Director Focus

director focus Property entrepreneur is still going strong

Having lived through many recessions, Sardar Singh is well placed to offer advice to businesses struggling to stay afloat in the current COVID-19 pandemic.

“In tough times, remember that cash is king”, he says. “Don’t take on too much debt; I’ve seen too many companies do this and it has put their entire business in jeopardy. If you do need to get a loan, make sure it’s at an affordable rate and use it to finance your business, not your personal living costs.” I started off as a clerical assistant before moving into cargo in the 1970s. At the time it was very busy as the UK was preparing to join the European Common Market. This prompted a big increase in the amount of cargo being shipped to and from Europe. I was working weekends and unsociable hours to cope with the increased workload.

Wise words from Sardar, a property entrepreneur who has lived in Hounslow since 1968 and is now life president of Hounslow Chamber of Commerce.

“I’ve had a really good relationship for many years with the Chamber and I became president of the organisation in 2014,” he says. “The following year I was honoured to become lifetime president. “It’s a role that enables me to give something back to the community that I know so well. I have a lot of experience of business and life in general so I try to help local businesses by offering them advice and guidance.”

Sardar has certainly had a colourful life and business career. Originally from India, he gained a master’s degree in agriculture and science before moving to Hounslow in 1968. He landed a job as a customs and excise officer at Heathrow Airport – becoming the first turbaned uniformed customs officer to be posted at the airport.

Sardar recalls: “I started off as a clerical assistant before moving into cargo in the 1970s. At the time it was very busy as the UK was preparing to join the European Common Market. This prompted a big increase in the amount of cargo being shipped to and from Europe. I was working weekends and unsociable hours to cope with the increased workload.”

By the end of the 1970s, Sardar’s entrepreneurial spirit saw him plough some of his savings into a one-bedroom flat, which he rented out and subsequently sold for a profit a couple of years later. That was the launchpad for further property investments and in 1982 he set up a limited company, Lovell Properties, which he still runs today. The business not only deals in the buying and selling of properties – which has enabled Sardar to build an impressive real estate portfolio – but also provides property consultancy services to individuals and businesses in and around London.

Outside of the business, Sardar holds an honorary doctorate from a US university and even occasionally indulges his acting hobby, having appeared in various soap operas and TV shows as an extra. Fitness is also an important part of his daily life and keeps him healthy in mind and body.

He says: “Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores, I used to go to the gym religiously. I haven’t been for the last few months for obvious reasons but I still walk a lot. I always do my 15,000 steps each day and I feel much better for it.”