Paying Posh's tab

I was an apprentice electrician at Didcot Power Station which involved block release in London and Cardiff. It was just like going to university but with a pay packet each month.

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

£28 — of which a tenner went to my mum for housekeeping and the rest was split evenly between Friday and Saturday nights.

Where else have you worked?

Culham Laboratory, where I continued with my studies when my apprenticeship had finished, followed by some time as a Xerox engineer before going into sales.

Describe your current role At STL it is probably best described as ‘innoventor in chief.’ We have worked really hard on coaching for the management team so they can run the business, which leaves me to focus on strategies. It has been tough handing over most of the operational decision making, but it is the only way to scale the company.

How do you see the company developing?

We have been enjoying growth of more than 20 per cent for the past three years and it looks like we might hit 30 per cent in the current financial year, which is ahead of our projected 25 per cent.

Our growth will be organic and to help this we have just opened an office in London to support our involvement in the Olympic Games. The three year plan is to achieve sales revenues of £12m.

Do you work long hours?

Not really, but I do work unusual hours. I am a great believer in flexible working. It is not about the hours you work, but what you achieve and anyway you have to strike a balance between work and home or else what’s the point?

Describe a typical day During term time I will probably drop our daughter Alex at school for 8.30am and get to STL for 8.40am. I usually start with e-mail for an hour or so before meetings, which start at about 10am.

E-mail again over a sandwich at lunchtime followed by discussions with the STL management team or customer visits.

I try to get to the gym for about 5pm every other day, which means I am usually home at about 6.30pm in time to help run the kids around before looking at e-mail again and going to bed at about 10pm.

What are your main challenges?

Identifying and recruiting talented people and then keeping them has to be the hardest thing, but when you get it right those individuals can really propel the business forward.

What tips do you have for good management?

Having good people around you who are not afraid to make decisions, especially when the heat is on. For this to work you also need to be prepared to forgive some mistakes so they come to you with the solution and not the problem.

What is the secret of a happy workforce?

We try to give everyone a progression path through the business. Removing bureaucracy and implementing self-administered holidays and sickness really helps.

Who are your biggest influences and why?

I draw most of my inspiration from local business people who have done well, such as Gary Frank at The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys, Stuart Miller of Bybox and Paul Gregg who built Apollo Leisure.

Outside of business you cannot help but be inspired by small local charities such as SpecialEffect and ROSY, where Mick Donegan and George Hedges respectively continue to work wonders.

What’s been your best decision?

Starting Spire Telecom on a wing and a prayer with £3,000 of savings in the middle of a recession just after my wife Kay had given birth to Jordan.

And your worst?

Not giving Victoria Beckham my telephone number when she asked me for it in 2006. She had ordered two of her sons Coke and chips during an England World Cup match and realised she had no cash. Paying Posh’s tab seemed the right thing to do.

What else do you do?

I am passionate about business mentoring and very proud to be a volunteer for Oxford Business Mentors, which is run by Mike Jennings. The mentoring service is free and I speak with one or two people a month on all kinds of business topics.

Do you believe the government is doing enough to help growing businesses?

David Cameron visited us just before he became Prime Minister and there is no doubt he sees small and medium sized businesses as the key to economic recovery. The problem with a compromise government is just that — everything is a compromise.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in business?

Listen to as much advice as you can and get yourself a mentor.

What has been your most satisfying moment?

There are two for me and one led to the other. We had been talking about ISO 9001 accreditation for our quality system for about 15 years and we finally went for it together with the ISO 14001 environmental standard, earlier this year.

Shortly after being awarded both marks we were awarded the contract to supply the telephone system for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games opening and closing ceremonies.

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

I would love to have been a sports writer. My great grandfather was a football writer in Manchester and we used to hear fantastic stories about his adventures and friendships with people like Sir Matt Busby.

What would you like to do when you retire?

It would be good to sail my boat, play a little tennis and maybe even finally master the game of golf.

Name: Brendon Cross Age: 47 Job: Managing director, STL

Time in job: 16 years

Contact: 01993 777100 Web: www.stlcomms.com