Top 10 Tips after 10 Years in Business

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of The Distance incorporating, but by no means is it only my 10th year in business. At our party on Friday night, I reflected on the fact that it seems I've always been fairly entrepreneurial, despite having a bit of a hang up for the word. All of the following came naturally/organically; it wasn’t ever a primary goal of mine.

From a young age I became a natural “computer whizz” soon after PC’s had found a place in our homes (thanks to Bill Gates). I was always doing odd jobs for people, such as designing menus for a neighbour’s sandwich van and working for various departments of my father's employers. Occupations ranged from IT support, to database manager to even running the whole IT division over a summer holiday in Southend.

This continued throughout my education, and in my final year of University I registered as a sole trader in order to formally write an extranet for a national company my father worked at.

I'd never really had a passion for running a business so went into full-time employment for the next 6 years. Throughout that time (and without realising) I'd been building my network through the 7 agencies I worked for. I continued with my freelance work in my spare time and had built up a strong portfolio of clients, which eventually gave me the confidence to step out on my own as a web developer.

For the first year, I worked in partnership with an ex-colleague who stepped out a year earlier and ran a freelance graphic design business. Some previous R&D time with my final employer introduced me to the world of mobile apps, and over time (and after a few rebrands), The Distance was born.

I may not be the greatest business leader and still make many mistakes, but I have the most incredible team around me so here are my top tips for business success:

1. Surround yourself with supportive people that will challenge you
2. Always employ people that will be better at their job than you are/would be
3. Provide everyone with as much autonomy as possible
4. Give them an environment in which they feel safe and supported
5. Build the business around their talents, rather than pigeon-holing their skills
6. Allow opportunity for sharing of ideas and celebrating success
7. Don't criticise mistakes, we're all human, but make sure they become learnings
8. Create as flexible work/life balance as possible, for everyone
9. Try and be as transparent as you can with all areas of the business (especially during change)
10. Regularly reward commitment, contributions and successes in any way you can; it rarely has to be financial

This is by no means an exhaustive list and won't always apply, but they are some of the values I've defined/held strongly over the past decade as a business owner.

I'm sure there are many others so please feel free to share your in the comments and own advice, as I'm sure other business leaders will appreciate your contribution. I know I will.

Finally, I’d like to thank all those who have worked with me past and present. As you can see from the comments on my card, I am surrounded by amazingly talented and supportive individuals, who without which I’d still be writing websites in the attic space of my first flat!! I love and appreciate every single one of you for whatever part of my journey you have joined me on.

To another 10 years...