MEMBER ZONE MEMBER ZONE By Richard Chubb, Independent Consultant, at FCA


I remember the first time I told a colleague that I was planning to leave Dubai and set up my own business in Plymouth. My colleague’s response was “what’s Plymouth?” To be fair, my colleague was a Kurdish doctor,


but the point had been made. After more than 12 years living in Egypt, Tanzania, Indonesia and the UAE, the world tour was over. We were coming home... if “home” is a place you’ve never set foot in before, where you bought a flat based solely on the fact that it looked nice on Rightmove. This being our fifth move in 12 years,


relocating was the easy bit. After a short break, I started building my new business. Now that was a far bigger challenge! My initial concerns were threefold. Firstly, how


would I prioritise what needed to be done? Secondly, could I transition from a back-office focus to one in which I had to develop a client base? Thirdly, would I be able to succeed in a completely alien market? Plymouth may not sound exotic but, when you spend a life operating in emerging markets you develop a familiarity with that kind of environment. This third point was important to me. Although I am looking to maintain an international client base, I do not want to run a business that happens to be based in Plymouth - local clients are just as important. So, about my first concern. As expected for an


accountant, my back office was already shipshape - a company was formed and named, bank accounts opened, tax registration all done. So far so good. However, as my old boss taught


Richard Chubb swapped the bright lights of Dubai...


me, a business with expenses and no revenue is more of a tax avoidance mechanism than a business. my top priority was to find clients. The first port of call was the Devon Chamber


of Commerce. I noticed that they would soon be holding a networking lunch just down the road. Within minutes I’d joined the Chamber and signed up for the lunch. So, how did it all go? Well, I learned a lot


about how well I was handling my second concern - terribly! I was woefully underprepared to pitch my business, sounding more like an accountant trying to network than a business owner marketing his business. The entirely fair question “what does Chubb FCA do?” came up several times and, on each occasion I struggled. It definitely highlighted a point to practice. Importantly, I came away from the lunch


encouraged. I hadn’t appreciated the range of businesses operating in Plymouth - from fitness centres to animators. I found people to be highly supportive too. People listened politely to my mangled attempts to explain what I do but didn’t then just make their excuses - they stuck around! I got the feeling that, if I could just market the business a little more sharply, maybe I could find a few interesting clients in Devon to add to those in far flung parts of Africa. I don’t know how my third concern will pan


out. Will I find some clients here or will I just service the world from Plymouth? It seems an odd problem, but it reveals one important fact, that you don’t have to travel to distant lands to make a step into the unknown.


Richard Chubb, Independent Consultant at Chubb FCA


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Richard Chubb is an internationally experienced finance professional. In 2017, he left his safe, enjoyable job in Dubai in order to return to Britain and start his own business. Chubb FCA was founded to assist


businesses of all shapes and sizes with their pressing commercial issues. With services ranging from financial modelling to due diligence support, Chubb FCA aims to be the commercial partner of choice in Devon and beyond.


For more information, visit www.chubbfca.com


... For a brand new business challenge in Plymouth


EVENTS, NEW MEMBERS AND ADVICE FOR DEVON CHAMBER MEMBERS


Devon: A step into the unknown


‘I hadn’t


appreciated the range of businesses


operating in Plymouth’


26 Chamber Profile March/April 2018


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