AUTUMN 2019
PLUS TIPS ON ATTRACTING TOP TALENT, HOW WE BUILT A £1M BUSINESS IN 12 MONTHS AND MEET OUR CEO
WELCOME FROM JAMES
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Welcome to the Entrepreneurs’ Forum Autumn members’ magazine.
When I reflect on the last six months, a lot has changed - not only in the region, where many exciting developments have come to fruition, but also at the Forum. In addition to announcing Jonathan Lamb as the Forum’s new CEO, and celebrating Gillian’s contribution as CEO before her welldeserved retirement, we also strengthened our board with two new appointments - John Waterworth (former Parkdean Resorts) and Dean Benson (Visualsoft) - while acknowledging the work of Nigel Mills CBE, CEO of The Lakes Distillery, who stepped down from the board having served on it for ten years - six as Chairman.
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The last six months have also marked the completion of the third cohort of the Scale-up Leaders’ Academy. Each year, we welcome a selection of the region’s most ambitious entrepreneurs to the programme to learn from leading industry figures how to overcome the challenges when scaling a business and this cohort has been no exception. Engaging their senior leadership teams along the way, this year’s cohort has learned what it takes to scale, building a blueprint for future growth, and a clear One Page Strategic Plan. The Academy will continue again in January 2020 and recruitment for our fourth cohort is now underway. To mark the change from the past six months, we decided our member magazine needed a little update too which is why we’ve been working with the team at Narrative to refresh our existing magazine. It may look a little different, but you’ll still find all the inspiring member stories, entrepreneur interviews and features throughout, with our Autumn events calendar on the reverse. Whether it’s taking time out of your business to engage with other North East businesses, our mentoring match-making service or our dedicated scale-up program, we’re here to help you learn from the experience of others and to connect you with the right people who can help you make a positive difference in your business. We hope that this issue inspires you and to see you at our upcoming Autumn events.
James Robson MBE Chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum
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CONTENTS 06.
THE BIG QUESTION
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MEET THE CEO
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TOGETHER WE CAN TAKE ON THE WORLD
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HOW TO SECURE TOP TALENT
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ENTREPRENEWS
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SCALE-UP: THE STORY SO FAR
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BUSINESS GROWTH WITH A CREATIVE MINDSET
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THE BUSINESS OF SPORT
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VIVA ELECTRIC
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RECOMMENDED READS
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CREATING THE PERFECT PACKAGE
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IGNITING THE POWER OF MENTORING
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LEADING THE FIELD
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BOLD STEPS IN GROWING OUR NORTH EAST ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM
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HOW WE BUILT A £1M BUSINESS IN 12 MONTHS
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COFFEE KING
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UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND’S £1.3M BUSINESS BOOST
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WORKPLACE WELLBEING
See reverse for dates for your diary: Entrepreneurs’ Forum Events Calendar (September to December 2019)
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THE SCALE-UP LEADER’S ACADEMY Great entrepreneurs are not great because they started a business, they’re great because they were able to scale it. The Scale-up Leader’s Academy combines practical workshops, scale-up coaching, inspirational events and the opportunity to learn from those who have been there and done it before, helping you to build a blueprint that will accelerate your growth sustainably.
THE FACTS INTAKE 1 5 entrepreneurs DATES January to June 2020 LOCATION Across North East England PARTICIPANT PROFILE Founders of growing North East businesses with at least 10 members of staff Funding of 30%-40% available subject to conditions’
“We’re a young business and with the ambition to grow, we decided to join the Scale-up Leaders’ Academy in 2019. Taking time out to reflect on the business, and to discuss your business with other experienced entrepreneurs, enables you to get new ideas and advice that you wouldn’t normally get.” Andrew Mackay, Coleman James
COST £3,000 +VAT
To find out more about the Academy and to apply, visit entrepreneursforum.net/scale-up
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WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS
Lawrence Brown Royston Power Generation
Gemma Shields Lady Locks Hair Extensions
Richard Foster Redwood Cable Projects
Anthony Hunter Chant Properties
John Hudson Hudson Procurement Group
Alex Blake KEDA Consulting
Adam Bell Mortimer Bell International
Ben Gibson Micro Scooters
Malcolm Humble Arian EMS
Susie McDonald Calibrate Energy Engineering
Anna Gibson Micro Scooters
Jon Place Integrity Technology Services
Angela Huntley Huntley Plant
Rob Lynas Lynas Engineers
Greg Morton Online Systems
Darren Crichton-Jones Bradley Gardens & Bridgewater Interiors
Stuart Redshaw Trust Red
Jessica Williams Just Williams
Richard Hogg Jackson Hogg Recruitment
Peter Bennett Strategic Print
Claire Rutherford Definition IP
Tracey Christy Echo AM
Richard Bennett NPS
Andy Buckley AB Heritage
Simon Whitaker Master Debonair
Jason Waite Waite Accountants
Dan Foskett Connection Flooring
Anoop Puri Aspire Healthcare
Alisdair Beveridge The Build Directory
Nick Oates Quanta Fabricom
Mark Robinson Bradley Gardens & Bridgewater Interiors Joanne Warren Lumo.Tax Mike Racz Racz Group Nicky Jolley HR2Day Michael Beaton Document Risk Solutions
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THE BIG QUESTION
What do you know today that you wish you had known when you first started your business?
Karen Winterhalter, Onyx Health
Michaela Reaney, Gradvert
That running an SME is like standing on the very edge of a cliff every day of your life with only you having the strength of character to stop yourself falling off, so no matter what happens, hold your nerve, be decisive, ask for help when you need it and never give up.
I would say the main thing is that you are defined by what you say no to, and that when you start a business, you shouldn’t run after every opportunity or client. You also need to have confidence in what you are offering so that you aren’t running after organisations that don’t ‘get it’.
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Joanna Wake, Raw Digital Training
John Porrett, Unique Magazines
Just how valuable the lessons are that you learn from your mistakes. You absolutely learn more from them than you do your successes, so embracing the learning, dusting yourself down and move swiftly on forward is key.
Employ passionate people with fantastic work ethics - you will achieve so much more from people who want to make a difference in whatever role they have. Keep your team updated on your vision and get them to buy in, resulting in joint ownership and commitment to succeed.
Andy Trafford, Macdonald Martin
Andy Stephenson, Ardmore Craig
I wish that I’d known more about how to step up to the next level. We’ve made some avoidable mistakes along the way, and whilst I appreciate it is part of the journey, I wish I’d known more about the commercial side of business. I would recommend working with a mentor you can learn from and be challenged by, somebody who is prepared to help you develop both personally and professionally.
I am a big advocate of mentoring and coaching, though I didn’t buy into it when I first set off on my business journey. I now recommend it to any business leader and it is one of the major lessons I have learned in business. Running a company can be quite lonely, so having a third party to talk and bounce ideas off is really helpful.
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MEET THE CEO Following a career spanning more than 20 years in marketing and business strategy, and after founding the strategy consultancy business SPURR, Jonathan Lamb joins the Entrepreneurs’ Forum as our new Chief Executive.
“Opening my horizons and meeting a wide variety of people helped me realise that the key to whether you achieve what you want, is whether you have the drive to do it.”
1. What has been your biggest challenge?
6. Last good book, podcast or film?
Breaking through that sub-conscious limit on aspiration and ambition. I think I overcame it once I’d lived and worked in Hong Kong in my early twenties. Opening my horizons and meeting a wide variety of people helped me realise that the key to whether you achieve what you want, is whether you have the drive to do it.
‘Natives’ by Akala - it really challenged my preconceptions of Britain’s history.
2. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
8. What’s your favourite line from a film?
‘Don’t forget where you come from’ which my mum said to me as I got on the train at Darlington to travel to Oxford for my first term at the Polytechnic. I didn’t really understand what she meant at the time, but I do now. 3. Who, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with? My mum’s parents, unfortunately they both died before I was born. 4. Who do you look to for inspiration? I don’t really look for inspiration, but many people do inspire me. Outside of my family I guess it would have to be anyone who sees what they do as an art or craft - someone who is passionate about the end result and meticulous about how they achieve it. 5. What are your favourite places in the North East and why? I love visiting the Northumberland coastline, going to the Theatre Royal Newcastle (especially when Rambert Dance Company are touring) and hiding away in the coffee shops of Yarm at the weekend to indulge myself with the latest book.
7. How do you unwind? I try to unwind through running and reading, although I wish I could improve my speed in both!
Anything uttered by Groucho Marx. 9. If you had a time machine, where would you go and why? Perhaps in the New York Stock Exchange in 1997 when Amazon shares entered the market at $18! 10. How do you deal with stress? Talking to people I trust, taking myself mentally and physically away from the source of the stress to free the thinking and believing that there tends to be a way through whatever the situation is. 11. What would your specialist subject be on Mastermind? The closest I’d ever get to that level of knowledge is probably the career of the group The Jam. Yes, I know that dates me! 12. Where do you see the Forum in five years? Continuing to be a catalyst for the entrepreneur community in the North East. Reflecting the diverse communities of the region and being as energetic, driven and opportunity focused as our members are!
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TOGETHER WE CAN TAKE ON THE WORLD Inspiring leaders and personalities left their mark on the North East at the Entrepreneurs’ Forum spring conference, ‘Together We Can Take on the World’.
“Money doesn’t mean anything unless you’re making a difference with it.”
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The North East business community were encouraged to ‘make a difference’ with their success at the region’s largest entrepreneurial conference hosted by the Entrepreneurs’ Forum.
Brought up in Washington, Heather has invested millions in the North East with three manufacturing facilities for her family-run company, saving and creating hundreds of jobs in the process.
One of the UK’s most philanthropic entrepreneurs, Heather Mills, founder of VBites, addressed more than 300 business leaders at Together We Can Take On The World with her incredible story that has seen her overcome many adversities to become a pioneer in plant-based food products.
Heather, who lost her left leg after being struck by a police motor bike in her twenties, spoke about how charity and supporting others inspires her. “Money doesn’t mean anything unless you’re making a difference with it,” she said.
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“If you’re a true entrepreneur and get your family aligned with you, then you can have no fears to take that step that will make you successful. The limitation is always going to be cash flow, but we’re going to make it happen. If I can stand here with one leg, you can stand here with two.” The conference’s opening speaker, Jon Smith, spoke about how he overcame a stammer at the age of 15 to become a leading entrepreneurial sports agent working with the likes of Diego Maradona and the England National football team. He has since established First Artist, a media, entertainment and events empire, and gifted entrepreneurs in attendance with a few ‘tricks of the trade’ in the art of negotiating - built on years of experience advising and brokering deals for global sporting stars. Benjamin Mee, the man depicted by Matt Damon in Hollywood blockbuster ‘We Bought A Zoo’, also delivered an inspiring story filled with emotion about how he restored the fortunes of Dartmoor Zoological Park.
Jim Cregan also shared his experiences building Jimmy’s Iced Coffee, which was created as a result of road tripping across Australia, into a household brand that is well-placed in supermarkets and petrol stations across the UK.
Together We Can Take On The World is one of the highlights of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s extensive calendar of events, which brings together more than 300 leading entrepreneurs from across the North East for a day of inspiration.
Popular North East businessman John Hays, of Hays Travel, rounded off the conference with an insight into his entrepreneurial journey, which has seen the Sunderlandbased company grow to become the UK’s best high street travel agent with annual sales of more than £1bn.
James Robson MBE, Chairman of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, said: “Our conferences are a major part of our calendar of events and this year’s Together We Can Take On The World was another fantastic day.
Hosted by BBC presenter, media personality and illustrator Alfie Joey, the conference took place at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. It was sponsored by event partner North East Growth Hub, as well as Sullivan Brown Resourcing Partners, Visualsoft, Park Commercial and Durham City Incubator, with MAKE it Sunderland sponsoring the conference brochure.
“It brought together many of the region’s business leaders and entrepreneurs, providing them with plenty of food for thought, which they can apply to their own enterprises and hopefully help to drive forward growth and job creation to further support and strengthen the North East’s economy. “I’d like to thank our line-up of inspirational speakers for sharing their experiences and stories over the course of the day, as well as our sponsors and partners, who have helped make it a success.”
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AS IT HAPPENED People joined the conversation throughout the day using the hashtag #NEentrepreneurs. Andy Greener, Komodo Digital Thanks to the @entforum team for a great event and @ jon1startist, @heatherofficial, @benjaminmee1 and @ jimcregan for thought-provoking talks. @alfiejoey bossed the MC role, too. Lisa Eaton, Unwritten Creative Brilliant and inspiring talk from Heather Mills at the @ entforum conference today #changingperceptions Maureen Brown, Sullivan Brown Resourcing Partners Great to hear from speakers with different journeys and approaches to business, such an inspirational day. Thanks for having us Entrepreneurs’ Forum. Lee Miller, EDM Zone Thank you Entrepreneurs’ Forum for a brilliant conference yesterday. If you get the chance to go, don’t hesitate! Brilliant speakers every one of them! Kari Owers, O PR Amazing life story and great to see plant-based entrepreneur invest in the North East @heatherofficial @ VBitesfoods #NEentrepreneurs Jayne Hart, HR Department The @entforum #NEentrepreneurs conference is always made extra special with @alfiejoey as compere! Sarah Thackray, BeaconHouse Events Fascinating story from @benjaminmee1 about his journey buying and running a zoo at #neentrepreneurs conf today. What an inspiring guy! Pete Watson, Atlas Cloud What an inspirational day @entforum Heather Mills stealing the show for me. Samantha Lee, Publicity Seekers What an absolutely fantastic day at @entforum conference. Such amazing passionate and energetic speakers! #NEentrepreneurs
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Illustrations by our Host, Alfie Joey.
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HOW TO SECURE TOP TALENT - AND RETAIN IT By Andrew Mackay, Managing Director of Coleman James
Coleman James, global recruiters for the construction and built environment sectors, know a thing or two about recruiting top talent. Managing Director Andrew Mackay has been in the business for over 15 years and this year the company he founded in 2016 won Small Business of the Year at the prestigious North East Business Awards. Here he shares his top tips for attracting and retaining the very best talent to build your business.
To enable you to secure and retain the best talent for your business, your recruitment strategy should be an integral part of your plan. Here’s my top ten tips to attract quality people, ahead of your competitors and ensure they become a fundamental part of your journey.
1. SHARE YOUR STORY Entrepreneurs and successful businesses take people on a journey. Where did it start? What’s your vision? Share your story, provide access to the top. Demonstrate the passion you have for what you deliver and build an emotional connection. Give people a reason to engage and choose you ahead of your competitors.
2. IT’S ALL ABOUT CULTURE Raise the bar. Live and breathe your core values and apply them to every aspect of your business. Talented, experienced individuals want to surround themselves with great people, so create a highperformance culture to attract the best.
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3. SHOW, DON’T TELL
6. BE CREATIVE
9. STRUCTURE & ACCOUNTABILITY
Introduce potential recruits to your existing team as your entrepreneurial culture is a big selling point. Avoid restricting the interview process to 1:1’s in closed environments. By showcasing your workspace and allowing people to engage with your team, you will further demonstrate the opportunities available for ambitious and successful candidates.
Think of alternative ways to interview and screen hires. Group interviews save time, and they can expose weaknesses as quickly as they can highlight strengths. Create a buzz, generate competition, who has the right skill set and is the right cultural fit to join your journey?
