The Informer by The Clubhouse - May 2018

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Member in the spotlight Pauline Hudson-Evans of Hudson Walker International on a new way of working

Tackling the to-do list Organise yourself to start tasks that matter, hold ones that can wait and be more productive

T h e

I n f o r m e r Issue 16

May 2018

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TIME TO GROW

The importance of human and financial capital working in harmony

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Meet. Work. Grow.

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Insuring it properly is ours.

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INTRODUCTION

ADAM BLASKEY FOUNDER & CEO The Clubhouse

W e l come We have had a great response from both existing and new members to the announcement that The Clubhouse, Holborn will be opening soon. Fit-out works are well underway and we are due to open later next month. Located on the eighth and ninth floors of 20 St Andrew Street with stunning views of Holborn Circus, the City and St Paul’s, we are only minutes from Chancery Lane, Blackfriars and Farringdon stations. Look out for details of our opening party, the date of which will be announced shortly!

We couldn’t have got to where we are today without the support and loyalty of our members and the great team we have at The Clubhouse, which I believe is a result of the corporate culture that we are nurturing at the heart of our business. Having included articles on the subject of culture in The Informer over recent months, I thought I would share details

of our culture. Focused on four core values of premium, productive, professional and personable, these inspire our team to work tirelessly to fulfil our aim of making our members and their businesses more successful. Being hospitality led, I was keen to learn more about the company culture of Four Seasons Hotels, a business I greatly admire. Founded by Isadore Sharp, its culture is based on a single principle: ‘the golden rule’ – treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. It is this rule which underlies every interaction with guests, team members, suppliers and partners. I hope you agree that this should perhaps be the golden rule operated by every business.

To keep us on the right track in growing our businesses, on page four Guy Tolhurst of Intelligent Partnership shares insights into the components required to successfully

grow and scale a business as part of the ‘100 stories’ campaign, which we are delighted to be supporting. Further details can be found at 100stories.co.uk. On 17 May, the topic being discussed at our members’ breakfast will be raising growth capital – not to be missed if you are raising any form of capital. However, with growth often comes distractions and a mounting to-do list, so in order to stop procrastination being the thief of time, read our tips on page seven and see your productivity soar!

Our member in the spotlight this month is Pauline Hudson-Evans of Hudson Walker International, a leading executive search business focused on premium and luxury goods and services. Finally, I very much hope you can join us on 23 May when our guest speaker will be Matthew Crummack, CEO of GoCompare Group.

THE CLUBHOUSE P R O D U C T I V I T Y T I P #1 6

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Staying calm during tough conversations If negative emotions build and you feel like a volcano, physically ground yourself to stay in control: anchor yourself by feeling your feet firmly on the floor or stand up and walk around.

DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

Christian Gilliham_christian@cgcreate.co.uk_07951 722265

To partner with The Clubhouse or promote your business in The Informer please email adam@theclubhouselondon.com Copyright. The Clubhouse London Ltd

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GROWTH

D O Y O U H AV E W H AT I T T A K E S T O G ROW S U C C E S S F U L LY ?

Guy Tolhurst, managing director of Intelligent Partnership, reveals the components needed to scale a business

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ou know what you need to do to grow your business successfully. Well, at least that’s what you believe when you’re mapping out your ambitions. But we all know that in reality what looks like a smooth road to success is full of twists and turns.

When you’re on track, you believe you’ve got all the jigsaw pieces in place. Your emotional strength is intact.

Just then, you turn the corner and face the steepest hill you’ve ever come across. We naturally like to celebrate all of the success stories – great innovative companies that have scaled to heady heights. They inspire and motivate us all to follow in their tracks. But operating in our own worlds, what we don’t always realise is that nothing is as rosy as it seems.

When it comes to support for businesses scaling up, The Scaleup Institute’s Annual Scaleup Review 2017 found that half of those businesses believe they don’t have the right public and private sector support to help their growth plans. About one-third of scaling companies say they lack the right funding to achieve their growth plans. This needs to be addressed. As business owners, we endeavour to build skilled and diverse teams, however, we often can’t compete with large corporates’ buying power.

The Octopus High Growth Small Business Report 2018 reveals that 60% of these companies believe that skills shortage constrains their growth. As many small businesses have to multi-task, nearly nine in 10 of them say they have a skills shortage, compared to the 17% average for UK companies. To address this, 84% of high-growth small businesses in the Octopus research have funded or arranged training for at least one of their team, dwarfing the UK average.

At Intelligent Partnership we talk to high-potential, fastgrowing business founders and leaders every day as part of our research into promoting positive outcomes in the UK’s SME ecosystem. Founders agree that the driving force in their business is human capital – the motivated, driven teams that make their businesses thrive.

