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By Dani Saveker, September 2, 2010 12:14 pm

I’m used to being the strong one and the girl that always carries on regardless… KEEP CALM & CARRY ON may as well be my mantre.

I quite often tell people that when you’re the Managing Director or CEO, the main thing you need to do is be able to act. Regardless of your views and feelings you have to just smile and get on with the job at hand. You really have no choice – and that’s as it should be. If you crumble then everything and everyone around you will too.

But let me give you a little insight into my world.

During all three pregnancies I worked in a wheelchair in constant pain and unable to take medication, I had daily injections of Clexane to prevent blood clots, hardly slept due to chronic pelvic pain (this was all down to SPD, a condition caused by hormones relaxing the pelvic ligaments) and ran a business. When each child was born by c-section I wasn’t able to have maternity leave, the babies came with me and I carried on from when they were a couple of weeks old. People saw me carrying on but in reality it was hell and I hate that I couldn’t have time with each child during their early years.

When I carried out an MBO, restructured the Board, made my uncle and cousin redundant, became MD, acquired 2 businesses, recovered from a major fire which wiped out production, created a new management team and set up a new manufacturing site I also happened to get divorced, be a single mum and move house – all in the same year we celebrated 100 years of the family business. No one saw the tears when I had to get rid of my family members or the sleepless nights, the holiday I spent awake 24hours a day to negotiate a deal, the fall outs in the family due to shareholdings etc.

My workforce would never have wanted to know about the times we weren’t paid or the house and car that we lost as the company failed. They wouldn’t want to know about the personal guarantee that remains hanging over us.

The day I signed the paperwork for the company’s administration in 2009 and addressed my workforce to tell them this news will stay with me forever. I was a lost and lonely little girl and it was possibly the only time the exterior cracked a little – but not for long. The next day was business as usual and my job was to rally the troops and get on with finding a buyer and trading through administration.

As much as I am proud of being able to hold it together, I often wish people could understand that things are never quite what they seem. I am not someone that looks for sympathy and I can’t abide people that choose to play “victim” but occasionally it would be nice to be allowed to hurt and cry. My husband is the only person that has seen the pain close up, especially as the company closed and I tried to find a way through the darkness. I am often accused of not asking for help – well it’s not in my makeup. I simply can’t ask even when it’s needed and so those that offer unconditional help and support are even more appreciated.

I was with one of my oldest and most trusted friends yesterday and I have never appreciated people like her as much as I do now.

When time’s are tough it filters out people that are genuinely on your side – the rest show their true colours and so as my time comes back around I will not forget those I could rely on and what really matters.

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By Dani Saveker, September 2, 2010 11:31 am

During the recession I’ve seen lots of new start up businesses. Mircobusiness-entrepreneurs are certainly on the increase as people seek out opportunities. Of course I started Jeeves Services in January of this year and so know all too well the highs and lows.

I’ve loved experiencing the different aspects of the SME (small-medium enterprise) that I ran for a good few years compared to a new start up.

I do believe that you have to be slightly crazy to want to start a business – but if you are then welcome to the club!

Starting a business is very much like having a baby. The process of considering it before you’re up and running is rather like the 9 months before baby arrives. You’ll need to take it seriously and do some preparation – such as where you will work, what time you can commit, finances etc – but then just like when a child arrives it will still take you by surprise.

New business are exciting and full of hopes and dreams, again like having an addition to the family, but then the hard work really begins.

I believe strongly in research and preparation. Having a good idea is one thing, having a business that will be successful is a whole different matter. Ask friends and family that will be honest with you – we’ve all seen Dragons Den and how someone thinks that their idea is the best but haven’t thought about whether anyone would actually buy the product or use the service.

“A good idea and a good business are two different things”

Have a plan. What’s your product or offering? How will it be produced? At what cost? Are there any competitors or threats? How will you promote it and let the market know about you and your products/services? Where will you be based? What help will you have? Are you working to your strengths and what will you need support with?

Cash is key to any business; it’s the life line so plan well to take care of this. How will you manage your finances and how will you know for sure if you can make money. Never be a busy fool.

What is the vision? Understand what your business is about and ensure that there’s a unique selling point (USP).

Understand what resources are required. Resources for any business are critical but especially for start ups. Money, time, passion, belief and energy are all vital and can’t be compromised.

You have to be completely committed to the business – again just as if it was a young child. Nurture it. There will be times where your love for it will dip so be ready to grit your teeth if you want to succeed. It’s harder work that you would imagine. It can be a very lonely place especially if it’s just you and a home based office.

Even with a full commitment you will need support. Surround yourself with inspiration, support and expertise. Ensure that you have support from your family. You must be able to trust those close to the business and instinct is imperative. As the business grows you need to stay flexible to all positive development and consider non-executive directors. I firmly feel that my trusted network of colleagues and business associates allow me to understand the world around me in a far better way as well as being able to bounce ideas around – they’re always happy to give an honest opinion which is very valuable.

When you think you understand what you’re getting into and what can happen – do it anyway! Ultimately it is a leap of faith and a certain amount of bravery and madness is essential but it should be worthwhile. As I said, very much like having children – extremely hard work but very rewarding when you get it right!

