The Millionaire to Billionaire (M2B) conference is taking place on 26 April 2014 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.
The conference which is aimed at educating business people on business strategies, managing risk, cash flow, funding and more will feature an impressive line-up of speakers, including James Caan from the popular BBC TV show, Dragon’s Den.
Communications Coach and Consultant James MacNeil; Venture Capitalist, Daniel Miller; Aki Kalliatakis, founder of The Leadership LaunchPad; trading expert Mike Douglas; business motivational speaker, Alex Granger and Millionaire Serial Entrepreneur, Mac Attram will also be sharing valuable tips and skills with delegates.
Sowetanlive caught up with James Caan, founder and CEO of Hamilton Bradshaw, for a quick Q&A.
What lessons can one learn from your success story?
Firstly, my father always said to me to observe the masses and do the opposite and I have lived by this motto all of my life. If everybody is looking the other way, that’s the time to strike.
When I started my first recruitment business, headhunting was exclusively for the elite, it didn’t exist for the mid-market. People simply said that wasn’t the way to do it, but I did and it was a success.
The other key lesson is to always remember businesses are built on people. Products and services don’t go to market on their own, you need passionate, talented and driven people within the business to make it a success.
How would you describe your style of management and why does it work for you and your employees?
I’m always very approachable. A lot of companies have the CEO sitting in his own office on a separate floor – but at Hamilton Bradshaw we have an open plan office where everybody is on the same level.
My staff can come up to me at any point to pick my brains, and I can do the same to them. It works for us because there are no barriers, everybody is very comfortable with each other, no matter what their role is.
One of the biggest problems that managers face is trying to keep staff motivated. What do you think is the best way to motivate people?
The most obvious incentive is a financial one, linking bonuses to performance for example. But for start-up businesses this can be difficult at the beginning. People spend more time in their work environment so you want them to feel valued.
Every Friday I provide breakfast which doesn’t cost a lot but lifts the spirits of the team. I also run events in the office to reward people who are doing well with fun gifts, and if a manager is looking for more leadership advice I will set up a mentoring session with myself or someone relevant in the business.
As a manager you have know exactly what makes each individual person tick, and how to get the best out of them. Empathy is a hugely underrated yet important part of motivation. Finally, don’t forget to create a positive culture; one where people enjoy coming to work and are encouraged to put forward ideas to senior managers.
Being an entrepreneur vs being a great employee, which one would you advise a young person to pursue?
Whatever they feel they are more suited to. I’m obviously extremely passionate about entrepreneurship, and as Chairman of the UK Government’s Start Up Loans scheme, I’m delighted to have helped over 14,000 people become entrepreneurs. However, there is nothing wrong with taking the employment route, and the skills you learn, whether you’re working at a small business or a big corporate, are invaluable.
In your line of work you deal with a lot of burgeoning entrepreneurs. What do you think is the biggest hurdle faced by SME’s?
Having a good cashflow is still an obstacle. A lot of entrepreneurs struggle to negotiate payment terms that sees them get paid quickly enough. You might have made a sale, but if you’re not getting paid for 60-90 days, you could struggle. At the end of the day, you can’t pay your staff and bills with an invoice – you need enough cash in the bank to operate on a day-to-day basis.
What benefits/skills will business people who attend the millionaire to billionaire conference gain?
I’ll be talking about my own experiences of starting with nothing, building and selling businesses over the last 30 years, and the key things entrepreneurs should take into account when attempting to grow their business. They’ll also get some top tips on things like recruiting the right staff and what to do when things go wrong. I was in South Africa last year and I could tell that there was a real passion for enterprise, so I’m really looking forward to sharing my thoughts.
The best advice you’ve ever received?
To always create win-win situations. Whether you’re dealing with a customer or a supplier – look at things from their point of view as well and ensure you have both got a good deal. It was my father who taught me this when he was running his own business – his exact words were “don’t squeeze the last drop of the lemon, leave something on the table for others too.”
