Name: Simon McCrum Age: 43 Job: managing partner, Darbys solicitors, Oxford Time in job: One year Contact: 01865 811256 E-mail: smccrum@darbys.co.uk What was your first job?

Putting the crosses on hot cross buns in a bakery. As ever, I went the extra mile and put crosses on all that day’s bread rolls too.

How much was in your first pay packet and what did you spend it on?

£12.00. I spent it as soon as I walked out of the bakery on records in the record shop next door. My thrifty dad was livid.

Describe how your career has developed to the present day.

Things progressed in the early days by a mix of lurching from one thing to another, and lady luck played a part. I wasn’t ready for the real world after my history degree so I did the law conversion course. I was fortunate to then secure a very good training contract at Pannone in Manchester. I knew I wanted to get more involved in the business of law than in being a lawyer doing cases, so I was prepared to move jobs and take risks to secure the right job.

What are the key responsibilities in you position?

To ensure everyone at Darbys is pulling in the same direction.

Describe a typical day I am in the office from 6.30 am — I then have two or so invaluable hours of e-mail and prep time. After 9am the phone starts ringing and meetings and visits start. I get back to e-mails after 5pm and then from 6pm it’s thinking time and time for doing big jobs.

Who/what have been the biggest influences on your career?

My parents for giving me my work ethic and the willingness to roll my sleeves up and do whatever is needed, and Joy Kingsley who was managing partner at Pannones who plucked me from obscurity and developed and challenged me.

What has been your best decision?

To take the risky decision to give up doing actual legal work and to do what I really wanted to do.

And your worst?

To drink my own bodyweight at one or two functions, while I was a junior lawyer.

What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out in your business?

I would give the same advice to anyone starting out in any business — do what you say you are going to do, by the time you said you would do it, and at the price that you said you would do it at, and the rest will be easy.

What is the secret of good management?

First, you need a masterplan. If you haven’t got a masterplan then what are you trying to get your people to work towards? If everyone buys into the plan, that’s half the battle and there are a lot less issues to manage. I believe in dealing quickly, openly, honestly and fairly with all issues.

Do you have a good work/life balance?

Hmmmm, I rarely do any work at weekends but Monday to Friday are wholly given over to work. I’m happy with this at the moment. Even though I think I work hard, I suffer no stress and I would be horrified to think that anyone at Darbys suffered any stress.

What hobbies/interests do you enjoy in your spare time?

All hobbies were put into storage about three years ago when my son Murdoch arrived and then Maverick a year later. Mountain biking is on hold and will return. The challenge will be making sure it returns before I lose the use of my legs.

Is there anything in business that really irritates you?

People who are not honest and reliable and as part of this people who don’t look you in the eye when they shake your hand.

• People who say "we must do lunch."

• People who use the phrase "I’m just touching base with you."

• People who give you their business card by holding it between their index and middle finger. I immediately don’t trust and don’t want to do business with people who do any of these things.

How do you see the firm developing over the next five years?

We are working on some major strategic thinking and planning that may come off and may not. If it doesn’t, we’ll have to do some more major strategic thinking and planning.

What has been your most satisfying moment?

It hasn’t happened yet, and sadly, it may never happen as I am always looking to the next plan.

Do you believe there is enough help and support from government and agencies for growing businesses?

I hadn’t realised there was any.

What is your attitude to the environment and do you have any green policies in place?

I care about it — not least for the sake of my boys. I do feel this generation has a responsibility to the next and we are trying to do our bit. We have a 'green partner’ whose job it is to make sure we continually examine and explore our carbon footprint and energy use and that we do our bit in the community. We also encourage others to do their bit.

What is the secret of a happy workforce?

You have to stop people being rude or horrible to others, as they can bring real unhappiness into peoples’ lives. After that, making people feel individually important by showing how they are playing a key part in taking the business somewhere and demonstrating that you want to develop them into something greater. Oh — and alcohol.

Is there any other job you would like to have done and why?

For some reason I think I would have excelled as a TV presenter What would you like to do when you retire?

Start a plumbing business — one where the plumbers do what they say, by the time they say it and at the price they say they’ll do it at. And if they do that, the rest will be easy.