Three topics were discussed: cash flow, people & culture, and succession & exit.
In terms of cashflow - Ben Amanna, founder and CEO of Boxraw - a fast-growing three-year-old clothing apparel e-commerce business - set out “to be the reason the world got into boxing”. The business took some robust cash flow planning choices as the UK entered lockdown, but quick decision making and a refocus on core objectives meant the company recorded record results.
“We, as a team, focused on what mattered, and I think that was the biggest and the best thing that happened to us. We focused on the products we thought the market wanted and in four months or so, we did the whole of 2019 revenue.”
On people and culture, Iain and Douglas Anderson, joint MDs and second-generation family member within GAP Group - a plant hire company for the construction industry that has scaled to £200 million in revenue - highlighted how being a family business helps maintain an openness to their culture.
“The staff can pick up the phone to Douglas, myself or any of the board members or senior management team and speak to us. We've got a clear vision on where we’re going, so the culture is one of openness. If anybody wants to know how well we're doing or how badly we're doing, we'll tell them.” – Iain Anderson