Peter Siddall – business leader interview
Peter Siddall is managing director of Elland-based firm Andy Thornton – a specialist supplier to the leisure industry of fixtures, fittings, antiquities and bespoke manufacturer and design. But he could have been playing professional football had he not listened to the head master at his old grammar school as we discover in this week’s TheBusinessDesk.com interview.
What aspects of your job/profession do you enjoy the most?
Seeing the results of our work in creating some great interiors (and exteriors) for customers and often receiving glowing comments from them about our people and the positive attitude they have. It fills me with pride to be part of it and certainly makes it worth the effort. Achieving good results via teamwork, especially when some people may have not realised what their full capabilities were and I have helped them to realise their full potential.
What key challenges do you anticipate will affect your sector/profession over the next six months?
Maintaining profit margins while so many costs outside our control are escalating to such an extent- that is no different to so many other companies I guess.
Keeping employees thinking positively when they are hit by so much gloom and doom in the media. We are fortunate that we have not been affected by any down turn and in fact we are experiencing a very good year so far. Rewarding our people with a pay rise which is appreciative of their achievements yet does not jeopardise our stability and long term future. This will be an extremely difficult task when some other sectors and negotiators appear to be on a different planet when it comes to wage demands. Both employers and employees have to be realistic and fair.
What key skills do you think every entrepreneur should have?
I have seen different uses for the term ‘entrepreneur’ so to be sure I reverted to the dictionary. One of the definitions is “a person who organises entertainments”. While I don’t want us to be a stuffy, overly formal type of organisation I certainly don’t see it as a priority need to be an organiser of entertainment though I do thoroughly enjoy the social events that we hold.I’d always thought of the term applying to those people who had a special talent for having or seeking out an idea (or dream even) and had the foresight, determination and bravery to turn that into reality against all odds. People like Alan Sugar, Richard Branson, Anita Brodick, Walt Disney, Billy Butlin, James Dyson and closer to home my old boss, Andy Thornton. They also had that special knack of maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit and getting others to share their dream even when the organisation grew.
The dictionary gives a more bland interpretation “a person who undertakes an enterprise or business, with the chance of profit or loss”. Whether you follow my interpretation of the word or the rather bland dictionary version I think that there are certain qualities which a business leader should have (in fact absolutely needs). First and foremost they themselves need to believe in what the organisation exists for and is trying to achieve as well as inspiring others to in believe in what they are doing. They have to have an inner drive, a never give up mentality. Faced with adversity they fight back and keep going. They certainly don’t have an aversion to hard work but always enjoy what they are doing and in most cases it is their passion. I think they also have an ability to spot a winning idea before anyone else does.
Why do you think Yorkshire is a good place to start up/operate a business?
I’m likely to give a very biased answer to this question because I am very proud and passionate about Yorkshire. For a business it has excellent locations with a good infrastructure for any business with all the support functions that you may need. But most importantly you have a workforce, which has a fantastic work ethic and a winner’s mentality. Yorkshire also has great places to live and a countryside and coastline which provides plenty of leisure activities.
If you could improve anything in the region what would it be?
Speaking from the heart as a regular commuter on the M62, a solution to the daily traffic jam which gets worse every year. A solution which recognises that the answer is not to eradicate the car but to provide a road network which accommodates it.
Do you think that red tape is hindering business growth in the UK?
I think that it is better to accept that ‘red tape’ will always be present and work it into your activities so that it does not have a major negative impact. Constantly trying to fight it only serves to deflect you from all the other more positive aspects of the business. What is frustrating is when common European rules and regulations are interpreted and policed in one country more stringently than in another. Growth can be hindered then.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Not one specific piece but a few at different milestones in my life.
“Always give your very best” – my Dad
“Don’t always be looking for the next challenge, until you have taken some time to enjoy the successes and joy in between” – my wife.
“Remember to listen more” – my old boss
“Slow down” – a man in a white car and a blue light on the motorway
Advice never quite has the same impact unless the person giving it leads by example and I think that is why I particularly remember them.
And the worst?
When my head master at grammar school told me that I had to choose between a continuing grammar school education and a career with the local professional football club that I was training with and he strongly advised the former.
What barriers have you had to overcome in growing your business/developing your career, and if any, can you explain how you overcame them.
I honestly cannot remember any barriers because being such a stubborn, determined individual any that presented themselves were seen as something to be beaten and not around for long. I probably need them to feed my adrenalin.
What was your first job and what did you spend your first wage packet on?
A school holiday job hay making on a local farm. The hardest, most demanding physical task that I have ever undertaken. We worked from dawn until dusk at a pace set by the farmer who worked alongside us. He worked like that every day of every year and it left a lasting impression on me. When things get a bit tough sometimes I only have to think of people like him and the problems seem to melt away. The wages were not in proportion to the effort but I saved up enough to buy some racing wheels for a cycle that I was assembling.
If you could choose to start your career over again would you do anything different and if so what?
I would certainly have given more time to pursue my dream of being a professional footballer as well as being educated. In my chosen career, I would have spent as much time learning about the psychology of people in the early stages as I did about accounting, marketing, operations because it’s true that the most important thing in any business is its people.
