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An Interview With Martin Price
New To the Directors’ Centre; Not New To Helping Develop Businesses

WHO ARE YOU?

I’m Martin Price – but that’s not important. What’s important is what I can do for your business.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

I help businesses to grow, and I like to commit to their success. I sometimes invest in companies either with my time/expertise, and/or a little cash. I’m also willing to be at least partly remunerated by results so that when the company makes money, I make money. It is – as they used to say – about putting your money (or at least your belief) where your mouth is.

AND YOUR STYLE?

Well, style is not a word you’d readily associate with me, but if you mean how do I work… "I’m not of the “tell 'em like it is and damn the consequences” school.

I’m passionate, usually full of conviction about my recommendations, but I try never to forget two things: it’s your business, your livelihood, not mine, and time is almost always on your side.

My first views on a business are often not as good as my considered views, and I don’t expect people to rush into change. You have to get used to new ideas, to change, and you should test and trial if that’s possible.

Equally, you have to be receptive, believe others might know more than you about some things, and, above all, be a little courageous – because change is “dangerous” – not in a lion hunting way, but enough to wake you up in a sweat and wish you’d just gone on as before.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

Mostly things I am proud of.

• I put up tents across Europe – and helped Canvas Holidays grow by 300% in the five years I was there (boy and man).
• I worked for years for travel expenses, “peanut” fees and a little equity to help build up a company that recently sold for £40 million, reportedly.
• I was a founder director and investor in an extreme sports business that now employs over 100 people, and is increasingly profitable – despite many ups and downs in the marketplace.
• I’ve recently invested money and time in the launch of an innovative business club concept.

And I’ve paid the mortgage working on business development and marketing projects for clients as varied as Blenheim Palace, Channel Four, Ford, Microsoft, Omega watches, Regus and Virgin Group.

WHY SHOULD I CARE?

About me? You shouldn’t. About your business, you do: passionately.
If you need to take greater care of your business in the future, perhaps I can help. Think of me as someone who is in the business of wealth generation – your wealth generation.

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ME THAT I CAN’T DO FOR MYSELF?

I don’t know – but you do know what you need, and you know, even if you don’t say it out loud much, that you (like everyone else) could do with some help in some areas of your business.

If it’s in the area of business development, sales strategy and marketing planning and implementation, perhaps I can help. But so can many others. In the end, it comes down to chemistry as much as expertise and relevant experience.

WHAT MISTAKES CAN YOU STOP ME MAKING?

None. You need to make the key decisions yourself – but with ideas, advice, support, evidence and clear action plans provided by me – or other colleagues at The Directors’ Centre.

HOW ELSE WOULD YOU SAVE ME MONEY (OR MAKE ME MONEY)?

Costs can kill a business, but revenues and margins make a business.
I’m in the business of making money – but I have often earned the nickname of “Cut Price”!

GIVE ME ONE EXAMPLE OF A BUSINESS YOU HAVE WORKED WITH THIS YEAR

A long time friend came to me with an idea he’d been percolating for a year or so. I got very enthusiastic about it, but I then spent a lot of time undertaking the market research to confirm there was a good business there, not just a great idea.

I contributed to the Information Memorandum – the research, the sales and marketing strategy, the budgets and so on. Finally, I invested in it – not a hard decision when it was very heavily over subscribed.

And now I’m helping writing the marketing briefs, the job descriptions and identifying the right agencies, just because I want to make sure my money is going to work as well as it can.

WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU?

Why do you trust anybody? It’s a feeling, a conviction. It’s rarely about facts and figures, even track record – but they help reinforce a feeling about someone.
So, if we met, you’d trust me or you wouldn’t – and I’m as happy to accept your judgement about me as I would be to accept my judgement about you.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST ME?

Avoiding the tricky answer of 'how much it will cost you if you don’t work with me?', I’d say that depends on you, and what your business needs.

My costs are as much value driven (how much can I contribute to your business) as day rate driven – and in the end it has to be what your company can afford, but performance related remuneration often interests me.

HOW CAN I CONTACT MARTIN ?