About the Author

Angela Dellar started her career qualifying as an accountant with KPMG where she gained wide exposure to a variety of sectors: oil, insurance, brewing, petroleum, professional services, graphic designers, construction and even an abattoir, to name a few.

She loves getting under the skin of any business by having a walk-through from end to end and distilling the business into its key drivers, including the leadership qualities that enable high performance individuals and teams.

From KPMG she left practice for a board role in the Property Services division of Atkins, the construction consultants, with shared responsibility for setting the strategy, business planning and implementation.

Working closely with her team, the board and the managers in the business, she grew the financial and commercial capability by ensuring that the ‘numbers side’ was simplified, that bright spots could be seen and replicated and the financial impact of actions understood.

From Atkins Angela progressed to Marsh, a global insurance and reinsurance broker, where she continued to have board-level responsibility, including strategy and business positioning, and also new challenges in change management, project management and more detailed process efficiency. As Head of UK Change Management, Angela specialised in the human side of change, including organisation design, training and development and cultural integration of a European client base.

During the deep recession of 2009 Angela fulfilled her dream of starting her own business. In the early stages her business focused on strategy, growth maximisation through business positioning and change management for the small to medium sized businesses that she had loved working with at KPMG.

She then recognised that she had varying degrees of success dependent on the mind-set of the MD and so qualified in behavioural change as a Leadership Coach with the International Coaching Federation. Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The best systems, processes and business strategy will never make it off the page without leaders creating the right culture; the ability to bring people on the journey so they want to be a part of the new world. By positively influencing small shifts in mind-set, Angela enables dramatic change in the ability of leaders to grow the right environment for success whilst enabling accountability for taking action towards the goals identified.

Equipped in all three key areas of business success – business IQ, business EQ and change management to take regular focused action to deliver strategy – Angela thoroughly enjoys supporting MDs to grow themselves, their teams and their business, yielding tangible results in a short space of time.

 

Thank you’s

Firstly, and most importantly, I’d like to thank those that have given up their precious time to create such a useful resource. Without their generosity this book would not have been created. Without their honesty and openness, the learning in this book would not be as rich for others.

So, a very big thanks to the following highly successful founding entrepreneurs and leaders:

I’d also like to say a huge thank you to one of my mentors, Graham McGregor of Twomac Consulting. I have tried and tested Graham’s marketing services and strategies and they have always proved to be hugely successful. This book was inspired by the hugely popular special report that Graham offers his own clients called “The Unfair Business Advantage.” This report by Graham is outstanding and I highly recommend that you get a copy. It’s available for free at www.theunfairbusinessadvantage.com.

Enjoy, learn, and put it into action. To your success!

p.s. Why the swift on the front cover?

As a group, swifts are the fastest of all birds in level flight. Their wings are long, narrow and superbly adapted for fast flight. Even their forked tail is closed to a point during flight for extra efficiency. Everything about this bird is designed for speed and height!

They almost never land, except at their nest sites, doing everything on the wing (including sleeping, eating and mating). They drink by gliding over smooth water and taking sips.

They also have an amazingly clever adaptation. Food can be scarce in bad weather. The chicks can go cold and torpid and survive for days without food, then regain weight rapidly once supplies resume. Most baby birds can’t do this and would simply die within hours.

The relevance for business? Taking swift action, adapting to the environment and growing resilience are all essential to success.

 

Copyright notices

Copyright © 2015 by Angela Dellar, Apricot Business Growth

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to:

Apricot Business Growth, 12 Brook Close, Great Totham, Maldon, Essex, CM9 8PE

Published by Apricot Business Growth

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.apricotbusinessgrowth.co.uk

 

Legal notices

While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter.

This publication is not intended for use as a source of legal or accounting advice. The Publisher wants to stress that the information contained herein may be subject to varying national and/or local laws or regulations. All users are advised to retain competent counsel to determine what national and/or local laws or regulations may apply to the user’s particular business.

The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, both national, local, governing professional licensing, business practices, advertising and all other aspects of doing business in the United Kingdom or any other jurisdiction is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader.

The author and publisher assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these materials.

Any perceived slight of specific people or organisations is unintentional.