An Introduction

I am passionate about business, good business, and treating everyone fairly. It’s something I learned from an early age of living above the shop, so to speak.

My parents ran a small corner shop in a Birmingham suburb during the sixties. We were right in the middle of the West Midlands industrial heartland close to the Austin car plant. The company made motor cars, the local community worked there and came to the shop on payday to spend some of their hard earned wages.

As a young boy, I quickly appreciated the importance of business, community, and service. The shop provided a community hub, a place where people could gather and chat about their day, good and bad, whilst doing their shopping. It was by providing service in the round that made our business successful.

“The Austin” and its profits, their employees and their wages all paid the taxes which paid for the schools, hospitals and other essential community services. A very good example of the importance of business for my later life.

And, in addition to all of this, the Austin cars I saw on the transporters leaving the factory each week were often destined for other countries around the world.

Fast forward, some 50+ years the world has changed, some might say for the better and some might say for the worse.

We have made great advances in technology, science and medicine. We live longer and can be more effective by being smarter. All this progress can help us but it is not always the case. In the end we have the tools to do everything more effectively, work more smartly and apply all of this to sound business policy, strong leadership, invest in education and training and making the world a better place, for everyone.