The Interview – Bill Twibill
BILL Twibill is managing director of West Yorkshire-based IT group Refractiv. Read the latest in our The Interview series to find out why he’d change nothing about Yorkshire – except the weather.
What aspects of your job/profession do you enjoy the most?
Dealing with people, our customers and our staff. With good customers and a good team you can achieve almost anything. What you do or sell will come along but you must know the people you are asking to part with their money and what they really want and you must have a team of people on your side that you trust.
What key challenges do you anticipate will affect your sector/profession over the next six months?
Mmm… I think everyone is of the same mind at present and it all comes down to the economy. As we are very much in the B2B space the biggest problem is that the banks are not giving the support to businesses, this means that there is not the financial cushion for people to make decisions. It is not so much that there is less money there is just the same but businesses are less willing to spend and potentially expose themselves. When the banks start lending we will slowly see some return to buying patterns.
What key skills do you think every entrepreneur should have?
Know your business! Know your market! Drive and determination. If you have these things and combine them with good decision making and a little bit of backing you will succeed.
Why do you think Yorkshire is a good place to start up/operate a business?
Excellent access to key markets both nationally and internationally. I can access most of the UK very easily with great road links and I can be in central London in just over two hours. I know people who commute that daily.
If you could improve anything in the region what would it be?
Given that I drove here through thick fog this morning I would have to say the weather…
Do you think that red tape is hindering business growth in the UK?
I do understand the need for regulation to prevent unscrupulous business practice but there is a point where it becomes business prevention rather than business protection. The government are trying to do something as we continue to do business under the current circumstances but I do feel it is too little too late. I also feel that it is tinkering around the edges rather than making real meaningful support to business, especially SME who make up the vast majority of our country’s GDP.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Business is a cycle. So be good to the people you know when you are on the way up because you never know who you will meet when you are in a trough.
And the worst?
I don’t think about the bad ones. I learn my lessons and move on.
What barriers have you had to overcome in growing your business/developing your career, and if any, can you explain how you overcame them.
The greatest hurdle was overcoming people’s preconceptions about the skills that I brought from my time in the Army. People tended to think about parade squares and shouting at people and not really focus on the really valuable aspects of people management, strategic thinking and decision making.
What was your first job and what did you spend your first wage packet on?
My first proper pay packet was from a summer job when I worked in a hotel. I put the money aside to buy my first car. I remember it well a rusty old Renault 5 I worked hard and was soon able to upgrade to something a little sportier.
If you could choose to start your career over again would you do anything different and if so what?
Why would I want to change anything? I have loved all the aspects of my career. Sure, there have been challenges and I have had to learn a few lessons, but lessons are valuable for us to be able to improve and move on. But we are in good shape and despite the current economic conditions we will prevail.
