Leader Keep your eye on the size of the prize to lead a successful firm

In business, you must have an edge that separates you from the competition and have an international mindset when it comes to your growth plan.

Focus on your vision of the bigger picture without losing sight of the detail of the day-to-day.

That is the key advice from Jonathan Kane, who has spent his working life in business and has grown a successful, secondgeneration family-run international firm.

Kane Group, which has six subsidiary businesses including Kane International based in Hertfordshire, is run by Jonathan and his older brother Michael. While Jonathan’s focus is the UK, Michael, who lives in America, looks after the international side.

Kane International, a 60-year-old business founded by Jonathan and Michael’s father Douglas, manufactures and supplies flue gas and engine exhaust analysers and has customers in more than 40 countries around the world. It is the only UK supplier of portable analysers.

Its headquarters are in Welwyn Garden City with a second office in Atherton, Greater Manchester. It also has sites in South Korea, France, Germany, America, Canada, Mexico, China, South Africa, Romania and India.

“We have always been a test and measure business,” says Jonathan, who started working at the family firm after university and took the reins with his brother when their father died in 2000.

“Somebody fixing something should always need to test it afterwards to make sure they have done their job effectively, to ensure the equipment is working properly and to avoid the risk of death or injury.”

Kane International has 110 employees and Kane Group has 220 people across its different companies. The Kane brothers have termed their vision for the future as 30-30 – to achieve sales of £30 million by 2030.

And to achieve that vision, Jonathan says, you must have one eye on the bigger picture and one on the day-to-day detail.

“You have to look at the challenges coming down the road,” he says.

“Five years ago, we wouldn’t be talking about net zero; that’s a fundamental change to our business. As a leader, you have to be responsible and ready for it.

“I switch off with great difficulty. It’s not a job; it’s a passion. I am very lucky as I have a great family who are very supportive.”

Jonathan advises new business owners to remember there is room for everyone.

“If you have got a really good idea, then look at the size of the prize,” he says.

“There has to be an edge that separates you from what other people are doing and you should never feel that you have reached the top – whatever the top means in your mind – you must think with an international mindset. The market is substantially bigger than you think it is.

“Starting a business needs a lot of passion, a great idea and a lot of patience. Not everyone will understand your journey and you need resilience to fight through a lot of resistance. My experience is that it will take a lot longer than you think it will to be successful but that’s not a reason to not do it.”

Having the support of Hertfordshire Chamber has been invaluable.

“We joined around 30 years ago and they help us with our international sales growth and our local presence,” he says.

“The Chamber also runs workshops on manufacturing and technology, which I am particularly interested in.

“Recently, we entered the Chamber Business Awards and won Best Business and Best Customer Service. On the back of winning them, we decided to apply for a Queen’s Award, which we were awarded for Innovation for our after-sales care. Next, we’re looking at the King’s Award for Export.”

Anyone interested in information about roles available can email: jobs@kane.co.uk