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Advice
The business
builder
Brad Rosser has joined the Business Matters team - and he wants to help you grow
your business and maximise your potential
monitor them closely. Ensure the right incen-
Brad Rosser is one of the UK’s most successful business builders, having raised well tives are there and make the commission
over £1bn in funding for startups. With investments ranging from as little as £20,000 to element of their packages as high as possible.
as much as £900m, he has nurtured and sold businesses with values in excess of hun- With these fundamentals in place, you can
dreds of millions of pounds. think more strategically. First off, help your staff
Brad is passionate about working with start-ups and loves doing the hard yards with to sell – as conditions have changed, we have
partners who are taking their businesses to the next level. Brad is also enthusiastic changed our sales scripts and sales mes-
about improving the skills of entrepreneurs through practical training. sages. We have provided additional training
Prior to setting out on his own, Brad was Group Corporate Development Director for and given them up to date market information.
Virgin, where he was responsible for identifying all new businesses that Virgin should Second, focus on existing customers. It’s
pursue and then turning the ideas into thriving, profitable operations. He also spent far easier (and faster) to sell to them than to
several years at McKinsey & Co. advising some of the world’s largest companies. find new ones. We’ve reviewed our database
Brad has also been extremely successful in his own enterprises. His diverse business to find clients who have not purchased for
interests include one of the UK’s leading mortgage brokers, several of the UK’s largest some time, or only in a single market, and who
‘cashback’ and money-saving websites, residential property investment services, and have significant equity available in their exist-
international resort development. ing investments.
See www.bradrosser.com for further information. Third, run sales events. We have held events
such as evenings showcasing a new property
market or development. We can both educate
Q: I’m thinking about bringing a partner your own capabilities. If the answer is to the and inform our clients and sell face-to-face,
into my business. Have you had partners question is ‘yes’, go for it - get a partner. once again to existing clients.
in the businesses you’ve been involved in? There is one caveat: if you’re the untrust- Fourth, offer special incentives. To help sell
ing, second-guessing type who keeps yourself a particular development rapidly, we have of-
A: In general, I think that having a partner is a up at night wondering what your partner is up fered special commission incentives and
good idea. When I was at Virgin I realised that to, think again. You cannot manage partners bonuses. We are aware that the market is
although it is Richard Branson’s and Virgin's like employees - you’ve just just let them get tougher, and are therefore prepared to reward
names that have the highest profile in a on and deliver their end. That’s why they are our staff. But watch that sales staff don’t
venture, Richard will always partner with partners. One last word of advice: whenever I suddenly ignore all the products and services
someone who knows the industry better than have been a partner or put two together I that don’t carry additional incentives!
he does. I have followed a similar approach in ensure the ground rules are agreed and have Finally, review the products you are selling,
most of my own ventures. them written into an agreement on salaries, listen to your customers, and look for new
Being in business on your own can often be expense policy, dividend policy and all the rest. opportunities. We constantly review the out-
lonely, and it’s great to have moral support. If look for property markets around the world and
you think you need a partner you need to ask Q: With the economic outlook worsening, adjust our property sourcing accordingly. We
a critical question: ‘is the partner going to bring what suggestions do you have for also solicit regular feedback from our clients
a core skill into the business that I do not have, improving sales in difficult times? about which property markets they are looking
and that is so crucial that I can’t capture it just at and what products and services they need.
by recruiting an employee?’ Firstly, make sure you have the fundamentals
Can you give your partner a massive ongo- in place. You need a talented and highly moti-
ing responsibility to do something you can’t vated sales team. If they aren’t the right people
do, and leave them to their own devices, and then remove them ASAP. Churn can be a good
be completely relaxed that they will get it thing. Don’t let your sales staff ever get too
done? You must be honest here, and assess comfortable. Set them very clear targets and
Business Matters issue 164 • 36
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