Twenty years ago, running a small business was primarily about managing operations and relationships. Today, it's about leading people, technology, reputation and change, while still delivering sustainable growth.
1. Relationships outlast transactions. Thankfully, so do some clients.
2. Cash flow is king. Profit is the attractive cousin everyone talks about.
3. Every overnight success story took about 10 years longer than advertised.
4. Clients don't always know what they want. Occasionally, neither do we.
5. Technology is wonderful... right up until the Wi-Fi goes down five minutes before a presentation.
6. Recruiting is difficult. Finding someone who can use "Reply All" appropriately is even harder.
7. Your team will teach you as much as you teach them.
8. Most crises can be solved with calm thinking. And occasionally biscuits, or wine.
9. The harder a conversation feels to start, the more important it probably is.
10. There's no such thing as a quick meeting.
11. Experience is simply making more expensive mistakes than everyone else.
12. People remember how you made them feel long after they've forgotten what was in the PowerPoint.
13. Being busy and being productive are not the same thing. I've tested this theory extensively.
14. Company culture isn't what's written in the business values. It's how people behave when things go wrong.
15. You never stop learning. Just when you think you've seen it all, someone invents TikTok.
16. Work-life balance is less of a balance and more of a continuous negotiation.
17. The best business opportunities usually come from people you've known for years.
18. Leadership isn't having all the answers. It's looking confident when you’re apprehensive.
19. Success is never a solo achievement. Neither are most mistakes.
20. After 20 years, I've learned that technology and economies change constantly, but psychology and human behaviour doesn’t.
Twenty years ago I thought being an MD meant having a grand plan, all the answers, and complete control.
PS Some other lessons learned…..usually the hard way
21. Not every great idea is actually a great idea. If it starts with "I've been thinking...", the team should probably be allowed a safety briefing.
22. Just because you're the MD doesn't mean you're the smartest person in the room. In fact, if you are, you've recruited badly.
23. Micromanagement feels helpful right up until you realise you've become the bottleneck for everything.
24. The phrase "It'll be quicker if I do it myself" is responsible for thousands of lost weekends.
25. Sometimes I delegated too little. Sometimes I delegated too much. Occasionally I delegated to the wrong person entirely and discovered this at the worst possible moment.
26. Never send an email when you're angry. Draft it, save it, sleep on it, then delete 80% of it.
27. Every leader has made a decision that looked brilliant on a spreadsheet and ridiculous in real life.
28. Confidence and competence are not always travelling together.
29. If three people tell you something isn't working, they're probably right. If ten people tell you, they're definitely right.
30. Some of my biggest business lessons came disguised as expensive mistakes.
Twenty years later I've discovered it's mainly about building great relationships, backing good people, adapting to change... and pretending not to panic when someone says, "Have you got five minutes?"
Most importantly, I've learned that success is never built alone.
Thanks to everyone who's been part of the journey. The clients, colleagues, suppliers, partners, friends, and those who told me, "It'll only take a minute." It never did. Here's to the next 20 years.
20 years. One business. Countless lessons.