Skills are a key part of the human capital equation, but perhaps more important are shared values and cultural alignment. As entrepreneurs, our challenge is to surround ourselves with talented, diverse people who share our vision and desire to make things happen. We can have the best ideas, technology and equal measures of will and determination, but without the support of a great team, your business won’t be able to make it up and over those steep hills.

Of course, there are many successful businesses that are cashflowfunded. Many more need the right type of financial capital, at the optimum stage of their growth, and from investors or financiers who are truly aligned with their goals, bringing so much more than just money. The UK needs to do more to help businesses gain valuable access to finance and tap into the scarce veins of available patient capital. We know that well-capitalised and well-supported businesses are more likely to power on to success.

If you’re a business founder who wants to tell your story and in doing so create a better environment for more SMEs to scale, please visit 100stories.co.uk to take part. ●

Skills are a key part of the human capital equation, but perhaps more important are shared values and cultural alignment

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Meet. Work. Grow.

MEMBER STRAPLINE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PAULINE HUDSON-EVANS CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR Hudson Walker International Ltd

Movin g ou t of th e c om f ort z on e Tell us about your company.

Hudson Walker International was established in London in 1993 as an executive search business focusing specifically on premium and luxury goods and services. Since then we have built long-term partnerships with some of the world’s most prestigious brands – from large corporates with a global presence to private equity-backed brands and founder-led businesses – across fashion, footwear, accessories, fine jewellery and watches, fragrance, beauty, travel, hospitality, interiors and luxury lifestyle services.

What has been your biggest success?

Trading through the financial crisis of 2009 and 2010. Our business fell off a cliff with clients either reluctant to open new files or pulling assignments halfway through. But having your back against the wall like that really galvanizes you. It’s not only about cutting costs and trying to drive sales, you have to think more creatively.

For instance, at a time when everyone else was slashing their marketing spend, we hired a PR firm to reinforce that it was business as usual for Hudson Walker International.

What project are you most excited about right now?

We recently started work on searches in two sectors that are far removed from our core client base: international finance and insurance.

These clients approached us, having identified that the luxury industry is brilliant at producing individuals who understand and

can think super-creatively about branding: delivering the message, confirming credibility, consumer motivation and loyalty, the emotional connection and so on. They felt that they needed to establish and promote strong brand identities across their businesses so briefed us to find the individuals to help them achieve that. For us it is exciting to be broadening our client base whilst continuing to draw on our knowledge of the luxury world.

How has being a member of The Clubhouse contributed to the success of your business?

We were in a leased office in Dover Street for 20 years but in a changing business landscape we no longer needed a dedicated space with all the associated costs and frustrations. I had attended an event at The Clubhouse and saw the benefits of on-demand office space: flexibility, freedom from having to deal with landlords, cleaners, utilities etc. These benefits, combined with much lower running costs, have improved our cash flow and mean that more of my time can now be spent focusing on our core business.

Where can members find you?

The Clubhouse, St James’s is our base and we are nearly always there on Thursdays.

We also use Bank and Mayfair for meetings.

Each Clubhouse has a different feel and it’s good to ring the changes.

QUICK-FIRE ROUND

Favourite place to go in London?

Primrose Hill for breathtaking views and Donmar Theatre for breathtaking productions Who inspires you and why?

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a punk who wrote sublime music, decades ahead of his time in its intensity of expression, subtlety and beauty. I often start the day with a blast of the Sinfonia Concertante Best bit of advice you’ve been given?

Always make sure you’ve got cash in the bank.

If you were on a desert island, what would you bring?

Assuming there would be no electricity, I would take a manual typewriter, Mavis Beacon’s Touch Typing Course and an unlimited supply of A4 paper.

Which super power would you like to have?

Weather control – no more ‘rain stops play’.

What is the worst business ‘faux-pas’ you’ve committed?

Like many I have, alas, fallen foul of the tyranny of ‘Reply All’ but the worst faux-pas, involving an extremely unfavourable description of a candidate’s appearance is, thankfully, far too long for this piece. It was many years ago now but still makes me cringe with embarrassment.

hudsonwalker.com

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FUTURE EVENTS

The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse

ST JAMES’S

ST JAMES’S

MEMBERS’ BREAKFAST Raising growth capital: how to succeed

AN EVENING WITH Matthew Crummack, CEO of GoCompare Group

THURSDAY 17 MAY 8.00 am - 9.30 am FREE FOR MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS In this session, law firm Mishcon de Reya will take a high-level look at different types of investment available, with a detailed focus on growth capital. This session will cover how to best approach the process of raising growth capital and how to position your company when talking to investors.

Mishcon’s experts aim to offer you the opportunity to gain deeper understanding and listen to practical advice relating to this important stage in the development of your business. Nadim Meer and Kevin McCarthy are both partners specialising in Growth Capital and Management Advisory Services at Mishcon de Reya.

