business focus 31
Growth through inspirational leadership
'Inspire your team and learn to trust them to do a better job than you,' were key tips for success from David Sanger, founder of Rollover, the UK’s largest hotdog company, when he addressed the Leadership for Growth Summit 2015 at Henley Business School last month
“My aim was always to get my team to behave like owners and not employees. You must recognise your own strengths but learn to delegate properly. To succeed, you must have the right people, an effective recruitment process and crucially in my businesses, a focused incentive culture,” he added.
David Sanger was speaking at the Leadership for Growth Summit 2015 hosted by VitalSix for ambitious business leaders seeking to gain inspiration, advice and funding to help drive their business through rapid growth. Over 80 delegates, including investors seeking their next opportunity, heard from inspirational speakers who had taken their own businesses through a full cycle of setting up, developing, growing rapidly and exiting and also from those who were experiencing growth mid-cycle.
Sanger founded Rollover in 1991, aged 25, and grew the business through being innovative. “I wasn’t afraid to try out ideas, test them and move on if they didn’t work. Consider the benefits of brand stretch – my hot dog business grew very fast but once we were established across the UK in major sport and event venues, we successfully extended the range with pop- corn and smoothies. Sometimes it’s just about thinking creatively. For example we gave away hotdog carts with contracts to lock venues into exclusive sausages supply deals for three years.”
Shirin Dehghan, founder of Arieso, spoke about the importance of the recruitment process in finding the right team. Sell the long-term vision and use creative ways to hire ‘A’ players with a ‘C’ budget advised Dehghan. “Get the right people on the bus, get them in the right seats and get the wrong people off the bus! 30% of start-ups fail in their first year and 70% in the first 10 years. 65% of this failure is because of team issues rather than product or funding failures.”
Setting up Arieso in 2002, Dehghan grew her business very rapidly to become one of the world’s leading providers of customer centric network performance solutions. She sold the business in 2013 for $85 million.
VitalSix, the Summit host, works with businesses to ensure they have the right strategy, leadership skills and funding in place to succeed. Susan Elliott, MD of VitalSix, commented: “The Thames Valley has a rich seam of businesses ready for growth. This Summit aims to energise them, connect them with investors looking for hungry businesses and build the relationships that will
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – NOVEMBER 2015
The Summit also heard from three businesses currently working with VitalSix to grow and develop their businesses. Dermot de Courcy Robinson, MD of MAXX Design, highlighted the key role played by the attendance of their company directors on the High Growth Accelerator Programme. “The course has helped us to think differently and has given us a new focus on our strategy as well our competitive advantage.” David McLeman, CEO of Ancoris, also found the focus on strategy from the Accelerator Programme helped him rethink his plans and drive the business forward.
David Sanger
enable them to grow rapidly. We have worked with some of today’s speakers for more than 10 years and their experiences will inspire the delegates to take the next major steps in their businesses.”
Putting forward an investor’s view, Martin Hunt, chairman of Videregen and programme director at the Invention for Innovation Funding Scheme, highlighted the importance of being investment-ready.
Hunt explained: “Investors will focus on your knowledge and understanding of your sector, a clear vision and mission and a focused strategy. The early appointment of an experienced board is also important.”
VitalSix’s Ed Cooper added that an investor must believe in you – can you lead? Are you credible?
“And finally,” added Hunt, “you must be able to demonstrate a realistic financial return, giving evidence of your claims. Don’t be afraid to seek help and advice on all of these. An investor will grill you to get under the skin of your financial model. Make sure you understand all details of your business.”
“Working with VitalSix has helped us scale up,” added Austin Bailey, MD of Lacka Foods. “I needed a mentor to ask questions and challenge me and the business needed financial skills to help us secure the future.”
“Ensuring that you have the right ideas, plans, skills and funding in place will lead to strong, well-managed sustainable businesses,” concluded Susan Elliott. “The speakers at the Summit demonstrated what can be achieved when you have all of these in place.”
Contact VitalSix if you are looking for rapid growth for your business.
Details: Susan Elliott 0118-9357369
info@vitalsix.co.uk www.vitalsix.co.uk
www.businessmag.co.uk
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