entrepreneurs 19


Pictures by Angus Thomas


let them get on with it“. The art of delegation is something I‘m only just learning, which is a real challenge for a control freak like me – but I‘m really enjoying the process. By 2007, we had a wide range of car products. A year later we began to export, following our success at overseas trade shows, so we got the best people we could afford to sponsor. More recently I‘ve moved the USA office from California to Florida; the time zones work better. We‘re in 60 countries, therefore brand management is very important. I‘m dealing with more corporate accounts since we moved to this head office in Poole a year ago, hence the delegation. Our R&D team is also based here at the head office.


The products sounds like a luxury spa selection – Wheel Wash, Tyre Shine, Ubershine Luxury Car Shampoo, Bug and Tar Remover,


Miracle Shine Polis, Uber Wax Kit – to name but a few. Do you have a personal favourite?


My favourite is always the next. But if I had to choose it would have to be our bike cleaner as it‘s our original product, is still our best seller and remains a highly developed formulation. Each product has its own identity and 2014 will see us consolidating the brand.


What‘s your business mantra?


Work hard, be humble. The brand is tactile, fun, and has found its own vibe. I‘m the ultimate consumer and at the core of the company we are a problem-solving brand. The products have to work, so that‘s very much part of the business mantra and ethos.


You‘re an active, outdoors type, what‘s a great day off work? Or does downtime usually blend with work?


Anything to do with bikes. I‘ve tried lots of sports and love lots of different activities, but give me a bike and a good trail and there‘s almost nothing else on earth I‘d rather be doing. I‘d say my current split is 60% cycling and 40% riding motorbikes.


How important is the website as not just a shop window for products, but to build a Muc-Off community of like-minded enthusiasts?


Vital, and increasingly so for our future. To be able to get consumers talking about the products and contributing to the future design of the products is powerful. Also to be able to give real depth and detailed information on each product and the R&D processes is very cool. We are launching a completely new site this month (July). We don‘t ram our products down people‘s throats but we engage through social media. We are extremely aware of how important good customer service is as a young brand when there is so much information overload for customers in a wired world, whether it‘s a tweeted response


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – JULY/AUGUST 2013


or phone call to make sure they have the right product or to answer a query.


What would you consider your greatest achievement... other than your 50m swimming badge?


My 100m badge? Just kidding. I‘m really proud that we have managed to sell products all around the globe (currently 60 countries and counting) within just a few years of exporting. We‘re looking to set up our second foreign office next year.


Do you have a partner who joins you outdoors biking?


Not at the moment, I‘m single, mainly due to the long hours and extensive travelling, which make for zero work/life balance, but I‘m looking forward to hopefully finding someone and settling down at some point soon.


Any hidden talents and unfulfilled ambitions?


I‘ve been told I‘m a good motivator; there‘s nothing better than empowering internal meetings to charge the team, not that they need it much as they are all so passionate about the business. I‘ve also been known to jump and touch my toes in the air while on a dance floor, but that was pre Achilles tendon rupture. I have many ambitions, plenty of goals for Muc- Off which I can‘t really talk about as we need to keep them under wraps, but personally I still want to ride in the Dakar Rally and spend more time working on art.


Your dream machine to own if cost was no object, bike, motorbike, car?


I wouldn‘t be able to choose between a Ferrari F40 (red) and a Honda RC166. I‘m lucky to have a Pinarello – it‘s a work of art, very high spec and the bike which I ride non-stop. I‘m the only under-performing component.


Details: www.muc-off.com www.businessmag.co.uk


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