4. KNOW YOUR PEOPLE INSIDE OUT
Enable your team to share in your success. What does your brand stand for? Do you have a good work/life balance? What benefits do they receive by contributing to your firm’s success? Communicate your rewards and benefits and to ensure they are valued, align them to what your workforce wants.
Fast paced entrepreneurial businesses can be held back by over-reliance on key individuals, namely the founder. By establishing a strong management team and providing them with skills and knowledge, they will become champions of your business. They can reinforce the values and take on more responsibilities as your company expands, ensuring you have the required time to play to your strengths and achieve ambitious targets. The Entrepreneurs Forum Scale-up leader’s academy provides a strong platform to teach your managers the relevant leadership skills to enable you to delegate as required.
Psychometric profiling is a valuable tool to screen potential hires and inform your management style. To gain optimum results from your team, you must be acutely aware of their individual personality traits, skill set and what motivates and drives them. Profiling reports can also help inform individuals with regards to their ‘blind spots’ to aid personal development.
5. HIRE SLOW, FIRE FAST Don’t shy away from difficult conversations. If people aren’t capable of delivery and fall short of your core values it’s time to exit. The longer they stay in the business the more they will cost you. You need A grade players so don’t compromise on quality, even when you’re starting out. Have the correct exit processes and procedures in place and learn from them.
7. PERK UP THEIR DAY
8. SLICE OF THE ACTION Competing for the best talent can be expensive, especially in the early stages of your growth. EMI (Enterprise Management Incentive) schemes are one way to secure talent ahead of your competitors. Offering shares in your business or in the growth the individual generates can be a significant motivator to exceed targets. Implemented and managed in the right way, you still remain in control while ensuring the most talented people are with you on the journey.
10. SELECT THE RIGHT PARTNER By building a relationship with a recruitment partner who has exceptional knowledge of your business and sector, you’ll gain valuable market insight and access to quality candidates. When approached professionally, recruitment partners save you time, money and add significant value. They will also headhunt the top talent on your behalf by communicating your story and securing interest that would previously be unobtainable.
www.coleman-james.com
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ENTREPRENEWS
The latest news from the North East entrepreneurial community.
PARSONS SET FOR FURTHER BUSINESS WITH NEW NORTH EAST SITE Ean Parsons, Parsons Containers Group Local shipping containers firm Parsons Containers Group has opened a new 2.2acre site in the region representing a major step change for the growing business.
“Having the ability to move and store containers so close to the A19, with such good access to the UK road network, opens up a lot of opportunities.
Situated under the Tees flyover, the strategically important location now hosts both a container sales office and an additional site for Parsons’ successful U Hold The Key self-storage business, plus the inclusion of container handling facilities.
“Similarly, our improved U Hold The Key stores capacity there will help meet the increasing demand for self-storage.
Parsons Group’s CEO, Ean Parsons, said: “This is a very important moment for the Parsons Containers Group. On its own, the new Teesside site is a significant addition to our portfolio, but it also represents much more in the context of our wider ambitions.
THE LAKES DISTILLERY ANNOUNCES £3.75 MILLION INVESTMENT Nigel Mllls, The Lakes Distillery The Lakes Distillery announces it has secured a £3.75 million investment from a group of investors led by Gresham House Asset Management, a specialist equity investment and asset management company. The funding comes on the back of an incredible year for The Lakes, with a number of high-profile spirit and liqueur awards and the widely anticipated unveiling of The Lakes Single Malt Whisky - The Whiskymaker’s Reserve - set for September.
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Nigel Mills, CEO of The Lakes Distillery said, “We’re delighted about the opportunities this investment opens up. We’ve been on an incredible journey so far, and Gresham House’s investment will allow us to take the business to the next level, grow production capacity and build our brand globally. “The funding will support the growth of the business, allow us to expand the amount of single malt stock we lay down for the future, and finance some critical capital expenditure projects, including further enhancing our distillery experience for visitors.”
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“We’ve chosen this site carefully, knowing that we can develop it into one of the largest in the group, an important consideration as Parsons continues to invest for growth.”
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NATIONAL SUCCESS FOR FLAME HEATING GROUP John Savage, Flame Heating Group Fast-growing heating and plumbing merchant, Flame Heating Group, is celebrating national success after being recognised by one of the UK’s leading business organisations. North East-based Flame was named ScaleUp Business of the Year by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) at its national Celebrating Small Business Awards 2019. This latest success follows Flame winning the North East FSB Scale-Up Business of the Year award in March. John Savage, Managing Director of Flame Heating Group, said: “We are committed to investing in our branch network and expanding throughout the UK, and for our success to be recognised by the FSB is a fantastic achievement.
MORE THAN £250K CONTRACT WINS FOR NORTH EAST MARKETING AGENCY Kieron Goldsborough, Narrative Narrative Integrated Communications, a full-service marketing agency in the North East, is celebrating more than £250,000 worth of new contracts following a period of growth. Narrative, who are champions of professional marketing across the North East, has welcomed clients including Mandata, Wolviston, Altia-ABM and the North East LEP to its existing client base in the last few months.
“I am proud and delighted with this latest award win, which is testament to the hard work and dedication of our team who have helped to deliver our continuous growth and expansion. We have ambitious plans to increase our branch network further, while investing in offering new services and products to customers, which includes launching more bathroom showrooms.”
The contract wins coincide with a period of growth for Narrative, having recently welcomed two new staff members to its client partnerships team. Kieron Goldsborough, managing director, said: “We launched our new business strategy at the start of the year and it’s been fantastic to see the whole team get behind it. Our new clients are not only great to work with, with exciting projects and inspiring objectives too, they are also completely in line with our new strategic approach.”
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ELMTRONICS WINS SIX-FIGURE INVESTMENT Dan Martin, Elmtronics Electric vehicle charging specialists Elmtronics has secured a £200,000 investment from NPIF - FW Capital Debt Finance, managed by FW Capital and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF). The County Durham-based company is fast growing with over 200 customers and 13 employees.
It serves around 6% of the UK commercial EV charging market and is seeking to grow this. Dan Martin, Elmtronics CEO, said: “Electric charging companies are very territory-focused and we have found from experience that a strong regional presence is important to gain traction in a particular geographical area.
“With this in mind, we plan to open several regional centres to reach new markets and take advantage of the industry’s huge growth potential, with the new Manchester office being the first of these centres. “We are grateful to FW Capital for supporting us during this pivotal time for the company.”
RECRUITMENT CONSULTANCY CELEBRATES RELOCATION AND £2M TURNOVER Louise Brooks, Elsdon Consulting Elsdon Consulting, a leading specialist IT recruitment consultancy, which is headed by director Louise Brooks, has moved from its Grey Street office to larger premises at Pandon Buildings on Newcastle Quayside. The business has occupied the new space in order to accommodate its growing client base and team. The company also celebrated reaching a £2m turnover at the end of its most recent financial year. Louise, who launched the company five years ago said: “This relocation marks a period of substantial growth for Elsdon Consulting and we are delighted that business is continuing to do so well. The new offices will allow us to welcome new staff and clients as well as prepare for future growth.”
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OSBIT EXPANDS HEAD OFFICE TO SUPPORT INCREASED DEMAND Brendon Hayward, Osbit Work has begun on expanding Osbit’s headquarters to accommodate the company’s rapidly expanding workforce and facilitate an increase in demand for its engineering expertise in the global offshore renewables and oil & gas markets.
Dr Tony Trapp MBE, Executive Chairman at Osbit Ltd, said: “The continued growth of our business in the oil & gas and offshore renewables markets, combined with our desire to attract and retain talented engineers, has created the need to expand our premises.
The company is constructing a new singlestorey extension within the site of its head office in Northumberland, UK to deliver an additional 300 square metres of working space. The new office will house multiple project teams within Osbit’s innovative engineering workforce, providing space for up to 50 additional staff.
“The new space will create much needed additional capacity to support our expansion plans and project-centric working approach. “We are very proud to be headquartered, operated and owned here, and to continue the North East of England’s legacy as a globally recognised hub for engineering excellence”.
