‘If you feel passionate, go with your gut instinct’

Will Ramsay, 41, worked in the Army before launching London's first Affordable Art Fair in 1999 with a view to providing a "relaxed, unstuffy environment and lots of good-quality contemporary art". Ramsay says he did have an initial interest in

art but on leaving the Army found galleries did not cater for him and never provided enough information on the walls. As a result, he set up Will's Art Warehouse, an art gallery specialising in selling a wide variety of contemporary art priced between £50 and £3,000, and later the Affordable Art Fair, which is now in its 11th year. The Fairs occur twice each year, sell tickets to 25,000 visitors, have around 120 galleries and show the work of more than 1,200 artists. Ramsay, who lives in Pimlico with his family and is currently starring in the new BlackBerry TV advertisement, is preparing for this month's Fair, which begins on Thursday. Here are his rules for success:

HAVE A LAUNCH
"Start with making art accessible. It took us 18 months before we evolved into something big — and then it was worth telling people about it."

RESEARCH
"Speak to galleries, art buyers and artists to see if your idea has any legs. Business is all about people but in the end you have to take a leap of faith and decide whether to go with it. If you feel passionate and have researched it, go with your gut instinct."

BE FLEXIBLE
"Don't be single-minded and refuse to adapt. A lot depends on how things evolve and grow. Think of it as a changing climate."

GROWTH
"Managing this phase is difficult. Think about what your expertise is as a business founder, where your strengths and weaknesses are and then employ the right team."

GOOD STAFF
"There are 10 in my team. Your staff have to be fit, efficient and have the ability to do the job. It's important to choose them to be part of a team so that each has their own speciality."

The Affordable Art Fair takes place in Battersea Park from Thursday until Sunday.