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Enjoying Life To The Full

Robert Craven started out selling cheap sheets in a London market. Today he is one of the UK's leading speakers on entrepreneurship

 

Robert Craven has certainly done the rounds! His first job was in London’s Petticoat Lane giving away expensive blankets and selling cheap sheets. In his time he has run restaurants, management training companies, sound recording studios to arrive where he is today, running The Directors’ Centre, the award-winning consultancy for growing businesses.

On the way, Craven was Director of Consultancy and Training for growing businesses at Warwick Business School; he designed award-winning training programmes for entrepreneurs, business advisers and bankers; and he wrote not one but two business best-sellers - Kick-Start Your Business and Customer Is King, (both with forewords by Sir Richard Branson).

Craven is one of the UK’s leading speakers on entrepreneurship; he is currently touring the UK with his Let’s Talk More Profit and Let’s Talk Bright Marketing road shows. 

He is also a mentor and coach to the managing directors of some of the UK’s leading growth businesses and spends much of his time building the reputation and activities of his team at The Directors’ Centre, his latest project.

If that’s not enough, he’s got another book due out in the new year! 

What was your first big business opportunity?

My first serious business was a city centre café and restaurant when I was just fresh out of college.  I knew that I could do better than the rest and I just had to do it – nothing would get in the way of my drive and determination. 

I was only 21 and I thought I was invincible!  This was a brilliant place to learn about how businesses work and to understand the relationship between the ‘marketing promise’ and what you actually deliver, the customer experience.

What’s the secret of your success?

I have to confess that I do have workaholic tendencies!  Add to this my obsession with seeing things through the customer’s eyes and my obsession with getting things right and you get a recipe for success. Of course these are not the only ingredients!

What has been your best moment in business?

The highlight of my early business career was coming back from running a 24/7 catering operation at Glastonbury music festival.  We came home exhausted and had never seen so much money! We threw the cash in the air, danced around the room amidst the falling notes and partied on!

Later on, reading rave reviews for my books in the broadsheets and key business magazines gave me huge satisfaction.

And your worst?

I am not very good at admitting defeat. At the peak of the Thatcher depression, we had to close a restaurant – the sums no longer added up and the writing was on the wall. 

How do you balance work and family life?

I think that I am pretty clear about priorities – of course my family might not always agree!  My wife and I both acknowledge that I will always work long hours when I am working – that’s how I am – but in order to compensate I do take long holidays – four weeks in the summer, three weeks at Christmas and a couple of odd weeks throughout the year to spend time on all the other stuff.

It works for us! I have a brilliant PA and back-up team working with me at The Directors’ Centre and I refuse to buy a Blackberry!

What motivates you?

Making things happen… watching people get excited about what we are doing… being challenged to do something I didn’t think I could do… planning my next skiing trip.

I used to think that it was money that motivates me but now I am not so sure.  The need for achievement is deeply embedded in my psyche but there’s also a growing need to enjoy my life and my family to the full – after all we are all a long time dead!

What are the characteristics of a good business opportunity?

Great people to work with, a product or service that I feel passionately about and that fills a genuine need, and a business model that can be grown. Of course there must be some fun and laughter on the way!

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt in your business career?

Why should people bother to buy from you if you are the same as the competition? If there’s a choice between being better or being different, then different wins every time – ideally you should be better and different!  Also, decide your goals and be prepared to pay the price!

What is your best advice for a budding entrepreneur?

Do the sums, make your mistakes on paper, reduce the risk by getting reliable evidence to support your case, don’t believe your friends and family when they say they love your idea, stay away from the miserable ‘doom and gloom’ merchants who keep telling you that it will never work – they are just jealous and haven’t got the guts to do anything for themselves! Go for it – you won’t die!

 

about Robert Craven

Robert Craven is a keynote speaker and the author of business best-sellers ‘Kick-Start Your Business’ and Customer Is King’ ‘(foreword by Sir Richard Branson).  He has recently been described as ‘one of the UK’s leading marketing specialists’ (Cranfield) and the ‘entrepreneurship guru’(The FT).  He runs The Directors’ Centre, helping growing businesses to grow.
www.robertcraven.co.uk

For further information, contact Robert on 01225 851044 (rc@directorscentre.com).

©2006, Making Money Magazine.

publication details

First published in Making Money Magazine - Dec 2006.