Profile
T_he exterior of Prestons
of Bolton with newly
restored Timeball
asked me what my USP was and I didn’t know
what he meant. He offered to give me half a
day’s lesson in marketing and it transformed my
outlook.
Will your business ventures branch out beyond
the North West?
With retail I have no plans to but my other
businesses Peter Dooley Design, T_he Gate
Design Group and of course Cottrills corporate
already have.
What would be the best advice you could give
to budding entrepreneurs? Would the advice
you give be affected by the current financial
climate?
Watch cash at all times. T_he banks are more
interested in your cash position than your
profitability or balance sheet and never believe
that your past performance will have any impact
on the banks view of your business if you hit a
bad patch.
What are your plans for the future of Cottrills?
To grow and strengthen the divisions of the
business are the main aims for the future. I love
every aspect of the business and I’ve got great
people in key positions which allow me to focus
T_he private client room Cottrills Wilmslow
on the different areas I enjoy most.
making the whole experience really special, we achievement was buying Prestons of Bolton out
What has been the greatest lesson you have
would have a significant advantage over the of administration and recreating the success that
learned in business? Do you have a life
competition. As predicted, this has been exactly they enjoyed through the 1970’s and 80’s.
philosophy?
the case. T_here are some innovative jewellery Personally, one of my greatest achievements was
Recognise your weaknesses and recruit the best
retailers out there, but to be honest there’s not stopping an out of town development in
people you can find. I don’t really have a life
that many. Macclesfield that had been given the green light
philosophy aside from recognising there’s not a
by the local council.
lot of time to achieve what you want to.
Have there been any hurdles to overcome?
What was your greatest challenge? British Rail was one of your biggest clients in
T_here are always hurdles; sometimes they’re the early days, who would you count among
Some quick-fire questions…
bigger sometimes smaller. Such rapid growth in your biggest clients today?
Who do you most admire?
the early days was difficult to finance and we Our top 10 clients today and in no particular
In business Charles Dunstone, in sport Ryan
had no credibility with suppliers outside the order include: Citi, Ford, HBOS, Tesco, Travis
Giggs and in politics Margaret T_hatcher.
jewellery industry. Perkins, Astra Zeneca, T_homas Cook, William
When the business to business division of Hill, Network Rail and the Co-operative Group.
What is the best thing about your job?
Cottrills took a severe downturn in 2006 it was We have over 500 active corporate accounts that
T_he variety and the ability to do the things I enjoy.
just at the time we’d embarked on a significant use us to reward their staff.
capital expenditure programme at Prestons of
Describe an average day in the life of Karl
Bolton. T_he bank turned on me and I had to Over the years, what would you say have been
Massey…
think quickly and act decisively to turn the the biggest factors in causing the business to
T_here isn’t one. Last week I had a day in Dublin
situation around. evolve? Have there been any defining moments
looking at a major shop-fitting project and in
for you in your career?
Essex looking at a business opportunity with my
What has been your greatest achievement? Probably restlessness within me and a strong
key management team. I’m probably in the office
I think winning the national contract for the desire to succeed have been the driving factors.
50% of the time and out seeing key clients the
supply of long service awards and retirement T_here have been a few defining moments over the
other 50%. On Saturdays I go to Cottrills and
gifts to British Rail was the biggest achievement years, such as winning the British Rail contract,
Prestons of Bolton.
in terms of boosting the business to business but I would say that rather than moments it’s the
division of Cottrills. T_his took the corporate people I’ve met over the years who’ve helped me What makes a good entrepreneur?
division from a turnover of £300k in 1992 to develop the businesses as it is today. Restlessness, a good imagination, determination
£2.5m in 1993 and gave me a solid base to grow. When I was trying to develop the corporate and an overriding desire to succeed. It also helps if
On the retail side of the business, our biggest business back in 1990, one of my retail customers you have a strong fear of failure.
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