INTERIOR DESIGN PRACTICE BOOST MANAGEMENT TEAM WITH THREE NEW DIRECTORS Jennifer Bernard, Bernard Interiors
The growth of North East based interior design practice Bernard Interiors continues with the appointment of three new director level posts to drive further business development. The three new directors have all been promoted from their managerial roles within the practice, creating further new opportunities for staff within the team.
Jen Bernard said: “As a business we are focused on our continued growth providing interior architectural design, consultancy and procurement services for the high end retirement, residential and commercial markets. “We work across the UK and internationally. Since 2017 our client base has expanded significantly, our staff have increased from 6 to 14 people, turnover has more than doubled and profitability has quadrupled.
“Many of our team are graduates from the design and architecture university courses in the region, and we have strong links with Northumbria University in particular, to keep a look out for up and coming design talent. Our growing reputation has led to us attracting experienced staff from London and the South due to the quality and scale of work we undertake.”
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SCALE-UP: THE STORY SO FAR
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As we prepare to launch our fourth annual Scale-up Leaders’ Academy, we’re encouraging North East businesses with the ambition to scale to get in touch.
Starting in January 2020, the Scale-up Leader’s Academy delivers practical advice through a mix of inspirational events, team sessions and scale-up coaching workshops with Gazelle International Coach Ian Kinnery.
Since launching in 2017, the Academy has supported almost 30 entrepreneurs across the North East to focus on achieving sustainable high growth by creating a blueprint for future business success.
Exploring what it means to ‘scale-up’, the Academy prepares ambitious business owners to face the challenges of business growth, helping you to build an actionable ‘One Page Strategic Plan’ to achieve your goals.
The first cohort of businesses, which were the subject of research conducted by Newcastle University, reported a 66.37% increase in their business revenue since completing the Academy - equivalent to an added average value of £668,413 per business.
For the first time, anyone interested in the Scale-up Leader’s Academy can attend one of two upcoming preview events held on Thursday 26th September in Newcastle and Friday 27th September in Darlington. The preview events offer the chance to hear first-hand from our fantastic alumni about their SULA experience and the Academy’s impact on their businesses, as well as the course content and delivery. There will also be representatives on the day to share the different funding options available. The events follow the third cohort’s successful completion of the Academy earlier this summer where business owners explored the key issues relating to business growth including people, culture, and strategy. Among these was Andy Greener, founder of digital agency Komodo, who said, “I decided to get involved with the Scale-up Leader’s Academy to unlock the potential in the business and push the scale of the company beyond where it was. “The One Page Strategic Plan is something we’re going to be able to work together on as a team over the next 3-6 months and on an ongoing basis to give us a framework from which we’re going to build the future company and scale it out into its full potential.”
Commenting on the Scale-up Leader’s Academy, our Chief Executive, Jonathan Lamb, said: “The Scale-up Leader’s Academy is delivering a toolkit of invaluable knowledge to business owners that allows them to prepare for rapid and sustained business growth. “As in previous years, the feedback we received from our latest cohort has been fantastic and truly demonstrates the strength of the Academy. “For each cohort, we refine the programme to reflect our members feedback and to address the key challenges faced by scale-ups in our region such as access to talent and leadership development. “On completion of the Academy, our members are fully equipped with everything they need to grow sustainable companies with the ongoing support of their senior leadership teams. We look forward to welcoming another 15 ambitious entrepreneurs to the Scaleup Leader’s Academy in the new year and encourage any of our members who are interested to get in touch.” Applications are currently open for the 2020 Scale-up Leader’s Academy, to register your interest, please contact info@entrepreneursforum.net or visit www.entrepreneursforum.net/scale-up
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BUSINESS GROWTH WITH A CREATIVE MINDSET Kieron Goldsborough, managing director at Narrative, shares insights into the real value and impact of scaling-up alongside Narrative’s unique position as a catalyst for business growth.
Scale-ups come from all business sectors and geographic regions, but the one thing they have in common is a desire to innovate, with greater ambition and a collaborative mindset. The concept of scale-up is essential to business continuity and sustainable growth. Growth is a concept that we at Narrative view as a bilateral entity; growing companies and growing leaders. Accelerating business growth with a progressive mindset, instilling confidence and motivation from within the business, will nurture a positive attitude primed for evolution. We believe in creating strategic alliances, relationships in which we add value to clients by entrenching ourselves in their business and recognising trigger points for development, growth and promotion of competitive advantage. These alliances aren’t exclusively agencyclient relationships, but also encompass a proactive network of professional advisors and membership bodies such as the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, IPA (Institute of Practitioners in Advertising) and CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing). The potential boost to the region and the UK economy as a whole is huge if we can enable as many companies as possible to think bigger. Data shows a vast ‘scale-up gap’, which indicates that the UK trails behind the US and other leading economies in the extent to which our companies scale.
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Playing our part in closing this gap is crucial to embedding national competitive advantage to drive longer term economic growth, productivity and job creation. Our role in developing scale-up leadership; exposing USPs and empowering companies large and small to realise their potential, forms the basis for Narrative’s own growth strategy. “You won’t grow a business sustainably without a clear vision and a strategy. We advocate this mindset as we live and breathe it ourselves. “Your brand strategy is fundamental to every business decision you make, and it should evolve and grow with the business - matching aspirations to actions.” Our Narrators are all professional marketers - this represents real added value for our clients who benefit from their marketing expertise and strategic outlook. Our range of marketing services spans strategy and brand development, reputation management, product and market diversification and the origination of unique content to underpin differentiation and success.
As the 37th best place to work in the North East, we place a lot of value on our employees, their experience and continued professional development - we value our people and recognise them as critical assets in our growth strategy and those of our clients. By investing in our own people, we are also investing in the success of the clients we service. We extend this ethos outside of our organisation via ‘Narrative Extra’, our external CPD programme in which we provide quarterly events featuring an inspiring keynote speaker and networking free of charge to our clients. We believe in effective marketing made simple. Our method of customer-focused innovation is a two-way street where we find ourselves challenging our clients, and being challenged in return. In this way, we connect people; building extraordinary teams to deliver exceptional results that inspire leaders and their teams to understand and overcome barriers to growth. If this article has resonated with you and you feel inspired to explore the ways we could collaborate to stimulate business growth, say hello@narrativecommunications.co.uk
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THE BUSINESS OF SPORT As a first-class venue, Newcastle United requires a dynamic and diligent workforce. The Club, both directly and indirectly, has supported 2,000 jobs, making it one of the region’s largest employers. The report also strongly focuses on the impact made by the Club’s charity Newcastle United Foundation. Building on the strong Newcastle United brand, Newcastle United Foundation harnesses the region’s passion for football to help disadvantaged children, young people and families across the North East. Since its launch a decade ago, demand for the Foundation’s projects has grown dramatically. Participant numbers, for example, have increased by 480% since its first year of operations in 2008/09.
The social and economic impact of Newcastle United has been revealed for the first time in a new report by Ernst and Young (EY).
Led by EY chief economist for the UK and Ireland, Mark Gregory, the report shows the enormous economic and social influence Newcastle United Football Club wields and it goes way beyond their results on the pitch on a Saturday. Focusing on the 2017/2018 season, EY found the Club’s contribution to the economy was equivalent to 0.05% of the entire region’s Gross Value Added (GVA). To put this into perspective, the Club would only have to be multiplied by 200 to match the combined GVA of the region’s 13,000 businesses. Contributing to this figure is not only football matches and sports games, but the multitude of large events held at the Club’s stadium, St James’ Park.
Between 2017 and 2018, the Foundation invested £3.2 million into life-changing community projects including its Fit for Life, Kicks and Youth Violence Programme. The period also saw the highest attendance rate, with 58,000 individuals benefiting from the Foundation’s programmes.
