This is the latest in a regular series of Business Q&A features published weekly. This week, we spoke to Georgia Eckert, owner of Imagined Things bookshop in Harrogate.

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

We spread the joy of imagined things (and non-fiction), and the books that contain them, to adults and children from our beautiful shop on Montpellier Parade.

What does it require to be successful in business?

Determination and grit. You've got to keep going and be sure of your idea. Be passionate about it, even when it seems it might not work. Don't lose sight of what you wanted it to be.

What drives you to do what you do every day?

My love of books. To get to share that with others from the shopfloor, and match people up with a good book is joyous.

I also like the challenge of trying to guess what will be popular, and seeing if I was right.

I used to work as a radiographer in the NHS, which was very worthwhile, but didn't leave much room for creativity. In fact, it would probably be frowned on if you started getting "creative" with x-rays!

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

My maternity leave. Small businesses don't have a lot of capacity. As a business owner, I tend to do a lot that I wouldn't normally ask my staff to do, and when you suddenly can't do that, it's very difficult to make those day-to-day decisions.

We were a bit short-staffed over the summer, which made it worse. The booksellers have done a brilliant job of covering for my absence, but there's only so long you can be away from the business.

Which other local firms do you most admire and why?

Lots. We're really lucky in Harrogate that we have so many.

I really admire Sophie Likes, H2K, Inger & Rae, and probably a load of others I can't think of just now. They all do what they do really well.

Who are the most inspiring local leaders?

My friend Andy Dennis. As a nurse, he's been out on three missions with MSF – Doctors Without Borders – including looking after patients with ebola.

He's raised over £100,000 for MSF and wants to increase that total to £200,000.

He's one of the most incredible people I've ever met.

What could be done locally to boost business?

Free or cheaper parking. Schemes like that elsewhere have done a lot to boost business.

If you have to pay too much to park your car, it's a real disincentive to pop into town.

Best and worst things about running a business in Harrogate?

Harrogate is beautiful, and we get lots of visitors, as well as lovely local people who understand the importance of supporting local independent businesses. Not all towns have that.

The worst thing is that in Harrogate we pay similar amounts in rent and rates as businesses do in cities such as York, but we don't see the numbers of customers that those cities do.

That said, I'm staying here in Harrogate because it's so lovely.

What do you like to do in your time off?

Looking after my children. I write as well – I'm an aspiring author – and I read a lot, of course.

I also go for long walks and get distracted by whatever my latest hobby is.

Best place to eat and drink locally?

I love Baltzersen's because of their cinnamon buns. I also like Starling – it's got lots of space, a relaxed atmosphere, and a good mix of affordable dishes on the menu.

Phranakhon, the Thai restaurant on Cheltenham Crescent, is great too. They do Thai tapas, so you don't have to commit to one large dish.

I like Caffè Marconi in Princes Square too. The cannoli are really good, especially the honeycomb ones.