Networking proves a hit
THE inspirational nature of the conference lies not just in the calibre of the speakers but in the networking opportunities – as Dave Charlton and Matt Scott can testify.
After meeting at the 2007 event, the pair forged a working relationship that has paid tremendous dividends for them both.
Dave, the chief executive of The Officers’ Club, has gone on to offer mentoring support to Matt, an If We Can You Can Challenge Winner 2008 and founder of MES Footwork, an online design service for trainers that is now expanding into a range of other leisure goods.
“The conference is a fantastic opportunity to meet like-minded people from such a diverse range of sectors,” says Dave, a founder member of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum who has attended every one of the conferences so far and is booked up for Inspired6 .
“Matt, as a young entrepreneur, took that chance to talk to members on a one-to-one basis. I work in retail and he had a product that was of interest to me, so it really took off from there.”
Matt recalls their initial conversation: “We didn’t get into business too much. I already knew I wanted to set up a meeting with him because Dave had walked the path I was beginning on.
“A month or so later, I was at a crossroads in a lot of areas and I knew this would be the perfect time to sit down with Dave. I’m sure he has a very hectic diary, so was appreciative when he agreed to spare an hour of his time.
“His approach to me and to what I was doing was great. A lot of people comment generally on the idea and the product, but he really challenged me on the fundamentals of how the business would work: who will buy? Why will they buy? Where I am going to sell for maximum impact, pulling every part of the business together and getting it to work coherently?
“You think you know all the answers, but talks like this with like-minded people throw up new ideas and test your own understanding of what you’re doing compared to how it has been done, and changed my view on a few aspects of my product angle.
“It’s about digging deeper into the foundations of how you are building the business; you can be surprised about some of the important things you’re not that clear on.”
Dave put Matt in touch with his head footwear buyer who introduced him to one of their main canvas footwear suppliers. A meeting with the supplier followed in Leicester, where Matt met a footwear expert whose 30-year career included the days when footwear was still made in England.
Dave explains: “We have a lot of footwear in our stores, so it was wonderful for Matt to gain an understanding of how a business that buys from suppliers operates.
“We were able to help him in many ways, such as recommending that he looked at sourcing from abroad. All of this was useful for him as he developed his own business model and it was something I got a great deal of enjoyment out of too.”
Matt says: “Utilising all of these contacts and using their combined knowledge, I was able to assert myself into the hub of what is left of English footwear manufacture, in both Leicester and Northampton. I’ve now met a company that’s perfect for producing footwear in the UK. There are only a handful of them left and they’re hard to find if you don’t know where to look. Meeting Dave at the conference started all of this process and has brought me to a position where my manufacturing quality is industry standard.”
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