The ground has been host to live shows such as Ed Sheeran, who played in front of 150,000 people over three sell-out nights last year, as well as events such as the Family Expo, which attracted 19,000 people in one week, making it one of the most successful events in the Great Exhibition of the North.
Combined, these projects generated £22.5 million in 2017-2018, giving a £7 social impact return for every £1 invested. While this figure is impressive on its own, when compared to average Social Return on Investment for a sports programme - £1.90 for every £1 invested - the impact of the Foundation really shines.
The report also confirms the increasingly important role St James’ Park plays in attracting more tourists to the region. Through concerts, exhibitions and festivals, the total tourism impact of Newcastle United was found to be £52m.
The impact of the Foundation and the Club on the region is perhaps best summed up by Mark Gregory, who, in the report’s opening statement, writes: “The club’s role in raising the profile and esteem of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and its surrounding region should not be underestimated.
Add to this the visits made to the city for its matches, which is valued at £21m, and the total figure skyrockets to £73m. Supporter attendances at the stadium topped one million last season, including 190,000 visits to matches by people from outside the North East.
“The club takes its role in the community seriously and works very hard to maximise its impact. Success on the field clearly matters and is important in ensuring the flow of funds to support the club’s activities locally, but winning football matches is only one part of the Newcastle United story.”
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“I came across an article on EVs and wondered how they charge, which proved to be the inspiration behind the business and the ‘eureka!’ moment.”
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VIVA ELECTRIC They’ve just celebrated their fifth birthday but Consett-based Elmtronics have their sights set on becoming one of the top four companies operating in the electronic vehicle (EV) market by 2020.
When co-founder Dan Martin reflects on the early days of the business, the story is one of struggle and hardship, trying to build a startup in a market still in its infancy. Dan commented, “It’s rough and can be disheartening, but it was all about tenacity, perseverance and the passion for what we do that drove us through those times. “Anthony and I put in a lot of hard work during the early days, going through the pain of running a small business”. Elmtronics was launched in 2014 by Dan and Anthony Piggott with only £500 in their pocket, a laptop and a van as their office. Starting in the domestic market, the duo soon tapped into the public and private sectors building the company up to become the leading independent EV charging company throughout the UK. “Solar energy was a big thing at the time, but we didn’t want to go down the same route as everyone else. “I came across an article on EVs and wondered how they charge, which proved to be the inspiration behind the business and the ‘eureka!’ moment. “At the time, there were only two or three companies in the sector so we were itching to get started.”
Shortly after Elmtronics’ launch in 2014, the electric vehicle infrastructure gained traction, with BMW, Volkswagen and Nissan, among others, ramping up their electric and hybrid car production. Meeting an increased demand, Elmtronics have grown 50% year-on-year, quickly becoming the UK’s largest independent supplier and installer of electric car charging points. In 2018, to facilitate their ambitious growth plans, the company won an Innovation UK grant for induction charging, one of the first of its kind in the country. While Dan acknowledges that funding has been a difficult challenge, it’s Elmtronic’s ability to personalise and match equipment to fit customer needs that has kept them on top. “Our service elements are key,” comments Dan, adding, “We go the extra mile for the customer, supporting, educating and nurturing them and looking after them throughout the entire process. This is the most important aspect, even greater than securing the actual sale.” With domestic sales of electric vehicles expected to grow from 100,000 to over 10 million by 2030, Elmtronics hope to claim their spot as one of the top four EV charging companies in the UK. “We are innovators, not followers, and are always looking to embrace new and emerging technologies. We’re now focused on expanding our service range and looking to tap into the wireless charging market, which will further support the growth of Elmtronics.”
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RECOMMENDED READS ROCKET FUEL by Mark C Winters and Gino Wickman Recommended by Craig Smith, The Printed Bag Shop I read Rocket Fuel about 12 months ago. The book explains the critical roles of the ‘Visionary’ (those who have groundbreaking ideas) and the ‘Integrator’ (those who make ideas a reality) and shows how the explosive combination is the key to getting everything you want out of business. Rocket Fuel gave us a better understanding into what motivates Visionary-minded and Integrator-minded individuals within our own business and how to engage those who don’t fall into either category. We’ve seen the company grow as a result.
BLACK BOX THINKING by Matthew Syed Recommended by Nevil Tynemouth, New Results Matthew Syed’s Black Box Thinking gives you a clear insight on how you can improve you’re your ability to learn from your mistakes. Syed zooms into the detail behind why our ego, cognitive dissonance, effective feedback may help or get in the way of us really learning from our mistakes. The book provides plenty of examples of the positive results of really understanding why mistakes happen and how you go about correcting them, while also providing examples of organisations who traditionally fail to learn and grow. It’s a well written, easy to read book that I’d highly recommend.
THE 80/20 MANAGER: TEN WAYS TO BECOME A GREAT LEADER by Richard Koch Recommended by Andy Buckley, AB Heritage I absolutely loved this book, so much so that I gifted it to my colleagues at work. This little gem is a tonic to any managers who, as the book explains, ‘feel overwhelmed, out of control and powerless to make a difference in their organisations’. In a nutshell, the power of the 80/20 Principle (based on the Pareto Rule) is that 20% of our time, effort and key decisions generate 80% of our success, in work as in life. The book provides 10 lessons on how we can achieve this (with a personal favourite of mine being the ‘Time-Rich Manager’, which I have put into practice by changing to a 4 day working
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week). As my colleague Dan explained it, not all examples will be perfect for every personality or job type, but the lessons are short and to the point (as you would expect) and there will be something in there for everyone. Indeed, this book has been vital in helping me understand where we at AB Heritage were able to cut to the chase, to refocus on what was actually important (including what the end point of any task is) and, most importantly, to run a line through all those time heavy and non-beneficial tasks that I was doing at work because, well, we had always done it that way.
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CREATING THE PERFECT PACKAGE The Encore Group’s Russell Croisdale has been in the print industry for over 30 years. He tells us about his career journey so far, his plans for the future - and why his business still keeps him awake at night.
THE OPENING
THE PAST
THE FUTURE
It’s fair to say Russell Croisdale knows his envelopes; this is, after all, the man behind the team who developed the idea of a roast beef scented envelope for a supermarket chain.
It’s a far cry from the early days, when Russ joined forces with directors David Cooper and Mike Williamson to create Encore Envelopes through the merger of two other businesses.
After 30 years in the print industry, Russ, managing director of the Encore Group, is always looking for innovation.
Russ explains: “At that time, business was booming - 50 per cent of our work was direct mail, the other 50 per cent was transactional.
So, what’s next for Encore? It all comes back to that trailblazing spirit. “Innovation breeds innovation; we want to be the most modern envelope and packaging factories,” explains Russ.
He credits the firm’s continuing success - the envelope division produces 30 per cent of the 11.5 billion envelopes delivered by Royal Mail each year - to his team, many of whom have been there for over 20 years.
“In recent years, the envelope market has declined, but we’ve managed to maintain growth through acquisitions and modernisation.
“Finding good people means you’ll do well in business. I’m proud of what we’re achieving, and my motivation is for everyone to do well. In fact, my one regret at our growth - the team is now 335-strong - is that I can no longer remember everyone’s name.”
“My motivation is to look after our people - that’s why I’m always searching for new ways to drive growth and develop our team.”
“My motivation is to look after our people that’s why I’m always searching for new ways to drive growth and develop our team.”
THE PRESENT While direct mail is declining due to the digital revolution, Russ believes there is still a place for it: “The print industry is evolving, not dying; the envelope side of things is re-emerging, as well-rounded marketing campaigns start to use direct mail again.” On the flip side, Encore Packaging has been born thanks to the explosion in e-commerce. Russ says: “Whatever the challenges we face, there’s no substitute for hard work and experience - and we have a very experienced team.”
