IoD 2nd Annual NW Conference: Quotes from Speakers
Director General of the IoD Miles Templeman said:
“Tax and transport were still among the top concerns for business people, along with skills, energy and climate change.”
On the Region:
“I would like to say how well the region and the IoD is doing up here – the North West is one of our strongest regions.” “Only if each region achieves its goals will UK plc achieve its goals.”
On The Government:
“Today is about business. The IoD represents the interests of businesses to the government. The government is good on policies, but its implementation is poor. The government does not understand empowerment. Having clear strategies is vital but give maximum freedom to front line people to achieve them.
“Blair is more of a centralist than Thatcher. Measurement is important but he has to work closer to the ground.”
“I am pretty sure the next Prime Minister will be Brown, but we all thought Blackpool would get the Super Casino.”
On Transportation:
“Transport issues are really holding back business.” “Congestion charges should be reinvested to increase other services.”
On energy & climate change:
“Let’s not lose competitiveness for the sake of being the climate change hero. It’s about balance – we don’t want to be a leader if the rest of the world is not following.”
On skills:
“The IoD is concerned about skills from basic to the top end. We are pleased with some progress but there is a long way to go, particularly with the involvement of business. They have to give us what we need, we have to spend time helping and understanding.”
Stephen Broomhead, chief executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) said:
“The IoD plays an important part in the region, providing economic advice, policy and challenge to the RDA. Five years ago the only shows in town were the Chamber of Commerce and CBI – the IoD has made a real impact in the North West.”
“There is a £106 billion economy in the North West. £106 billion will be invested over the next three years. The economy in the North West is in good shape, although we are £13 billion behind where we should be. We should have a £120 billion economy in North West.”
“We have had two recent successes. The BBC coming to Salford. 1,500 jobs will be created in the Media City. This is of significance for the whole of the North of England, which will have a centre for creative industries. There has also been the Casino in Manchester, which will drive out the economic benefits and could be worth £200 million a year. The decision on the casino was a surprise. Blackpool has met with Manchester.”
“Issues such as red tape and planning bureaucracy, in addition to skills shortages and transport problems, are continuing to hamper the region.”
“There are more partnerships in Cheshire than celebrity footballers, more partnerships than sheep in Cumbria.”
“From 2008, public spending is tighter. The Government are removing £50 million from their £251 million funding for this region. The central government departments must balance the books because of the Olympics.”
“It costs £200 million a year to run all government agencies including the RDA.”
“Policies are easy, more difficult is performance. The Agency is now working to delivery and implementation of the Regional Economic Strategy.”
Doug Richard, Founder and Chairman of Library House, said:
“I am not going to talk directly about growing businesses, I have to talk about being resilient to challenges.”
“An entrepreneur is not born. My uncle sold most of Miami Beach for $200. My father took a business making cazoos and made it worse. You can be successful without the genes.”
“You have to be resilient to challenges. Business is about how we deal with this. It is about luck as well as intent.”
“The opportunities that come we don’t always recognise – it is the way the challenges present themselves. Any successful entrepreneur who says they leapt from one success to another is lying.”
“I have a checklist to investing – looking at the product, the market, the people, and the investment case. What is the benefit? The benefits to the customer, rather than the features.”
“There is such a think as the ugly baby syndrome. No friend or family is going to tell an entrepreneur they have an ugly idea. It is important when you grow your business to understand how the world views your business, i.e. investors. Understand how an investor would think about your business.”
“Dragon’s Den was a very entertaining programme. Valuation became the touchstone of the show. The only tool we had was to ask for more or less equity, which made us appear greedy.”
“The biggest problem I face in business is getting world class staff and the biggest challenge in the UK is staffing. It is difficult to get the same people in the same place at the same time. My top tip is to buy the top person in your organisation at a top price. Great people will attract great people.”
“I’m an angel investor. I make one or two investments a year. I get three to five thousand offers a year.”
