.

We need to think of our rural areas in terms of more than just tourism. We've got to provide jobs for young people growing up here.

Best and worst things about running a business from Masham?

They're two sides of the same coin, really. The best is hands-down the people who work for me. I'm constantly surprised at their commitment and hard work.

The worst is when staffing goes wrong and peole don't turn out to be what you thought they'd be.

Another good thing is growth, but that too comes with its challenges. The bigger we grow, the harder it is to stay true to our story. We've always been honest and trustworthy, and made sure people get good value, but all that becomes harder as we grow more.

What are your business plans for the future?

To continue growing the business. We've been growing really quite fast over the last year, and we want to carry on doing that. 

We'll probably have to move into bigger premises though, because we've only been in these premises about a year and we've already outgrown them. But we hope to stay in Masham for a long time yet.

What do you like to do in your time off?

I have a terrier, so I go on lots of walks. I also like gardening, seeing my grown-up children – and playing bridge competitively!

Best place to eat and drink locally?

Bordar House Teas for something mid-morning or at lunchtime. I also like the Black Swan in Fearby. It's not trying to do anything too complicated – it's just pub food, but done really well, with very friendly staff.

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.