About Simon
I am the founder of VINTTRO, a lifestyle brand that offers insurance broking, claims management, vehicle services, events and networking.
My career has always had a relationship with insurance, from my early days as a panel beater in the 80s and 90s, right the way through to where I am today.
I have co-owned various companies, and have gained much experience in business infrastructure, brand creation, acquisition and exit strategy.
We asked Simon to look back and reflect on his younger self
Q&A’s
How would you describe yourself at 18?
Energy to die for, loving work, playing hard, gullible, naïve but quietly confident.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I worked for an insurance claims management company in the early 2000s, and quickly realised I had a better work ethic, and more common sense and creativity, than some of those who were running that company. After back-to-back promotions, the penny dropped that I could do this better myself!
If you could go back knowing what you know now, what three things would you tell yourself to do when you first became a business owner?
- Trust your ‘gut feeling’. It’s a cliché, but if it doesn’t feel right, inevitably it won’t be!
- Learn basic accountancy. Create a profit and loss sheet to calculate real-time and future income and outgoings. The biggest risk in your early business career is not knowing the financial figures.
- Create a business plan and monitor it regularly. If you find this challenging, don’t be afraid to ask for advice – you’ll be surprised how many established business owners like to help.
What are the biggest lessons you have learnt professionally?
Undertake your business with honesty and integrity. Be approachable and try to be humble at all times.
Finally, focus completely on your business and you will see results. I used to worry about our competitors, but through experience I realised it’s a complete waste of time. I now apply 100% of energy to my company, business partners, clients, targets, fellow directors and people who work with us.
How did you deal with a big mistake, and what did you learn from the experience?
We had a very bad experience with an insurer and broker a few years back when we launched WOOP, our car insurance for young drivers. It left us with a debt of over one million pounds and seriously clouded my judgment on how some corporate companies operate. Fortunately, we were able to support this loss at the time, but it was very upsetting for me and my fellow directors.
Importantly, I learned from it and vowed to never allow this to happen again. Now, I only make clear cut decisions and if any negotiations become blurred for whatever reason, I will not move forward. I would rather say no than risk the unknown.
What are your ambitions for the future?
I want to see VINTTRO become the iconic brand that I truly believe it could be – strong, successful and ready for its new owners in five to six years.
What does the future have in store for you personally?
Once I have helped complete our business strategy, I want to take a step back. I’d like to tour more of Europe and the US, then apply my time to less fortunate young people who have business aspirations.
