HOW DO YOU KEEP THE PASSION ALIVE WHEN YOU’RE DEALING WITH THE NITTY GRITTY?

Until 2007 James Woollard of Polythene UK was UK Sales Manager for an innovative, environmentally-friendly French polythene manufacturer, then he developed the concept for Polythene UK. Now, thanks to the changing nature of the business, and investment in research and development, the company has a breakthrough opportunity to become a leader in its field.

“Our innovations have given me a buzz, and the government’s R&D tax credits make it cost-effective for us to invest in research and development, and we are getting recognition for that.”

Even in accountancy, Peter O’Connell, Managing Director at Shaw Gibbs says there are opportunities to maintain the passion for what his company does. “And that helps our clients. We are applying innovative technology to better engage with our clients.

“Listening to James, it’s worrying how many businesses don’t know that they can claim tax credits. Because nearly everyone, from battery developers to those in the service industry, can claim certain amounts of tax credits.”

Steve Neal, Head of Audit at Shaw Gibbs, agreed: “This is where our expertise marries with our local business knowledge, and why we can compete against much bigger accountancy practices on service, as well as price.”

But the government can take its time to pay tax credits, according to Tim Walder of Zap&Go. “We are about to receive our payments for 2017. It’s frustrating but we’ll get them in the end.”

Tim gave up a good job to co-found Zap&Go in 2013. “I wanted to buy an electric vehicle eight years ago. What stopped me was the UK’s roadside charging infrastructure which wasn’t good enough (it still isn’t). I have a manufacturing background and knew that electric vehicles wouldn’t be widely adopted unless there were incentives, and enough charging points equipped with energy storage to buffer the grid’s performance so cars could top up fast.”

Tim met Stephen Voller, now Zap&Go’s CEO, and he thought the same about mobile phones – why it took so long to charge them up. “He showed me a supercapacitor, which combines the speed at which capacitors can charge, with batteries that can hold large amounts of energy, but which take hours to charge.

“Stephen had undertaken promising research and had licensed some interesting patents from University of Oxford, so we joined forces to deliver our ideal of faster charging.”

Start-up tech companies must hold on to those beliefs, especially when going through fund-raising rounds, said Tim. “We secured seed money in the UK but had to go to the USA for serious investment.”

Clifford Brown, Head of Corporate Finance at Shaw Gibbs, understands the issues ambitious tech start-ups face. “UK investors and venture capitalists invariably fish in a small pond where previous successes have been demonstrated. They perceive the risks to be lower if there is a track record, and unless young businesses know or understand that eco system, it’s difficult to break in.”

Tim knows that Zap&Go’s technology could change the world. “I don’t own much of the business anymore because we’ve raised money through a series of debt and equity rounds, but I don’t care about that. I want this to work.

“That’s why our scientists work with us. What drives them is to be able to prove the technology. If you are an entrepreneur, it’s always about more than money.”

Tagore Ramoutar is Co-founder and Managing Director at The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD), the latest successful start-up in a 30-year career where he has launched new businesses and products for start-ups and large companies.

Tagore’s passion for what he does is in the journey. “Up to launch, ambition drives you. In the first year you have milestones to achieve. Challenges come in the second or third years, when a business might not be making the revenues you want.

“Don’t get disillusioned. Celebrate successes with everyone in the company, and be prepared to take the knocks, because there will be some.”

For Paul Jackson, Director at Hawkins Group of Companies, passion comes from his co-director Mike Hawkins. “His influence across the business is massive. I translate Mike’s ideas into a strategy. We have a fairly flat management structure which helps us share our enthusiasm for the future. If our staff are excited about the projects we’re working on, it makes the company more dynamic.”

Hawkins has seen particular growth over the last 15 years. “It’s about putting people in the right roles to make best use of their talents and ambitions,” said Paul. “And having enough projects on the go to motivate everyone, while improving the business.

“Constant improvement is our biggest driver. Our regular employee forums are fantastic because they are generous in sharing ideas, then we work out how to implement them.”

Liz Nicholson, Managing Director at Nicholsons agreed. “Construction is booming at the moment and for a while we had slightly uncontrollable growth, so we slowed down and took stock.”

The outcome was the company’s 2020 vision, which looked at key targets. But Liz didn’t want rigid turnover targets, preferring to put people first.

“We are driven by a sense of community and by getting every job right first time, every time. Our staff are engaged with our forest schools programme. We build one a year and have done 10 so far. If you ask