Steven Bell

Name:

Steven Bell

Business:

Newman Scott Ltd

Web site:

www.newmanscott.co.uk

Years in business:

32

Number of businesses:

5

Entrepreneurs' Forum member

I was involved in my father’s retail business, Bell’s Stores from a very young age. At the time he operated two stores but when I left school at 16 that had doubled to four branches.

I became Managing Director of Bell’s when I was 25. The business grew to having a turnover of £70m and during that time we acquired Newman Scott, a shopfitting company, out of receivership and helped to turn the business around.

When you’ve got a father who seemed to keep moving the goalposts further and further apart, I always wanted to strive to prove that I could do it too. I think sometimes competitive sports and business go well together- they’re both about having a will to win, and never giving up.

There was a time when Newman Scott was losing us around £400,000. As a family we had all of our businesses in the one bank. Our bank manager said we either had to close Newman Scott down, or sell it.

So we changed banks. The business is now in the top 20 best shopfitting companies in the UK.

It comes down to your character and how well you believe in your business. We felt we had a good business and good people in it. We just had the wrong strategy, so we changed it.

Sharing in fellow entrepreneurs’ advice, passion and knowledge is tremendously inspiring, whether you’re well established or just starting out. But as soon as you start your business, it isn’t a job, it’s more like a sport or a hobby. It’s about working hard and playing hard. You’re the driver of the business, so enjoy the buzz.

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