36 women in business


The happy family that drives a Dragon’s quest for success


'I came out of the lift and walked to the point where the entrepreneurs present to the Dragons, then turned and went back again. It was terrifying and I have an enormous amount of respect for anyone who puts themselves through that process'


Sarah Willingham, Oxfordshire businesswoman, serial entrepreneur, investor, consumer expert and married mum of four is talking about her first day as the 'new girl' on BBC 2’s Dragons’ Den.


She’s just been invited back for her second series and is already looking forward to reclaiming 'her' chair rather than simply filling the space left by Duncan Bannatyne’s exit.


“It’s been an amazing experience. Since this series has been on air I’ve realised the incredible power of the show, even for people who don’t get the handshake deal. Knowing I’m returning to my chair makes a real difference to me and I’m really going to enjoy it this time,” she says.


For the budding entrepreneurs keen to bag a Dragon, Willingham’s track record is impressive.


Growing up in Stoke, she was taught the value of money from an early age, as neither she nor her younger brother were given pocket money.


Instead, their


parents insisted she found a job – first taking on a paper round aged 11, and then progressing to washing old ladies’ hair for £7 a day.


Her big breakthrough, and one that was to set her on a future career path in the hospitality industry, was aged 13, when she took a job in a café and realised that providing good service to customers usually resulted in a tip.


From a young age she had been fascinated by business and the fact that the majority of kitchen cupboards at her house – and those of her friends – housed the same big brand names, such as Heinz Baked Beans and Mars bars.


“I was always intrigued, I wanted to know why people kept buying the same brands and how that happened,” she said.


With university on the horizon, Willingham’s plan to take a gap year and go travelling was scuppered by her father, who was adamant that if she was going to see the world, she would have to be paid for it.


Her solution was to study for an international business degree in France


www.businessmag.co.uk


and, armed with a second business degree from Oxford Brookes University, she duly spent her 20s opening up restaurants all over the world, first for Planet Hollywood (mainly Europe) and then for Pizza Express.


“I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur at that point or even have my own business. I was having a brilliant time, I loved food, I loved travelling and business. Equally, by my late 20s, I realised that if I wanted to be a mum, I needed to start thinking about something else to do,” she said.


'I became a CEO so I could delegate, I didn’t become a mum in order to delegate'


In 2004, armed with some savings and a determination to take on a new project she was passionate about, Willingham joined forces with management company The Clapham House Group, to buy The Bombay Bicycle Club.


“It was a lovely business, fantastic food


and great customer loyalty, but it was losing money. It was perfect for me because the one thing I knew really well was how to make money out of restaurants. I had what they needed in terms of expertise and they had the business, which I didn’t have,” she said.


She turned it into Britain's largest Indian restaurant chain, but by 2008, with a toddler and a new born baby in tow, Willingham realised things needed to change and decided to sell her shares.


“Minnie, my first born, came everywhere with me, but when Monti arrived 15 months later, the 12-hour days and trips to London became very difficult,” she said. “By then, we had 1500 staff and I realised I had created something too big to balance effectively with the time I also wanted to spend as a mum.


“I became a CEO so I could delegate, I didn’t become a mum in order to delegate. I appreciate that’s not the same for everyone, but it was for me and it couldn’t have been a better time for me to sell my shares. I knew that the most valuable thing I had to give was my time for my babies and I’ve never looked back.”


THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – MARCH 2016


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52