01 May 2014

Axel's and Sophie's quirky guide to running a small business

Axel's and Sophie's quirky guide to running a small business

Here’s our list of things we have learnt over the last 10 years of running a small start-up and a guide to the way we do business. It’s all rather homespun and certainly will never find its way into books on how to run a successful business nor in any business school. After all, we are still a tiny business, even though we have been around longer than Facebook and Youtube. While these things might not make you rich, they help us sleep easily at night with a clear conscience and make us happy.

• Never wear a tie or suit

• Like your colleagues

• Avoid meetings

• Living is more important than making money

• Take time out to watch your kids and friends playing sport and music and acting

• Smile, laugh and cry

• Sing, however badly - and we’re really bad

• Never grow up

• Work hard – roll your sleeves up and get stuck in

• Be patient, act swiftly

• Don’t get hung up on sales or profits

• But keep a tight focus on cash-flow and balance sheets

• Don’t do budgets, except if the bank asks for one!

• Always pay your bills

• Avoid customers who are too posh to pay – this is an attitude of mind as opposed to a statement on anything else

• Never become that business or person that talks aggressively about “killing the competition”, just be different to them and do your own thing

• Never become that business or person that lies to get a call taken or to get money off

• Be compassionate – we’re all real people, with real lives

• Be honest to yourself, your colleagues, your customers, your suppliers and everyone else we’ve forgotten

• Reinvent the wheel – it can always be done better

• Break the rules

• Make mistakes

• Admit to your mistakes, understand them, then try not to do it again

• Spend your money wisely

• Spend your money morally and compassionately, doing good things that help make the world a better place

• If you’re not comfortable with it, don’t do it

• Don’t be bullied by customers and suppliers

• Best practice is just average practice with a positive spin

• Don’t trust suppliers who drive flash or expensive cars

• Don’t waste company money on flash cars

• Make teas and coffees for everyone

• Eat breakfast, lunch and tea

• Eat cake, biscuits and pies

• Listen to what everyone has to say – everyone knows more about stuff than you do

• Ask questions, however stupid

• Be fair

• What is fairness? Sharing risk and reward equitably

• Treat people how you would like to be treated

• Try and only deal with people you like

• The customer is not always right

• Never do favours for people you don’t really know, because they are never reciprocated, but bend over backwards for your friends and favourite people

• Shit really does happen

• Everything seems better after a cup of tea and cake, or a bath and a sleep

• Keep on dreaming