“I have a deep need to get even. My goal in life is to be entertained and to achieve something.”
Emma Harrison, founder and chairman of A4e Ltd, said:
“Entrepreneurs are sexy now. In the old days they were nasty capitalist pigs.”
“My father gave me four pieces of advice; know everything, criticise little, cherish the brethren and never shout.”
“Within a year of taking over my father’s small training company I gained significant government contracts and was turning over £1 million. I was good at organising, selling, banging on doors.”
“Training should improve peoples lives.”
“My staff have one vision – improving peoples lives.”
“We manage £500 million of government funds, operate in six countries, exported welfare reforms, run the New Deal, run private sector Business Link, childcare and training in prisons and improve peoples lives.”
“Doing well by doing good.”
“Follow your passion. Inspire, encourage and elevate others.”
“Be ruthless on the issues, kind on the people.”
“Work on the business, not in the business. Otherwise you lose your superstars. Make it easier to ask forgiveness than permission.”
“Keep business simple. Sidestep the dinosaurs. Forces of evil are lawyers, accountants and bankers. They could tame the spirit. Get tame forces of evil.”
“Follow the passion and the money will follow.”
“Get yourself a mentor. I went to the IoD in Sheffield at 24. I used to pop in once a month.”
“Invest in marketing, marketing and marketing. Do four new things that push you out into the marketplace every day.”
“Be really human and keep your business simple.”
Emma holds regular events for employees; In conversation with… for approximately 200 at her house 8 times a year, and Tea with… for 20 people.
10% of company profits go into a “sharing pot’ divided equally between all employees.
Chief operating officer of the London Organising Committee for the Games, Mike Power OBE said:
“The vision for the Games is about young people, sport, the diversity of Britain and engaging the world. This will be a memorable Games. As a nation we can deliver as a good a Games as anyone in the world. The vision we took to Singapore is the vision we have now.”
“The Commonwealth Games were one of the best ever, if not THE best, Manchester has been there and done it – we are now aspiring to do it. This is why we have Charles Allen and Sir Howard on the board.”
“This is a marathon and we have barely done a mile. Public support in the country is at 70 per cent. We are pleased at the level of support.”
“The scheme includes two years planning, four years building the park and one year on the games themselves.”
“The Olympic Delivery Authority is building the theatre: we are putting on the play.”
“LOCOG’s budget for the Games is £2 billion. The figure has been revised upwards from a figure of £1.5bn predicted at 2004 prices. We are privately funded by sponsorship, a share of the TV rights and by selling tickets and merchandise. There will be 9 million plus tickets sold in the Olympic and Paralympics. Our challenge is that the £2 billion is well spent. We have already put in place tight controls.”
“The committee will begin a major procurement programme in 2009. Before then, there will be a host of opportunities during the construction period.”
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for UK plc. There is an opportunity for business to contribute and participate. This is the biggest business startup of the decade. There will need to be a supply chain second to none. The business opportunities are immense. Hopefully, there will be Olympic champions from the North West.”
The London Olympics offer an unprecedented chance for companies in the north west, with 2,000 contracts available during the construction and development phase and even more to come after that.
“We are bringing the Olympic flame – you can help light the fire.”
“Suppliers would be required for a host of goods and services at the 2012 Games themselves, ranging from 100 tonnes of meat and 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables to 200,000 chairs and the training of 70,000 volunteers.”
Register and get updates from www.london2012.com/business/
Sir Nick Montagu, Former Chairman of the Inland Revenue, said:
“Predecessors were known of as “chairman’ but I became “call me Nick’ for the first 4 weeks.”
“The civil service provides the continuity lacking between political parties.”
“You need to understand the agenda of the day, but be critically apolitical. You are a political pawn – the tricks you would do for Gordon Brown today you’d do for George Osborne tomorrow.”
“Most tax payers are crooks.”
“I went schizoid about tax credits.”
“If you are running a large organisation you need to make sue people know how they fit in and make them feel valued.”
