Set goals and core values says UK Fast’s Jones

ENTREPRENEUR Lawrence Jones says setting goals and always aiming higher has been fundamental to his success.

Speaking at an event in Hale, the chief executive of UKFast – the £30m revenue Manchester-based data hosting and Internet services business – also played-down his recent Sunday Times Rich List ranking, and said success to him is not about money, but being able to do what he wants, when he wants.

Born in North Wales, Jones failed his A-levels and arrived in Manchester with £100 after locking horns with his father.

A talented pianist, he created his first business hiring grand pianos to hotels, which he later sold to media group Granada.

On a trip to New York in the late 1990s he knew his future had to be in technology, and wanted to create a business model underpinned by recurring monthly income.

He said: “I was in New York, running out of cash, skateboarding, painting and writing music. I still had a trickle of income every month from the pianos which convinced me this was way to go.”

He recounted a near-fatal skiing incident where he was trapped under a snow drift before being dug-out by his friends and resuscitated. This moment, he said, made him reasess his life, and where he was going.

He said: “Being involved in the avalanche, taking my last breaths, listing the people who were so important to me but I felt like I’d done nothing with my life, no good.

“Surviving that and getting a second chance I made the decision to dedicate the rest of my life to making a difference. Now, when I put my head on the pillow each night I ask if I’ve done that. That’s how i measure success. Success is being able to do what you want to do, when you want to do it and with who you want to do it with, not about rich lists and accountants numbers.”

He said the growth of UKFast over the last decade had been underpinned by five “core values” – which he said were being: “supportive, passionate, professional, dynamic and innovative”.

After being placed on the Sunday Times Rich List at 407th with an estimated fortune of £247m – £7m more than David and Victoria Beckham – Jones joked that he was now after number one spot.

“The Rich List is just infuriating because there can only be one place on it and that’s the number one, so now I’m really annoyed! … We have to be realistic. This isn’t real money, it’s all a game and none of it really matters.”

On a more serious note, he rejected the notion that entrepreneurs are born, not made, and said with passion, hard work and commitment, it can be done.

 “Everything starts with a single thought… It’s scientifically proven that writing goals down hugely improves your chances of hitting them. I have a notebook  full of them, personal ones, goals for the team, for our family, for the business. “

As he gets older, he said he had learned to listen to other people’s advice better than he did in his youth, although he said he would always want to be running a business, not just investing.