Interview with Sandra Murphy, Business Doctors Sussex Coast

 

 

 

 

The journey began when founders Matt Levington and Rod Davies met up in 2004 over a beer and discovered that they shared a passion for business support. Having witnessed some very poor service being provided by both big consultancies and small independents over the years, Matt and Rod were inspired to create something different that resonated with the market and added real value to small and medium sized businesses.13 years on, the network now numbers over 40 offices in the UK alone.

 

 

I’ve spent the last 25 years working for or running businesses including 12 years in our own family business. With my sons now independent the timing was right for me to evaluate my skills and strengths and identify how I could put them to best use. 

 

Business Doctors ticked all the right boxes. It’s a highly professional network of like-minded people. It enables me to do something for myself whilst part of a supportive and collaborative network – running your own business can be a really lonely place without the right support.

 

 

Be true to yourself, surround yourself with people – staff, clients and suppliers - who not only understand your business but also your values. 

 

Be clear on what success looks like for you; how you’re going to get there, how long it will take. Set yourself measurable milestones so you know that you’re on track and use these to keep yourself motivated on the days when you feel you’ve taken two steps forward and three steps back – for sure you will have them! 

 

Have a business strategy that reflects your goals and think beyond the financial- what else makes it worth getting out of bed in the morning?  And then implement it. Most strategies are unsuccessful simply because they’re not actioned.

 

 

Brighton consistently appears in the top 10 towns in the UK for successful start ups. I love that the people of our city are prepared to take risks, embrace innovation and actually work as a community.  We understand the benefits of collaborative working and strategic partnerships. Look at the success of our shared working spaces and the attendance at our amazing Chamber events. There’s no such thing as six degrees of separation in our city!

 

 

Prior to working on their strategy review, one of my (now) clients said to me “No one can run my business as well as I can” and he was absolutely right. But an ‘outsider’ can see beyond the often conflicting, sometimes overwhelming, daily priorities that business owners have to juggle. 

 

I love that ‘lightbulb moment’ during a strategic review when the fog begins to lift and clients can see clearly to their future. It’s when they remember why they wanted to run a business in the first place!

 

The same client is now implementing a new structure which will enable him to develop exciting alternatives to his core business which was in decline. I received an e-mail from him recently that said “Many thanks for your input to date which has definitely galvanised us (me in particular!!) into action.”  And more importantly, he is now motivated by his business again.

 

 

Partly because I have a real affinity to pubs and saw that Gavin George from the Laine Pub Co was the speaker. I lived in a pub from a very young age and worked there while I was a student.  And I learned loads about running a successful business, how to differentiate yourself from the competition, financial management, dealing with complaints and the value of excellent customer service that has stayed with me throughout my working life.

 

 

For me there are three stages to successful networking:

 

·         Pre-event – review who else will be there, identify who you’d like to meet and be clear on why. If you don’t know them personally ask the organisers for an introduction.

 

·         While you’re there – be aware of how much time you spend with any one person. When you meet someone you’d like to make a better connection with, ask for a follow-up meeting.

 

·         Post-event – follow up with the contacts you’ve made. Now’s the time for more in-depth conversations to qualify and quantify mutual business opportunities.