“We’re always looking for the next thing, whether that be experimenting with the colour and texture of envelopes or looking into new fields, such as the scientific market.” Keen to support the industry, Russ sits on a number of boards - the European Federation of Envelope Manufacturers and the Global Envelope Alliance - as well as following the Two Sides campaign, to promote sustainability in print. So what advice would he give his younger self? “If you’ve got an idea, give it a go. There’s so much support out there, like the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, and I find that people want to help people. “If you enjoy it, it’s not work. My job keeps me awake; not through worry, but because I’ve got so many ideas - and I wouldn’t change it for the world.” For more information about Encore Group, visit www.theencoregroup.co.uk or call the team on 0191 518 6850.
From this expertise, the next generation of management has recently been announced with Gary Joyce, Craig Allen and Mark Eyeington promoted to director level to help drive the firm forwards.
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IGNITING THE POWER OF MENTORING When Amy Mooney and John Savage met on a scale-up panel at an Entrepreneurs’ Forum conference in 2015, little did they know that it would be the start of a mentoring relationship that would span five years.
“He’d already led his company to great success and with more branch openings planned. he certainly didn’t appear to be slowing down which I loved.”
Amy, who bought in to home energy company Gas Angel Heating earlier this year, spent her early career as an in-house marketer for blue-chips such as TUI and Sage. With a few years’ experience under her belt, Amy took a marketing agency role and spent the next 10 gaining notable brand, digital and management experience in the region’s bestknown agencies.
John worked his way up through the ranks of a major national merchant - from operating the warehouse floor to becoming the office manager - before setting up his own.
In 2014, upon finding a gap in the market for a creative service focusing on data and insight, Amy co-founded award-winning marketing agency, Unwritten, which she subsequently scaled and then sold her share in a management buy-out.
“He had achieved a lot in a relatively short time but was humble and talked openly about various pitfalls. I came away full of ideas and this was when the mentoring connection happened, it was a really natural process.”
Amy recalls, “In 2015 I was asked to participate on the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s scale-up panel, representing a company starting its growth journey. We’d been going for a year or so, approaching the half million mark and had a team of seven. “John was also on the panel and on track to turnover 10 million. He’d already led his company to great success and with more branch openings planned, he certainly didn’t appear to be slowing down which I loved”. Founded in 2011, Flame Heating Group has built an impeccable reputation as the North East’s leading heating merchant.
Amy continues “After the panel, I got chatting to John during the break. I learned how he’d taken Flame from start-up to one of the region’s fastest growing companies.
A driving factor in Amy’s decision to change direction was insight gained whilst consulting with engineering and energy sector clients. But it wasn’t until she began officially advising on her husband’s company, Gas Angel Heating, that a fascination with the heating industry, in particular smart energy technology and renewables, took hold. Amy reflects, “The more time I spent researching the industry and its growth opportunities, the more my interest grew, and excitement took hold. I had an opportunity too great to ignore, quite literally on my doorstep.”
operating from eight branches across the region, and 4 additional branches in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ayr and Carlisle, the company specialises in plumbing and heating equipment, supplying to sole traders, contractors and social housing groups.
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“Looking back, the turning point came after another meeting with John, this time at the Entrepreneurs’ Forum 2018 North East Entrepreneurial Awards. John was nominated for an award, as was his energy sector client, Kevin Brown of Pacifica Group. It was great seeing two companies from the sector being recognised in our region and hearing their stories. “Through John I got chatting to some of the Pacifica and 0800 Repair team. Speaking face-to-face with experts at the coalface was helpful, reassuring and ultimately gave me the shove I needed to take the leap”. Approximately 1.5 million boilers are installed in UK homes each year. As the population continues to grow, so does the demand for housing and the need for smart heating. Amy continues, “The demand is there but our industry is slow to modernise meaning customers are getting a raw deal when it comes to buying a new boiler. The current process of searching for companies, hoping they’ll turn up and then waiting home for hours (or days for more than one quote), is time consuming, intrusive and uncomfortable. Customers are made to choose between inflated price tags of large nationals, or local traders unable to offer a robust aftercare, finance or extended warrantees.
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“With this in mind, we have developed a smart, transparent alternative to the status quo. Our instant, fixed rate quotation service, website and rebrand launched this September. “The model works through the implementation of software that quickly analyses customer need and matches to tailored options that suit budget requirements. “The survey model used by the majority of companies is dated and time consuming. A boiler is a considered purchase with financial and emotional risk and reward. This process requires investigation and comparison by the customer prior to a transaction being made. By removing the need to wait home for a survey and wait around for a quote, Gas Angel Heating makes it easy to get a fixed price for a new boiler. This saves the customer time, stops them being sold to in their home and resolves their heating problem quicker. Earlier this year Amy and David launched an MVP which they tested on a sample of customers. During this time, Amy continued to contact John for mentoring support. “John is an entrepreneur through and through. He is focused, studies his industry and his customers and adapts to change when needed. He’s also a really nice fella which helps a lot!
“His advice to a recent deliberation was ‘go big or go home’. It was said in a light-hearted way and made me laugh but stuck in my mind for days after and in hindsight it was exactly what I needed to hear.” “Having someone knowledgeable and ambitious like John to bounce ideas off has been invaluable.” Amy continued, “The advice and guidance you’re given through the Entrepreneurs’ Forum mentoring programme is genuine, encouraging and a wonderful resource. “Connecting with John through the Entrepreneurs’ Forum has a key role in helping me arrive at where I am today; heading up an incredibly exciting energy company with a vibrant future.” Access to peer-to-peer mentoring support is part of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum membership and includes confidential one-to-one connections, round table discussions and mentoring drop-in surgeries. For more information, contact Michael at michael@entrepreneursforum.net or 0191 500 7780 or visit www.entrepreneursforum.net/mentoring
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LEADING THE FIELD
“In order to develop the business and allow opportunities for further expansion, we have actively sought to develop new products.”
Ralph Thompson took over the family business in 2000 when he was just 20 years old.
While his family had been producing silage for cows and haylage for the family horses for decades, Ralph believed that he could develop the equestrian side of the offering to build a business which would provide quality products to the equestrian market. Working alongside his mum Fiona, he set up a contracting business working for other farmers and quadrupled the number of his customers in under four years. Following this success, he decided to make the most of the resources available, dedicating all of the family’s land to equestrian haylage production. Ralph reflects, “In the early stages, the packaging was crude and the process was very manual (imagine me making every 20kg pack by hand forking all of the haylage into the packing machine!)”
It wasn’t until 2005 when he launched the Silvermoor brand where he was able to sell the products into retail and wholesale channels. Initially selling only two types of haylage, today the company proudly sells over ten unique products, which includes the Silvermoor Swinger (the only handing forage block on the market) and ‘Treatsies’ healthy horse treats available in four flavours. “As forage is the staple of a horse’s diet, it is a competitive field,” Ralph comments, adding, “In order to develop the business and allow opportunities for further expansion, we have actively sought to develop new products that complement the haylage and capitalise on the resources we have available such as our distribution network.” For Ralph, the focus is now on bringing Silvermoor’s ambitious growth plans to fruition, which will see the business triple its size over the next three years. Currently, the team are in the process of building a new site and installing a grass-drying system in the winter which will introduce a range of new Silvermoor products. For more information head to www.silvermoor.com
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BOLD STEPS IN GROWING OUR NORTH EAST ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM
“The University is a key player in this ecosystem and has set out to position the Business School as pivotal to the future success.”
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A vital entrepreneurial ecosystem is being created in the North East thanks to the work of Teesside University Business School.
The Business School has been working closely on a number of projects designed to help the region’s businesses to improve productivity and attract and retain talent.
Teesside University Business School places great emphasis on ensuring that the students graduate with the skills necessary to add value to the workplace from day one.
