Welcome to my journal.
Get an insight into my day-to-day work and my perspective on key issues.
Start-Up, Scale Up: A reason to believe a vibrant economy can return.
A vibrant economy is underpinned by a dynamic culture of innovation and flexible structures that support entrepreneurs with sources of investment capital, knowledge-flow and market opportunities. As a previous national Entrepreneur of the Year, I have seen first hand how ideas can be supported to become reality, how start up businesses can successfully scale and how both profits and improvements to lives can be created together.
Only One Major Party has a Viable Plan for Growth...
After 12 years in power, we bear witness to an unproductive, low-growth economy - one that offers workers and families only stagnant wages and declining living standards and investors little confidence to invest. This is no coincidence. For an economy to grow its businesses it needs a government driven by purpose and direction, acting with credibility and competence, and that encourages confidence and stability. Yet this new government, in its six-week tip of a 12-year iceberg, has shattered any illusions of each in its strategy of gamble and hope.
Healthy Leadership: TESCO's Golden Opportunity
Right now, the UK's largest retailer has a momentous opportunity to improve the health of the nation. The opportunity is not only to support the health of their own customers, but also those of their competitors. How, you ask?
Business as Usual?
It's not unprecedented to say we live in unprecedented times. Corona Virus means that we do.
The good news however, amongst all the chaos and disruption to our economy and health, is that we also therefore have an unprecedented opportunity to learn, innovate and improve the way we do things: including- perhaps especially- around business.
Could your idea change the world?
In February 2019, our inaugural competition took place at the University of Reading, with ten finalists pitching their ideas to an audience of purpose-driven entrepreneurs and business leaders, who voted for Alexander, a young man from Peru, with an audacious idea to create a quinoa and tarwi based milk from the wild slopes of the Andes.
Bring Humanity Back to Business
Believe it or not, businesses don't exist.
People exist. People sign pieces of paper to form companies. People make business decisions, and people receive dividend cheques if those decisions are successful. They hire and fire, buy and sell, invest and divest. Every action a company takes is a decision made by a person.
Why It's Never a Bad Time to Pursue Export Opportunities
In turbulent economic times, it's tempting for entrepreneurs to batten down the hatches and stay put, lie low and wait for the storm to pass. Indeed, in times of uncertainty we must do all we can to prepare, plan and protect ourselves. And it's true we live in uncertain times. However, it's never been more vital that the UK's SME community sets its sights on the horizon, and actively pursues export opportunities with Europe and beyond.
Mike Ashley, Philip Green and Matthias Muller Are Only the Start - The Whole Corporate World Is Under Review
From tax evasion to emission scandals, to executive pay and working conditions, the last twelve months have been dominated by corporate scandal.
It is an issue that soared to the top of the agenda once again on Monday, when Theresa May announced her proposals to reform corporate governance and restore trust in business and politics alike.
High Risk, High Reward: How to Export Successfully
I started Ella's Kitchen in 2006 with the mission of improving children's lives by giving them a healthier relationship with food. Nearly ten years on, the business is now the UK's number one baby food brand and sold in over 40 territories worldwide.
I have always believed that business is the most important force for positive social change, and it became my ambition to create a company which could address the growing obesity epidemic among young people.
The Lessons Learnt Launching a Business the Second Time Around
This month, I launched my second start-up. My first - Ella's Kitchen, is named after my daughter, and is now the number one UK baby food brand. It was conceived simply to improve the lives of children through giving them a healthier relationship with food.
This time the brand is named after my son. It's called Paddy's Bathroom, offering natural and organic toiletries for babies, toddlers and young children, promising that getting clean will now be as much fun as it was to get dirty.