SA V E THE DA TE

Billion dollar company.

Est. 2018 This is the age of explosive growth where ideas, technology and burning ambition can turn a start-up in a garage into a global powerhouse. To help plan the meteoric rise of your business, go to theleap.mishcon.com

Matthew Crummack

WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm FREE FOR MEMBERS £25 FOR NON-MEMBERS GoCompare is on a mission to help people save time and money through comparison website GoCompare and MyVoucherCodes. Formerly a senior vice president of Global Lodging at Expedia, CEO of GoCompare Matthew Crummack has previously worked for Nestlé UK, and spent eight years at Procter & Gamble in a variety of UK and European sales and marketing roles. In May 2015, Matthew became a non-executive director of National Express plc. He is also a director of his own UK-based company, Interventus Limited. Please join us to hear Matthew’s business experiences.

HOW TO BOOK: VISIT THECLUBHOUSELONDON.COM OR ASK AT THE FRONT DESK It’s business. But it’s personal.

Business | Dispute Resolution | Real Estate | Mishcon Private

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Theatre

Art

Review

THE FERRYMAN

RICHARD SERRA: RIFTS

IKOYI

Following a sold-out, critically acclaimed première at the Royal Court Theatre earlier this year, Jez Butterworth’s latest play, The Ferryman, transferred into London’s West End. Directed by Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes and designed by Rob Howell, The Ferryman opened to five-star reviews across the board and marks a hat-trick of acclaimed plays from Jez Butterworth, after The River and the multi-award winning Jerusalem played in London. Catch this play before its run ends this month.

‘I use black because it is a colour that doesn’t transport elusive emotions,’ says Richard Serra, a celebrated American artist born in San Francisco who now lives in New York. The Rifts get their name from the distinctive white shapes — elongated triangles — that punctuate their otherwise unrelenting tarmac blackness, and perhaps from the geological term for a rent in the earth’s surface caused by moving tectonic plates. Minimalism at its finest, these are massive, imposing works that will get you thinking.

Chef Jeremy Chan and his business partner Iré Hassan-Odukale have brought heat to the table at Ikoyi, a West African restaurant in St James’s that combines ‘jollof’ cuisine (Nigerian in origin) with more familiar ingredients. The set lunch menu is a small tour of what’s on offer here, with Buttermilk Plantain & Smoked Scotch Bonnet to start and Smoked Crab Jollof Rice for main. The alabaster plaster and warm terracotta walls complement amber banquettes and clay pendant lighting for a sleek yet cosy scene.

UNTIL 19 MAY THEFERRYMANPLAY.COM

UNTIL 25 MAY GAGOSIAN.COM

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Meet. Work. Grow.

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1 ST JAMES’S MARKET IKOYILONDON.COM

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WORK FLOW

Ta c k l i n g t h e t o - d o l i s t

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he joyous organisational frenzy many of us feel when making a to-do list is only topped by the satisfaction of ticking things off it. But often the to-do list becomes a dumping ground for all manner of tasks, from the urgent (‘respond to client’s post-meeting queries’) to the abstract (‘book a weekend away’) so no wonder we struggle to get to the end of ours. According to a recent LinkedIn study, 90% of professionals admitted they’re unable to accomplish all the tasks on their to-do list by the end of an average workday.

Like many systems of work flow, a little structure can go a long way so it’s time to overhaul the to-do list!

There are myriad different apps available for to-do lists, such as Trello, Wunderlist and Slack, as well as plenty of built-in inbox options to flag things up that transform your mailbox into a living, breathing prompt, enabling you to prioritise tasks daily – but sometimes it’s best to go back to basics. Some people take the ‘small surface’ approach – that’s using a post-it note and only writing down the three to

five most crucial must-dos of the day. That is the to-do list in its purest form, making the list manageable because it can only fit a few things on it. For others, a daily planner with the workday’s top priorities is ideal, with a further list for concepts and ideas that needs more space. Whichever form your to-do list

Every time something arises which demands your attention and time, ask yourself, is it worth my time and resources?

takes, you will need to manage it, just like any other task. Sort it into categories: 1. Urgent: things to be done today (eg respond to a client) 2. Important: time-sensitive but doesn’t have to be finished today (eg write the speech for the conference next month) 3. Don’t forget: lower priority tasks (eg to book that holiday or try the new restaurant) Then block out times in your calendar to do the tasks from list 2 as they arrive – they are things that require time and concentration – while leaving gaps to tackle the things from list 1 that must be completed before you leave your desk for the day. Choose times of the day when you are feeling at your most creative/focused to get the longest, most demanding task done. Never let anything else interfere – and let your team know that you are not contactable during that time.

Switch your phone to airplane mode, log out of your email, book a meeting

room where you can work

uninterrupted, and see your productivity soar. ●

U rg e nt

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Che c kl ist

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