“Leadership is about communication, keep communicating.”
“Like hydra’s head, new regulations come in with new governments.”
“Business has nothing to fear from Gordon Brown. After 10 years as chancellor you don’t get anywhere if you alienate business. If you do, business will react with more off-shoring and less innovation. “
“The IoD has an important role to ensure Gordon Brown has an intrinsic appreciation of business. It is not just a pressure group. The IoD preserves a strong political sense and concentrates on leaning on areas that matter.”
“The artificial separation of tax and national insurance is silly. My personal preference is a system of tax credits to balance a person’s income and tax. We need to simplify PAYE.”
“The tax system is a powerful social and policy tool to achieve an ideology which is why it is so complicated. Since time immemorial, every institution has used tax as a way of achieving what it wants.”
“Tax is like Christmas. You will never get turkeys voting for Christmas but at least if you can do all you can to prepare them for it and get ready for the roasting you’ve done your bit.”
“We know what the politicians cost, what we are not sure of is their value.”
The Business Leaders
Mark Adlestone, Managing Director of Beaverbrooks, said:
“Very rarely do people want to make mistakes. Few people get up in the morning and think they want to do things wrong today.”
“Recruit for attitude. People learn culture and products more easily.”
“Ask yourself, to what extend do people know exactly how I feel about them? If something is wrong, say that you feel they are not happy in their job and insist, don’t be fobbed off, until you get the truth [or a problem to work on]. Ask your managers is there anyone out there that is better.”
Andrew Tinkler, chairman of W A Developments International / Eddie Stobart Ltd. said:
“If you want to improve a business take someone back in that left and that was there at a good time for the business.”
“I spend a week in a lorry and a week in the warehouse.”
“We show our drivers respect. We let them take the keys to the cab home. It is their truck. We spend more on the cabs.”
Director General of the IoD Miles Templeman said:
“The Board should be the best team. They should work together as part of a cross-functional team. The Chairman has a big responsibility.”
Your Business Growth and Success
Dr Sharon O’Kane, co-founder of Renovo said:
“Success is about passion, belief and products, as well as confidence in your products.”
“You don’t need a CEO or MD of a leading pharmaceutical in an entrepreneurial biotech – they don’t stay around to do the washing up or hovering.”
Anthony Preston, founder and chairman of Pets at Home said:
“When you buy a business, everyone [employee] is in shock and don’t believe you. Communications is all but it takes 2 years, there are words and actions. They want to believe what you say, but believe what you do.”
“Communication in business is increasingly important. People are the cornerstone of any business.”
Peter Watson, the new managing director of Business Link in the North West said:
“Entrepreneurs have something in them. These people will always do what they do. They are driven.”
There was a call from questions afterwards for more language training for schoolchildren and expressions of how important this is for business.
Quotes from attendees
“The conference surpassed my expectations. Any entrepreneur or business professional should be here to see such a stellar speaker line up. The speakers weren’t just good, they were great. I’d recommend all NW businesses to come to this next year – they will come away focused and re-charged if this year’s event is anything to go by.” Simon McCrum, Partner at Pannone LLP
“Superb. Speakers were really good. This is an annual opportunity for inspiration, a recharge for business improvement and a chance to meet the crème of North West businesses.” Jane Harrad-Roberts, ChesterTV
“It is always a tough decision to take a day off work, however I wanted to tell you that I am glad to have made the effort, it was quite inspirational. Many people will have got a lot out of it.” Tony Attard, MD of Panaz Ltd.
“The guest speakers were not only inspiring but also demonstrated the qualities that we need so much in business today if we are to maintain our competitive standing on the world stage.” Peter Davys, Managing Director of Orrest Ltd. and Greater Manchester North Branch Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses
“What great conference. You had a couple of the speakers that were really exceptional and I have come away with two pages of bullet points of real and valuable ideas I can use. I will certainly be attending next year!” Jennie Johnson, MD of Kids Allowed Ltd.
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