My Covid gamble: Leasing firm boss Scott Norville tells all

Q&A

Where business people discuss their motivation, ambition, experience - and themselves. Telling all this month is SCOTT NORVILLE, founder and managing director of vehicle fleet specialist Silverstone Leasing.

I have learned over the years not to get annoyed at the micro. There are bigger problems in the world right now.

What was your first job?

Besides cleaning cars for pocket money when I was ten with a few mates, my first ‘proper’ job was when I was 16 working at the Co-op serving customers behind the delicatessen.

I loved the job as I was dealing with all sorts of characters and every day was always different.

Why did you choose your particular career?

MY FAVOURITE...

FOOD Turkish. Marmaris, in St Giles Street, Northampton, is my restaurant of choice MUSIC/SONG Anything from Jay-Z to the Trolls BOOK Behind the Mask: Tyson Fury FILM The Matrix TV PROGRAMME Stranger Things RESTAURANT Les Olives in Northampton, sadly now closed DESTINATION Spain

A lot of hard work went into it, but it was the right decision - thanks to our accountant - in 2017 to close. It was a low point but had to be done to stay in business.

The moral of the story: get a good accountant.

Who in business do you respect the most?

Anyone who has had the balls to start a business.

Most evenings I dropped my CV off with a covering letter to as many car dealerships I could. I was 18 and into cars.

I really wanted to get into car sales as a trainee to learn the craft but every dealership wanted someone with experience. Week after week I was posting CVs and following up with a call and in some cases walking into the showrooms to speak to the sales manager - emails didn’t exist back then. If I was lucky, I would get a rejection letter with the usual ‘We will put you on file’ reply.

One Thursday in the local paper - I believe back then that Thursday was ‘jobs day’ - a position was advertised in the local Hyundai garage. I applied and got the job a week later.

What’s the best advice you’ve received in business?

“Look after your cashflow. No cash, no business.” Blunt but so very true.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Surviving Covid. It was extremely dark times back then. All my team apart from one were on furlough, dealerships closed, orders stopped, customers were calling 24/7 for status updates which we couldn’t give.

Many tough decisions were made to keep the business afloat, the hardest of which was to bring the whole team back when many of our competitors didn’t, as it was a risk.

This proved to work in our favour as the industry had a bounce back and in one month, we achieved three months’ worth of business, which was remarkable.

From such a bleak time to major success... I will never forget.

What annoys you the most in business?

I have learned over the years not to get annoyed at the micro. There are bigger problems in the world right now

What’s your career ambition?

To continue the path we’re on, growing and developing the team and making Silverstone Leasing a business which the team love to work for and customers love to deal with.

…and your life ambition?

Scott Norville To move to Spain.

How do you relax?

My Covid gamble: A tough Spending time with my gorgeous wife and two boys What’s your guilty pleasure? Collecting retro Jordans. When decision worked in our favour I was at school in the 1980s a friend of mine always went to America every summer holiday and had a new pair of Nike Jordans when he came back. My parents, supporting both my sisters and I, couldn’t afford such a pair and I’ve always wanted them. I have now been collecting retro Jordans for years and now 30 pairs on, all box fresh, the collection is growing nicely.

What’s your most treasured possession?

A spitfire mug which was given to me by my granddad when we opened the new office in 2017. Sadly, he passed a few years later and the mug is still on display in the office.

Tell us something you regret.

Not starting the business earlier.

Tell us a secret about yourself.

I am a freemason.

…and the low point?

Trying to sell used cars. In 2015 we opened a used car operation called Silverstone Approved Cars but due to the used car market we had stock we couldn’t sell and were making many losses.

What are the first three things on your bucket list?

n To complete 3rd dan in tae kwon do. n To compete in a triathlon. n To have a holiday home in Spain.