The Secret To My Success

‘So, how did you do it James?’ is a question I'm asked time and time again and in reality, the answer is pretty simple – by doing things differently and investing in people. I started up without any qualifications or experience but what I lacked in practicality, I made up with passion and drive.

Over my 30 years experience in the industry, my main priority has always been the same, attract the right talent, develop the talent and maintain that talent and I honestly believe this is the key to my success. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again, it is the people who make a successful business, not ideas or products and this why I always invest in people. Here are three main components surrounding this concept;

Make your staff feel valued.

Being a leader means you are the visionary of the business, others look to you for advice and guidance and trust you to know and do what’s best.

I believe in gaining contributions from all levels of the business because you never know where the next innovative idea is going to come from which is why if someone says to me ‘James, I have an idea you need to hear’ I will always listen. Listening to your staff is the best way of ensuring they feel valued. Offering deserved recoginition for key achievements works both ways, they will feel motivated and you will develop a team who are determined to do well.

Find the candidate, THEN define the role.

I am constantly looking for people who can make a difference and bring something new to my business. I find the best way to do this effectively is to create the role around the person, not vice versa so if I meet somebody who I think could fit into the business culture, is talented, driven and passionate I will create a role which allows them to flourish and develop because the most important thing is having people who can drive your business forward. I mean, you can have an amazing business but if you hire the wrong people at the wrong time, ultimately your business will fail.

Creating a culture that works.

Company culture is key, if you have a motivated workforce and create an environment which is both fun and efficient you will get great results. Every business has its own culture and it’s essential to illustrate this as much as possible because it's what makes you unique. Make your business somewhere where people actually want to work! Creating a defined, recognisable culture will mean you attract people of a similar mentality and when people like their colleagues and the environment they're in, they will be reluctant to leave.

For more secrets to success, you can download my free Business Secrets app. Now available for iPad.