business matters

10 Lessons From 10 Years in Business

2022 marks the 10-year anniversary of my business, Espresso Solutions. Our journey has been unpredictable and testing at times. But far more than that, it’s been exciting, humbling and insightful.

Ryan Page

CEO & Founder Espresso Solutions

I don’t claim to be an expert, and I’m still learning all the time, but I’ve put together some of the key lessons I’ve learned from my 10 years in business.

Look after your staff

We’re incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated and hardworking team at Espresso Solutions. With clients to support and deadlines to meet, it’s easy to focus on the short-term demands they’re facing.

However, our people are our biggest asset. So, developing a positive company culture, enhancing their wellbeing and creating an environment where they can enjoy themselves is vital.

Never underestimate the power of partnerships

Espresso Solutions wouldn’t be where it is today without its partners.

We don’t manufacture our own products - we are part of a chain of suppliers and customers. For our business to work, every company in the chain needs to be successful - and we need to work together to ensure we all succeed.

Develop a strong brand identity

Regardless of what your business does, you need a strong brand identity.

This doesn’t mean you need to invest in an expensive re-brand. Rather focus on developing a single distinctive logo and a simple colour palette. Then make sure this is used across everything you do. Our partners often joke that we like to put our logo on anything!

Your business won’t grow if your people can’t

I firmly believe that personal development is key for every business. It’s impossible to hire perfect people that perform straightaway. So you need to invest in your staff to enable them to develop in a way that works for them.

Doing so will turn them into advocates for the business and they’ll be happier, more committed and better at their jobs in turn.

Be present and accessible at events

Since early doors, we’ve supported and been present at trade shows, community and partner events. We’re not a household brand, so the most effective way to connect with our customers and build awareness is through networking.

Being a friendly & supportive presence at these events will help to promote your business & be at the forefront of a prospective customer’s mind when they need you.

Marketing doesn’t need to be perfect to be effective

I’ve definitely been guilty of overthinking Espresso Solution’s marketing and being too focused on striving for perfection.

However our marketing has become considerably more effective since I’ve let go and taken more of a test and learn approach. This allows you to step back and take a more balanced view of what’s working and what’s not.

Managing your cash-flow is everything

This is probably a fairly obvious one, however it’s imperative for us to regularly review our cash flow and forecast. We use this to average out our expected liabilities like VAT & Corporation Tax, and set this aside weekly. This ensures that when the bill arrives, the money is reserved and ready to be used.

Admit to your mistakes and shortcomings

This is something that I’m striving to improve on. To be an effective leader, you need to lose your ego and face up to things you can improve on. This can start with self-reflection, however it’s also immensely important to foster an environment where staff are comfortable with giving you feedback that you take on board.

Know when to let go

When you start a company, you’re responsible for every little task. However as you grow, this is simply not viable. You need to learn to let go and hand responsibilities over to others.

The longer you leave it, the harder it is to let go, and I’m still working on this now.

Celebrate the wins

Inevitably, you will face adversity when running a business, and even when things are going well, there will always be more to be done and improvements to be made. But it’s incredibly important that when you do get wins, even if they’re only small, that you celebrate them with your team and show your appreciation for all their hard work.

Jason Webb succeeds father to take on managing director role at ETI

This year, Jason Webb was appointed as the new managing director at Electronic Temperature Instruments (ETI), the UK’s largest digital thermometer manufacturer and exporter of electronic thermometers and temperature probes. Jason, who previously held the role of operations director, has succeeded his father Peter Webb, who co-founded the company in 1983 with his wife Miriam, and held the role of managing director for 38-years. Peter will now take on the role of Chairman at ETI.

Jason Webb

Managing Director ETI

The idea of ETI began in Peter’s garden shed. Fast forward to 2022 and its flagship product, the Thermapen One, is used by some of the food industry’s most renowned chefs and Michelin starred restaurants, including Buckingham Palace. The company also makes industrial thermometers for some of the harshest working environments, and wireless data loggers which can monitor and record temperatures in storage and transport facilities and relay it in real-time. It employs over 185 people and has three different sites in Worthing, West Sussex working across numerous sectors including food & drink, industry, hydroponics, hotels & hospitality, and pharmaceuticals. Since its foundation, Peter has been awarded an MBE from the Queen for services to business, and ETI has also been presented with four Queen’s Awards, most recently in 2018 for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation.

Peter Webb comments: “As a family business, the reins have been gradually passed over to Jason and I am both delighted and very proud to announce his promotion to managing director. It’s a very exciting time for everyone involved at ETI and I’m confident Jason’s combined level of industry experience gained over the last 12 years, commercial insight, and personal ambition will drive the business forward into a new and successful era.” Jason Webb comments: “It is an honour to take over the reins from my father. I remember sitting around the dining room table when I was 20 and Dad said, ‘I’m not going to go on forever. Somebody is going to have to come in and help me run this. You can come in and do this.’ 12 years on from the conversation, and we have grown significantly. I know I have big shoes to fill. I know the blood, sweat and tears that has been put into this business for almost 40-years, and I’ve got respect for that. I can only give it my best shot.”

Hands-On Manufacturing still alive and kicking!

Jason Allen

Sales & Marketing Manager Emcel Filters The World moves at a colossal pace towards digital careers, all around the globe you can potentially work from the comfort of your own living room. Even in the manufacturing sector, a drive towards automation and standardisation has somewhat strangled practical skills not just in the workplace but in life for younger generations.

Emcel Filters, based in Horsham, have certainly found opportunities readily available for companies willing to offer bespoke or low quantity solutions for a number of different industries. We have been making Air Filtration products for over sixty years and recent factors such as Coronavirus and the Ukrainian crisis have provided increased interest for our products. The current trend appears to be providing products designed to suit application rather than off the shelf.

Like all companies we have modernised our approach to certain business aspects having a global presence via our website and social media platforms. Our strength relies on the development of skills within the business, the ability to diversify and provide the customer with a solution that suits their industry, which sets us apart from the competition.

A resurgence in practical skills is required, each person is different holding distinct skill sets and not all will be suited to sitting behind a laptop in their own home. We are always looking for local, enthusiastic and skilled people to continue to push our growing business forward.