Millionaire to Billionaire conference
The Millionaire to Billionaire (M2B) conference is taking place on 26 April 2014 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.
The conference which is aimed at educating business people on business strategies, managing risk, cash flow, funding and more will feature an impressive line-up of speakers, including James Caan from the popular BBC TV show, Dragon’s Den.
Communications Coach and Consultant James MacNeil; Venture Capitalist, Daniel Miller; Aki Kalliatakis, founder of The Leadership LaunchPad; trading expert Mike Douglas; business motivational speaker, Alex Granger and Millionaire Serial Entrepreneur, Mac Attram will also be sharing valuable tips and skills with delegates.
Sowetanlive caught up with James Caan, founder and CEO of Hamilton Bradshaw, for a quick Q&A.
What lessons can one learn from your success story?
Firstly, my father always said to me to observe the masses and do the opposite and I have lived by this motto all of my life. If everybody is looking the other way, that’s the time to strike.
When I started my first recruitment business, headhunting was exclusively for the elite, it didn’t exist for the mid-market. People simply said that wasn’t the way to do it, but I did and it was a success.
The other key lesson is to always remember businesses are built on people. Products and services don’t go to market on their own, you need passionate, talented and driven people within the business to make it a success.
How would you describe your style of management and why does it work for you and your employees?
I’m always very approachable. A lot of companies have the CEO sitting in his own office on a separate floor – but at Hamilton Bradshaw we have an open plan office where everybody is on the same level.
My staff can come up to me at any point to pick my brains, and I can do the same to them. It works for us because there are no barriers, everybody is very comfortable with each other, no matter what their role is.
One of the biggest problems that managers face is trying to keep staff motivated. What do you think is the best way to motivate people?
The most obvious incentive is a financial one, linking bonuses to performance for example. But for start-up businesses this can be difficult at the beginning. People spend more time in their work environment so you want them to feel valued.
Every Friday I provide breakfast which doesn’t cost a lot but lifts the spirits of the team. I also run events in the office to reward people who are doing well with fun gifts, and if a manager is looking for more leadership advice I will set up a mentoring session with myself or someone relevant in the business.
As a manager you have know exactly what makes each individual person tick, and how to get the best out of them. Empathy is a hugely underrated yet important part of motivation. Finally, don’t forget to create a positive culture; one where people enjoy coming to work and are encouraged to put forward ideas to senior managers.
Being an entrepreneur vs being a great employee, which one would you advise a young person to pursue?
Whatever they feel they are more suited to. I’m obviously extremely passionate about entrepreneurship, and as Chairman of the UK Government’s Start Up Loans scheme, I’m delighted to have helped over 14,000 people become entrepreneurs. However, there is nothing wrong with taking the employment route, and the skills you learn, whether you’re working at a small business or a big corporate, are invaluable.
In your line of work you deal with a lot of burgeoning entrepreneurs. What do you think is the biggest hurdle faced by SME’s?
Having a good cashflow is still an obstacle. A lot of entrepreneurs struggle to negotiate payment terms that sees them get paid quickly enough. You might have made a sale, but if you’re not getting paid for 60-90 days, you could struggle. At the end of the day, you can’t pay your staff and bills with an invoice – you need enough cash in the bank to operate on a day-to-day basis.
What benefits/skills will business people who attend the millionaire to billionaire conference gain?
I’ll be talking about my own experiences of starting with nothing, building and selling businesses over the last 30 years, and the key things entrepreneurs should take into account when attempting to grow their business. They’ll also get some top tips on things like recruiting the right staff and what to do when things go wrong. I was in South Africa last year and I could tell that there was a real passion for enterprise, so I’m really looking forward to sharing my thoughts.
The best advice you’ve ever received?
To always create win-win situations. Whether you’re dealing with a customer or a supplier – look at things from their point of view as well and ensure you have both got a good deal. It was my father who taught me this when he was running his own business – his exact words were “don’t squeeze the last drop of the lemon, leave something on the table for others too.”
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