I have always held in high regard the fact that Atlas has achieved exceptional growth (and profitability!) through hard work, determination and absolutely no funding from third party investors. It was this attitude that I took with me to my first YesAndClub meeting in late 2009 where I spent a very enjoyable evening with Robert Loch and his exceptionally talented group. I spent my first evening gibbering away to various YesAndClub members and at about 11:30 stepped out in to a fresh London evening where I was I immediately hit in the face by a thought that had escaped me for four years. Every single successful startup technology business in the room that evening had been founded with the backing of an investor and/or chairman.
There I was singing the virtues of my organic methods for growing Atlas and little did I know I had it all wrong. Sure we have plenty of delighted clients, a great development team and even a few awards to our name but I was drained and with little sign of an exit plan from the long hard slog it was obvious that I’d soon run out of steam. The timing of the YesAndClub meeting was perfect and fortunately I knew exactly who I wanted to appoint chairman. The very next day I drafted a short e-mail to Richard Harwood CFA, a hard working businessman based in Jersey who has been a long standing customer, advocate and friend of Atlas.
Three months later and following some serious due diligence Richard is now appointed as our first external shareholder and chairman. Myself and the team are working harder than we’ve ever worked before but with a difference, we now have our direction and focus back. Additionally we have implemented more infrastructure changes since Richard’s appointment than we have implemented in the last year. Examples off the top of my head include:
- The appointment of a new office manager, to reduce my workload and manage Atlas’ HR, payroll, bookkeeping and reception. My Mum has filled this role, which will be the subject of a blog post in the future
- New automated processes for generating quotes to our customers, ensuring that I am not a bottle neck when we have a large order pipeline
- A bonus scheme, rewarding staff on the basis of their individual performance and also that of the company
- An intelligent set of monthly management figures. Our previous figures were not transparent enough
- Formal budgets. Which has put the stop on expenditure just because I’m in a good mood.
You may say that all of this is fairly rudimentary. I agree. Our chairman hasn’t told me anything I didn’t already know but I’ve been so busy letting the business run me that I simply didn’t have the time to make such obvious changes.
I owe a big thank you to Robert Loch for introducing to me to his friends and associates via the YesAndClub and an even bigger thank you to our new chairman Richard Harwood. I’m excited about the future again and look forward to what it has in store for myself and Atlas.
I’m interested in your feedback, what would you change about your business if you could find the time?