As a last piece of advice and something I have always stood by, have a “what if” plan… what if it all goes wrong. If the alternative isn’t too bad you have nothing to lose.

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By Dani Saveker, July 7, 2010 12:57 pm

I’ve been fascinated recently with what happens to successful small businesses that have been bought by larger corporates. I know of  a few great businesses that were sold and suffered at the hands of the new owners. These sales have been through the result of administration as well as strategic purchases – but all with the same problems.

Why does this happen? It seems that incorrect decisions can be made as to personnel and who should be retained and who is detrimental to the business. Failure to understand the market sector, audience or products by new owners is common. I think that there’s also a misunderstanding about the value of personal relationships with key clients and then finally it appears that there’s often a clash of culture. In extreme situations I have seen ethical companies fail when taken over by money grabbing companies who have no regard for doing “the right thing”. Customers and employees suffer as a consequence.

But just as my mother always said “what goes around comes around”….

This year I have seen those entrepreneurial business owners who sold great businesses (or whose business went into administration) have had sufficient time to reflect and recover. The next stage of course is to pick themselves up and dust themselves down and start again. Starting again is key, using all that experience and revisiting loyal customers, suppliers and even loyal employees means that success is in sight and I for one am standing at the side line as a supporter for two businesses in particular that I know will be fabulous again. It seems that a year or two is needed in between but eventually there’s no ignoring the need to get back in the game. I have so much admiration for these guys and I know from my own experience that your hunger just increases and as soon as the time is right it’s time to start over but with even more determination.

My time is almost here…and I’ve never been more ready!

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By Dani Saveker, June 23, 2010 4:00 pm

I was recently bought a copy of the John Timpson book “Upside Down Management“. Anyone that is aware of John’s writing will know that he has an eloquent way of putting things and isn’t afraid to be open whilst maintaining a light hearted approach. Of course this book is exactly the same.

As a fellow family business owner I  can share many similar anecdotes to those in the opening chapters of the book but there’s one that stood out to me. Chapter One discusses the 1960’s and how business was built upon status –  ”our office was full of status symbols”. Well I remember that all too well when I used to visit our family’s company as a young child back in the late 70’s. John explains that there were 40 parking spaces on the way to the entrance of the building and these were strictly allocated according to seniority.

At T Saveker Limited whilst at our Phillips Street site we had a senior staff car park to the right of the main building and another car park to the left for everyone else. The ‘family’ were permitted to use the one to the right and yet I deliberately chose not to and much preferred to park with everyone else. I guess the fact that my car when I started with the company was more in keeping with the left hand car park meant in fitted in well. Once I could afford a slightly better car I didn’t see why car parking arrangements should change.

In 1997 when we moved premises (to Aldridge Road by Perry Barr Grey Hound Stadium)  a senior family member and board member instantly parked next to the entrance, irrespective of any potential disabled drivers etc. This was clearly an indication of status as he perceived it. As he arrived reasonably early each morning it set a challenge – to get in even earlier and park there. So I did.

John Timpson commented that as you moved up in the company management structure you could move closer to the door. This was so true and something I resented when I became Managing Director and later CEO. There were no set parking spaces from the moment I became MD.

Family businesses can have wonderful traditions and many look after employees well but status can continue to be a big issue – and yet as John explains, real success comes from empowering the workforce – given you have the correct workforce and no “drongos” as Timpson puts it!

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By Dani Saveker, May 25, 2010 9:40 am

Good news, for some…

It would seem that Marks and Spencer have announced profits today of £632.5m for the last financial year. Chairman, Sir Stuart Rose has suggested that the UK has now come through the worst of the recession. In so many ways I would agree that it does sound like that especially with such profits being stated in the press.

The bad news, for some….

However, the bigger picture is that those profits have been achieved by squeezing the suppliers. Major retailers such as M & S, Next (reporting 18% increase in profit), Sainsburys (who recently boasted a 17% hike in profits), Tesco’s (who reported record profits)  and others have been able to dictate prices to suppliers for a long time and the recession has certainly allowed them to hold all the power. As the CEO of a manufacturing SME in the Midlands during the worse of the recession we supplied shopfittings to the retail, leisure and construction sectors and I know first hand how these big players had no regard for the backbone of the UK. We were crippled – the phone’s stopped ringing in October 2008.

The sad news…

My family’s 106 year old business had no choice but to enter administration in March 2009 and I still wonder about all the other victims that have fallen by the wayside as a result of the recession – and in particular as a result of big retailers and car manufacturers ensuring they survived regardless. Of course as a businesswoman I understand the cut throat decisions that have to be made at times – that’s the duty of the directors but I just hope we realise that the headlines have a great deal more behind them and that the ongoing impact of the recession will cascade for months if not longer. What about the third sector and so many others?

The horizon in the UK is radically different now and we have a pool of highly skilled executives that have been thrown into the pot, professionals that have left or been discarded and it will be an interesting two years – of course we also have the new Government and faster moving technology… so interesting times ahead and they’ll be nothing like we have known before.

Having said all that, I still believe that we have a world of opportunities at our disposal and it’s time to seize them!