About Graham
My career has taken me from selling photocopiers on commission way back in the eighties, to founding, building, and selling an international multi-million-pound portfolio of businesses.
After the acquisition of my last business and relocating back to the UK after fifteen years in Australia, I founded GB Consulting. It’s business consultancy without the BS, and our mission is to help companies streamline, redefine, scale up, and increase profitability.
We asked Graham to look back and reflect on her younger self
Q&A’s
How would you describe yourself at 18?
At 18, I was hard working and ambitious but very raw and inexperienced in terms of any real skills. Leaving school at 14 and working in numerous sales jobs gave me confidence in my selling abilities, but I lacked a clear vision for my future.
If you could go back knowing what you know now, what three things would you tell yourself to do before starting your business/becoming a director?
- Find out how business systems and processes work – they are the key to success.
- Fully understand the marketplace you’re working in and look at the bigger picture. Find out as much as you can about your competitors, define your ideal customer, and look at the potential of the whole of the market not just what you are selling now.
- It is vitally important to create plans and measures. Be ambitious and create a detailed forecast budget for 12 months alongside a higher-level plan for years two and three. Monitor and manage everything robustly, and don’t be afraid to make bold decisions if things aren’t going to plan.
If you could relive one day, what would it be and why?
In 1997, the relatively small print business I was running with a partner received a purchase order from a government department equivalent to 400% of our annual turnover. This contract was supposedly a ‘closed shop’ during the tender process, but we were tenacious and won against the odds. I wish I could bottle that feeling.
What are the biggest lessons you have learnt about running a business?
People drive businesses. Invest in your leadership team and bring them with you on the journey; empower them to make decisions and incentivise them to share in the business’s success.
How did you deal with a big mistake, and what did you learn from the experience?
We all make mistakes, but I see mistakes as learning opportunities. Using a continuous improvement toolkit that identifies what happened, why it happened, what the learnings are, and what actions to take to avoid recurrence is key to any business culture.
What does the future have in store for your company?
With a wait list and clients in the UK, USA, Australia, and Dubai, I envision the business developing rapidly, working with like-minded consultants who can add value to our customers with their specialist skills. I’m also planning to launch a podcast and some e-learning for 2025.
What does the future have in store for you personally?
I’m keen to keep reducing my golf handicap and to spend time with family and friends. Paying it forward is also important to me, and I want to share my knowledge and experience by mentoring young entrepreneurs who are in a similar position to where I was all those years ago.