The ecosystem is centred around six key areas - policy, finance, culture, support, human capital and markets - and the Business School has been helping businesses to contribute to it by bringing them together to innovate and collaborate.
For example, it has collaborated with marketing and e-commerce agency Visualsoft to audit all of its marketing-based degrees to ensure they are meeting the needs of employers.
Working as an anchor institution, helping drive forward the region’s economic growth is a key part of Teesside University’s mission and the role of the new-look £7.5million Business School in this mission has won praise from numerous quarters. The University’s Chancellor Paul Drechsler CBE, a former president and current deputy president of the CBI, said, “Since I formally opened the Business School [in December 2018] I’ve been incredibly impressed by the momentum it has built. Pace, ambition and collaboration have been key. “The University is a key player in this ecosystem and has set out to position the Business School as pivotal to the future success, acting as a magnet for talent and a hive of ideas, innovation and inspiration.” LEAP 50, a programme developed by Teesside University Business School in conjunction with the Tees Valley Combined Authority, to work with ambitious businesses to support them to scale-up is acknowledged as helping to support the companies which are best placed to grow the region’s economy. Over the course of eight months, LEAP 50 businesses work together to look at the different obstacles they might face as they scale their company for growth and learn from business growth specialists and their peers on how to overcome them. Now onto its second iteration, each cohort of LEAP 50 has been hugely diverse in terms of the sectors represented and the scale of the businesses involved.
It also offers a range of flexible degree options including degree apprenticeships designed in conjunction with industry and online learning programmes to allow students to tailor their studies to the demands of the modern workplace. Newcastle-based Turnitin who design antiplagiarism software have staff studying degree apprenticeships at Teesside University, including an MBA degree apprenticeship at the Business School. Grace Littler, Senior HR generalist at Turnitin, said, “Teesside University has been a great partner for us. “We have been consulted with around what we want to get out of the courses and how they will work for us. “I’d recommend it as a route to learning because you benefit from better engaged employees who are developing the skills that the business needs.” Dr Susan Laing, Dean of Teesside University Business School, added, “The elements which will make this ecosystem a success are the surrounding environment, the participating actors and the culture and attitudes. “We are therefore delighted that so many key figures from the world of business and industry are already engaging and collaborating with us to help make this vision a reality “The role of our Advisory Board, Chaired by Frans Calje (CEO of PD Ports), is pivotal on this journey.”
Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, said, “As these companies scale-up and reach their full potential, they will be the job creators of the future, so it’s incredibly important that we support them as much as possible.”
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“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has achieved in just one year, and I can’t wait to see our plans for Surge and our team come to fruition next year.”
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HOW WE BUILT A £1M BUSINESS IN 12 MONTHS Tucked away on Newcastle’s Mosley Street is a business which has only recently celebrated its one year anniversary, but is already making waves in the tech industry. Surge, a software management consultancy, specialises in crafting technology solutions for high growth businesses, including the Great North Air Ambulance, AIS Training and Drilling Systems and ADLink, to name a few. At its helm is founder Ryan Davies who, after spending nine years building and scaling an award-winning app firm, found himself doing it all again when the business closed its doors early last year. Now leading a growing team of twelve, Ryan shares how he built a £1m business in a matter of months.
Looking back on the last twelve months, it’s unbelievable how much we’ve achieved in such a short space of time. We’ve worked on countless exciting projects, facilitated two office moves and built a fantastic team of twelve. On reflection, I’d accredit our astonishing start to the foundations and people we put in place from day one. For example, we’ve always considered ourselves a scale-up, not a start-up. From the beginning, we were united by our ambition to create a business which we could grow rapidly and sustainably. We adopted a scale-up mentality, and started mapping the processes we needed to put in place to ensure our long-term growth. Combining what I’d learned through the Scale-up Leader’s Academy from Gazelle coach Ian Kinnery, with what I’d experienced in my nine years in business, I knew that, in order to thrive, we had to create solid company foundations. This meant defining Surge’s core values, what we stand for, the rules of our game and how we want others to play with us.
This came back to my favourite quote on managing teams by Patrick Lencioni, ‘If you could get all the people in the organisation rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, any market, against any competition, at any time.’ This helped me frame everything from the ground up; covering core values, how we communicate and, most importantly, trust. We defined our ten core values, which we live and breathe by, and anyone who visits Surge’s offices will see them pinned up on our walls, as well as our ‘North Star’. The ‘North Star’ concept refers to the overarching goal a business has, but in the Surge offices, you’re more likely to hear us referring to it as our ‘BFG’ or ‘Big F*cking Goal’! Surge’s rapid growth is undoubtedly a reflection of our people. From our close-knit team of five, we’re now a team made up of 12 talented developers and designers, who are committed to Surge’s vision. So far this year, we’ve recruited three new faces who have helped to further strengthen our team. It’s because of the skills, expertise and aptitude of our team that we’ve been able to deliver an array of tech services to such a high standard, so we’re careful to choose the perfect person for every vacancy we have, measuring all applicants against our core values.
Delegating responsibility and ownership of projects, combined with trust from the senior team, is integral to how we work at Surge. We know that in order to attract and retain great talent, it comes down to culture. It’s a case of doing more as an employer, building an environment where hard work is acknowledged, people are encouraged to take their own initiative, and the way we work fits our people. This upcoming summer will see us allocate our first budget for marketing, having generated all our clients so far from referrals and recommendations. For any company, particularly those in the tech service sector, you need to keep yourself visible; it’s not just about who you know, but who knows what you do. To me, this last year has demonstrated the strength of the North East business community, something that I am incredibly proud of; there have been many great people who have been willing to support us on our journey and have offered their time as mentors too. We’re now embarking on an exciting transformation aimed at growing and servicing the successful product side of our business while continuing to build amazing products for our clients. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has achieved in just one year, and I can’t wait to see our fruition next year.
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COFFEE KING Jim Cregan was destined to be an entrepreneur. While he was born in the Dorset seaside town of Christchurch, the self-titled ‘Duke of Entrepreneurial Pursuit’ grew up in Dubai, where he bought fake surf bags and sold them at school.
“I had hit rock bottom working as a painter by day and dressing up as a mermaid MC by night. I was unhappy with my job so I left for Australia in November 2009.”
At age eighteen, he returned to the UK and studied an art degree with the intention of setting up his own graphic design agency. “When I was asked as a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up I always answered I want to be a graphic designer, have my own agency, live in London and drive a Porsche. It turned out I was shit at drawing and crap at computers.” Realising the flaws in his lifelong ambition, Jim moved to Bournemouth and accepted a job in a nightclub, where the town’s vibrant nightlife inspired Jim to enrol to study arts and event production at university. Following his graduation in 2004, Jim found work as a painter and decorator, balancing this with part-time work for energy drinks company Redbull throughout the summer months. One summer in particular he was promoted to stage host with the condition of wearing a slightly-humiliating mermaid costume. “One day, I realised that you go through life either cruising, which is the best, or you’re spiralling and you’re going up and up, with the potential to come crashing down again. “I had hit rock bottom working as a painter by day and dressing up as a mermaid MC by night. I was unhappy with my job so I left for Australia in November 2009.” With his now-wife, Jim left for the sunny shores of Melbourne where he would spend the next five months in a second hand 4x4, road tripping around Oz, fuelled by iced coffee.
“I bought an iced coffee at a petrol station, necked it and thought it was laced with crack! I started drinking two or three iced coffees a day, so I wrote the company to ask if they could licence it in the UK but they rejected it.” Undaunted, Jim returned to the UK and set up his own iced coffee company from scratch, convincing his sister Suzie who had her own coffee house in Christchurch to use it as a late night lab. Spending hours in Suzie’s café, trialling rounds of coffee to get the flavour right, the two later persuaded their parents to invest a large sum of their savings to get Jimmy’s Iced Coffee off the ground. With their parent’s investment, Jim and Suzie found a manufacturing plant and in their first run, filled 3,000 blank cartons with their iced coffee. “We took it to buyers, binmen, surfers coming out of the sea, we gave it to anyone we thought would want an iced coffee.” Always one to ‘speak up’ and not ‘hold it down’, Jim contacted high-end department store Selfridges and arranged a meeting with the buyer. Five months later, in April 2011, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee officially launched in Selfridges’ flagship store on London’s Oxford Street. In the years that have followed, Jim and his sister Suzie have gone from hand-wrapping cartons of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee to selling their product in 5,000 shops across the UK.
