The Interview – Andrew Best on why Yorkshire’s good for business

ANDREW Best is a partner and head of commercial at Doncaster-based HSR Law. In this week’s The Interview discover why he thinks Yorkshire is good for business.

What aspects of your job/profession do you enjoy the most?
The fact that I enjoy going to work! Yes, the law is stressful and demanding but the upside is that you can experience a fantastic sense of achievement by doing something difficult well.

What key challenges do you anticipate will affect your sector/profession over the next six months?
The need to deliver clear strategic advice is important. If there is a downturn in the first two quarters of 2010 it could be very tough for the unwary.

What key skills do you think every entrepreneur should have?
The ability to think clearly, to display infectious enthusiasm and drive and cope with the inevitable private feelings of doubt and anxiety…

Why do you think Yorkshire is a good place to start up/operate a business?
It’s a great place to live. I live in Doncaster and am proud to do so. I challenge anybody to come out for a ride with my cycling club on a Sunday and be hugely impressed by the glorious countryside and beautiful villages here that people know so little about. Business wise the geography is fantastic, workforce skilled and loyal, property prices reasonable and the business community straight talking and supportive. What more do you want?

If you could improve anything in the region what would it be?
Move away from a “that will do” culture. Just taking that extra thought and attention to detail might just change the ordinary into something inspiring.

Your views on the recession……
There has been so much written on this I’m not sure there is much else to say! It has definitely been a wake up call for many. Long term robust and sustainable plans are needed. Cashflow remains a universal problem but despite the headlines many businesses are doing better than people give them credit for.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Never eat yellow snow.

And the worst?
“It looks fine! You go first.” I then led the first pitch of our first descent on a ski mountaineering holiday deep in the arctic circle in Sweden. Five minutes later I fell off a hidden drop, snapping three ligaments in my right knee and tearing the fourth.

What barriers have you had to overcome in growing your business/developing your career, and if any, can you explain how you overcame them.

A lack of patience and finding the right working environment. I believe that you are only really going to succeed in the right environment. I qualified into a top ten law firm. Although a highly regarded practice, it just wasn’t right for me. I didn’t enjoy it and I felt I was underperforming, no matter how hard I tried. I joined HSR Law in May 2005, was tasked with growing a commercial team. Everything clicked. The team I helped build and integrate into the firm are very skilled, enthusiastic and hungry to achieve through constant creative improvement. This fills me with immense pride. HSR was the right environment for me and I hope in turn I have created the right environment for others. Secondly, just because someone doesn’t immediately accept your exciting new proposals doesn’t make them an idiot. Be honest, could you have explained things more clearly? Did you honestly spend enough time preparing? You need to understand how and why others think as they do. Crack that and you are much more likely to get things moving your way…

What was your first job and what did you spend your first wage packet on?
I worked as a waiter in a converted railway carriage / signal box. I hated it but I liked the money. All my wages were sensibly invested in clothes and nights out in Newcastle, where I was brought up.

If you could choose to start your career over again would you do anything different and if so what?
Absolutely not! You should only think about what you can influence now, today. It’s not healthy to indulgently daydream about what might have been.

Name one item/hobby/gadget you couldn’t give up
Sport. I recently cycled to Budapest from Doncaster covering over 1000 miles in 12 days. I was utterly focused to ensure I got there on time so I could raise the sponsorship I needed for anti-malarial bednets for Africa.I was able to take what I learned to succeed on the trip and apply it directly to my work and working practices with tangible benefits. If you work hard you have to do some sport. There are no downsides.