Here comes the Sun....

I'm over 50 ?

Are you..?

Yet we focus so much of our efforts on those under 35 it seems

Indeed, I mentor a number of Young Innovators for Innovate UK …

The average age of a founder of UK High Growth business (2022) was 36 and the average for Unicorn's 34!

But more experienced professionals?

However, Beauhurst last year highlighted a Penn State University report that found a 50 year old entrepreneur is almost twice as likely to have success than a founder in their 30's!

It’s a suggestion that older founders are more likely to actively generate creative business ideas and convert then into successful businesses

Using Companies House &?Beauhurst?data they highlighted a number of UK businesses led by more senior executives

A thriving entrepreneurial business based in the South West enjoying much success after a spin-out from the University of Bristol is Graphcore offering AI researchers leading edge products and has raised over $0.5bn over 7 raises….impressive!

For the UK to punch above it's weight, we need 10x the number of businesses doing what?Graphcore?has achieved in just the first 5 years of incorporation

I think we might just need alot more Mom & Pop's starting businesses!

Europe is a Museum…

Japan is a Nursing Home…

China is a Prison…

The USA is a business IMO !

Well at least Larry Summers former US Treasury Sec thinks so….

I'd tend to agree!

There are several reasons I'd posit:-

-Business Education

-Liquidity

-Mindset

-Markets

-Innovation

-Companies

-Immigration

There are more people pursuing and delivering business education in colleges and Universities in the USA than anywhere else, students often go on to work and form startups

Financing is way easier to access in the US, than elsewhere, UK banks rarely lend on their balance sheets now without personal guarantees, not enough lenders, not enough lending….

People's mindset is to think smaller and safe in the UK, in the US most people think big, are entrepreneurial or want to be, that's not yet the case in the UK, it's getting better but still!

Markets remain key, we've all but lost the EU, the UK is small, we need to build more bridges to India, China, S Korea, the USA and Canada, not enough has been done IMO

Innovation is very strong in the US, it's getting better in the UK, @Innovate UK do sterling work to support and mentor, but much more is needed, we need more hubs, more mentors and more $$$....

Our companies remain isolated, too small and often without PE/VC/Angel support to scale, we've got to get more leaders into these business, need more mentoring and advising to scale

We haven't got enough people, if you haven't noticed we're getting older and we just don't have enough good, quality, younger people, we need reform of immigration and we need it now!

It's NOT too late, but we need to do more, more leaders, more funding and more growth orientation

You know where I am

I was in Bristol again last week....

And I'm yet again thinking!

Is Bristol the next San Francisco, CA (SFO)?

Well hopefully not for house prices

But the South West and Bristol in particular is certainly gaining traction

I've spent a lot of time recently 'Up-Country' in Bristol and 'What a city'! History, Vibrancy, Diversity, Education and Jobs….lots of them

The tech talent hub and innovation centre that is Bristol is certainly punching above it's weight in funding startups and scaleups in the UK

Beauhurst data paints a good picture vs other UK cities and bodes well for the region several Bristol businesses are on the latest Deloitte Tech Fast 50 including Sintela Deazy & Loqbox

What differentiated SFO and others like Austin, TX, Tempe, AZ & Boulder, CO?was access to advisors and NeD's with experience & knowledge to enable the business to scale & succeed

The same will likely separate the winners from the rest in the next expansion

Recently, Bristol was again named amongst the best cities to visit, the fact that Bath and Wells rounded out the top three adds to the South West coming out top, but no Exeter...?

I've been back in the UK 5 years…

Posting on LinkedIn a little over 2 years

Clients when I returned = Zero

As a Consultant CFO, NED, Advisor & Mentor…

Amongst the wonderful clients since:-

Wiltshire Marketing Agency

West Country PhotoTech

South East Lighting Tech

South West EV Service

Dorset Environmental

Devon Edtech

Devon Niche Tech Svcs

City Growth Incubator

Somerset Engineering

Bristol Waste Haulage

Devon Design Studios

Cornwall Healthtech

Bristol Pharmatech

London eCommerce

Wiltshire Aerospace

Cornwall Hospitality

Dorset Renewables

Cornwall AI Startup

Devon Consultants

Bristol Fintech

London Architects

Oxford Fintech

South West CIC

Bristol Startups

London MSP's

Bristol GenAI

Great clients today…

Love them ALL…

Linkedin followers today 15,000+

Linkedin posts almost 1000 to date

Impressions…almost 1.9m to date

If I can

You can!

Just over two years ago…

I started sharing on LinkedIn:

— I questioned if my insights really mattered

— I was unsure if they provided great value

— I even questioned my own experience

— I feared being ignored

When your advising skills improve:

— You find your voice and learn that it resonates

— You begin to educate with confidence

— You focus on meaningful interactions

— You realise your thoughts matter

When you begin accelerating:

— You can scale your brand further, deeper and wider

— You begin to become a key voice of influence

— You grow meaningful relationships

— You gain respect and credibility

But most importantly? You help:

— You help take someone from here to there

— You learn to ignore criticism

— You see your clients grow

— You really enjoy it all

Your knowledge is worth sharing…!

But the reward is always seeing others win

There is no such thing as work/life balance!

It's a fallacy!

In business, maintaining a balance between work and life can be challenging

But it's important for your overall well-being

A few tip's I've used to maintain my sanity:

Set boundaries:

Clearly define what constitutes work time and personal time, and stick to them as much as possible

Prioritize:

Make a list of important tasks and responsibilities, and actively prioritize them based on urgency and importance

Schedule time for yourself:

Block out time in your calendar for activities that you enjoy, exercise (golf!), hobbies, or spending time with friends and family

Take breaks:

Make sure to take regular breaks during the workday to refresh your mind and body

Disconnect from work:

When you're not working, try to disconnect from work as much as possible. This can help you to enjoy your personal time more fully

Be mindful of your workload:

Be aware of how much you are taking on and learn to say no

Use technology wisely:

Set time limits on your phone and social media and use calendar reminders to keep track of your schedule

Delegate responsibilities:

Learn to delegate tasks and responsibilities, so that you can focus on what is most important, focus on the business not in it

Communicate with your stakeholders and staff:

Openly communicate with your 'important others' and colleagues about your workload and your need to maintain a balance between work and life

Reflect and evaluate:

Regularly take time to reflect on your work-life balance and make adjustments as needed

Don't take it all too seriously:

Remember that a balance between work and life is not a one-time achievement, it is a continuous process

Get the balance right and maintain it, that's the tough part