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Available in four different flavours, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee can be found in all major supermarkets, with one carton flying off the shelves every five seconds. It’s the distinctive retro and playful packaging of Jimmy’s Iced Coffees that sets it apart from its competitors, each displaying the company’s easy-going mantra ‘Keep Your Chin Up’ or KYCU. “Our strapline is ‘Keep Your Chin Up’ and there’s two reasons for it. The first is that, if you don’t, you will walk around like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and no one will want to talk to you. The second is, if you don’t keep your chin up while drinking our products, you’ll pour it all over yourself.” From a brother-sister act, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee now represents a team (or ‘crew’) of twenty-one, who are all shareholders, and are all determined to make Jimmy’s Iced Coffee a global brand from their headquarters in Dorset.
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And just like their branding, the Jimmy’s Iced Coffee studio is far from conventional. As well as a skate ramp and pizza oven, there’s the company’s ten coffee commandments. The Arabic phrase ‘Yalla Habibi’ (which translates to ‘let’s go, my love’) features at number ten and is the ethos of the company. “I strongly believe the growth and success of our company is due to the optimism. Positivity enables productivity and that’s how we operate here.” For Jim this means giving back to the local community too. Last year, Jimmy’s Iced Coffee donated over £20,000 to the Wave Project, a charity close to Jim’s heart, which supports young people throughout the UK to gain confidence through an eight-week surfing programme. Jim’s also passionate that Jimmy’s Iced Coffee becomes a leader in the plastic-free movement. Last year, the company replaced their plastic carton caps with bio-based caps, taking one step closer to achieving their plans of using fully-renewable packaging by 2020.
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All Jimmy’s Iced Coffee products also carry the Rainforest Alliance certification meaning the coffee’s taste and quality is guaranteed as is the well-being of the communities which farm it. And while the company has yet to celebrate its tenth birthday, there’s a lot to learn from Jim, his fearlessness and optimism. For those hoping to follow in the bearded fellow’s footsteps, Jim gives the following quote, borrowed from Whoopi Goldberg’s character Sister Mary Clarence from the Sister Act films, and enhanced with his own wisdom: “If you wanna be somebody, if you wanna go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention. You’re allowed the odd hangover or lie-in but in general you need to get up and crack on.”
Jimmy’s Iced Coffee Ten Coffee Commandments*
1. Always get high on your own supply. 2. Laugh in the face of business jargon. 3. We live for iced cold coffee. 4. The world will keep spinning. 5. Speak up, don’t hold it down. 6. Money is a by-product. 7. Ask for forgiveness, not for permission. 8. Take a drive. 9. Colleagues are crew. Customers are crew. 10. Yalla Habibi. *Loosely based on The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ten Crack Commandments
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UNIVERSITY OF SUNDERLAND’S £1.3M BUSINESS BOOST In October 2018, the University of Sunderland launched their new ERDF Internships and Enterprise project worth more than £1.3million supporting students and graduates to start a business, as well as SME’s in the region to recruit graduate talent. The two strands of the project together ensure that graduates are encouraged to stay in the region and contribute to the growth of the local economy.
“The financial support also made the transition from a two-person team to a three-person team a lot easier to manage.”
The Graduate Internship scheme is a costeffective approach for SME’s to recruit a graduate, initially on a 12-month contact, bringing fresh ideas and talent into their business to help them grow. The funding will support 130 SME’s in total, one graduate internship per company with the company paying a minimum salary of £18,000 per annum to their successful graduate. The scheme in return will pay a total salary subsidy of £3,375 and free recruitment support is also available. For Project Manager Laura Foster, the scheme is critical to attracting and retaining graduate talent in the region, “For many businesses, taking on a new member of staff is a big step. The Internship scheme not only supports SMEs financially by paying a proportion of the graduate’s salary, but the team can also guide business owners through the recruitment process if required. “Employing a graduate can really make a positive impact, bringing new and innovative ideas into the business. I would urge any small to medium business looking to grow their team to get in touch.” Among the businesses who’ve benefited from the scheme is M.A.D Communications a PR, design and communications company based in Gateshead and co-founded in 2013 by two University of Sunderland graduates, Amy Armstrong and Marie Donnelly.
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After being supported to launch the business via the Enterprise Place and the initial few years working to establish the company, there was a clear need to grow the team to enable them to increase capacity within the business. Amy and Marie looked to the University of Sunderland Graduate Internship Scheme to recruit a graduate Communications Coordinator to support the business across all of their client services, including social media, copywriting, PR and marketing. The successful graduate, Beth Waldron, graduated from the University with a BA in Fashion Journalism, and as well as providing services for clients, Beth has also been managing the company blog and social media platforms. Following her 12-month internship, Beth was offered a permanent role. Talking about the scheme, Amy and Marie said, “As a small business, taking on our first team member was a huge step - both financially and in terms of the responsibility. The Graduate Internship Scheme allowed us to take our next step safe in the knowledge that we were being supported by the University throughout the recruitment process.
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“The financial support also made the transition from a two-person team to a three-person team a lot easier to manage. Since taking Beth on, M.A.D has continued to grow and we’re looking to take on another full-time member of staff towards the end of this year.” Speaking about her year on the Graduate Internship with M.A.D, Beth said, “The last year at M.A.D has completely exceeded my expectations in every aspect and I’ve become one of those annoying people who likes to talk about how much they love their job.
“I’ve learnt so much in the past year! Listening to feedback and asking a million and one questions throughout the year has seen my writing improve, from blog posts to product descriptions and everything in-between.” For more information on the University’s graduate scheme, visit www.sunderland.ac.uk/more/services-for-business
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WORKPLACE WELLBEING Bethany Ainsley founded Nouveau Wellbeing in November 2008 with one core mission: to reduce health and social inequalities across the North East through the delivery of dance and fitness programmes to people of all ages and abilities.
For Bethany, the success of Nouveau Wellbeing lies in creating tailored experiences for each client, whether that’s delivering classes in 70 community venues across the region, or designing bespoke fitness programmes for new and expectant mothers in conjunction with Teesside University.
Today, her portfolio encompasses three successful companies all united by a shared purpose to make a difference to people’s lives on a daily basis.
“Nouveau Wellbeing is constantly evolving and the heart of all our practices and work is ensuring that it can be supported by evidence. This allows us to demonstrate the impact we’re making in our local communities.”
Bethany’s ability to combine entrepreneurship with social need has earned her a succession of awards including the Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship and the David Goldman Prize for Innovation. In 2018, she was named the North East Business Woman of the Year.
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She commented, “I think our USP is our broad range of knowledge and the fact that we work with so many different sectors, whether it is the care industry or corporate world. I have learned that, as an entrepreneur and business owner, you must switch your mind and diversify.
Having celebrated ten successful years in business, Bethany is now focused on making wellbeing programmes more accessible for all.
“ActivCare Coaching has recently moved into the National Centre for Ageing, in the heart of Newcastle, which is an exciting time for the company. “We have also just launched three short online wellbeing courses that are available via the Bethany Ainsley shop for busy individuals including Managing Stress, Creating Balance and Finding Your Tribe. “Having successfully delivered workplace health and wellbeing services in a number of sizeable businesses, we are now consulting with smaller businesses to understand their requirements further.” For more information head to www.bethanyainsley.com or email bethany@bethanyainsley.com
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