James Hill – Team Worth Ltd t/a Chefs For Foodies – Start-ups and brand partnerships

2021 and 2022 has been a tough year for business around the globe. In your experience can you share how businesses prosper in 2023?

Each industry has been effected in different way, but in general the only way to prosper is to ensure your business is sales driven and continuously looking to drive the top line and the same time its important to control all the costs and make sure to run a tight ship. The balance is always difficult as you can cut many costs, which could also impact growth. In my own experience, I use brand partnerships as a formula to accelerate growth by acquiring a new customer base off the back of an established brand with the same target audience. I have learned to select investors who are experienced and understand that being an angel also means being patient. Investor selection is my takeaway for 2023. Be sure to surround yourself with the right people. Success only comes through the hard work of people.

The economy has been turned on it’s head in the wake of the pandemic. What should businesses focus on in 2023?

All businesses need to have a contingency plan for ever-changing circumstances. You need to be prepared to adapt and change the business model if required. Doing nothing is a sure way to kill the business. Look for offshoots or partnerships possible to merge with a competitor. Focus on your staff and create a share option pool to ensure your staff is vested in the future of the business. Your business is dependent on the staff as they are your biggest asset.

What are the pro’s & con’s of working from home and have you any first hand experience?

I have become a big fan of the hybrid, for senior management it works very well as the office is a forum for meetings and brainstorming but working from home has fewer distractions and I find I get way more done at home than I would sit in the office. Offices should become think tanks to capture creativity. Some roles are not possible to be converted into a hybrid, but where possible I fully support the model. There are no pros or cons’s if managed, people that need to be in the office for motivation and interactive reasons should do so, and people that are self-motivated and need to focus and are trusted to operate on their own should have that freedom and flexibility. HR can not customise employees’ roles based on what works best for them and the company. I love working from home and smashing my meetings all on zoom, I get twice as much work done from home that at the office.

How can business owners combat the rise of inflation and what have you done that you can share?

Very difficult to combat the rise of inflation as generally its out of your control. The cost of goods, energy, and living is global, again businesses need to find away to increase the top-line revenue to offset the additional costs. The only way is to dig in. All wars come to an end at some point, therefore better times are around the corner. There are new financial platforms on the market that can help with your cash flow for example we have started to use Playter which allows us to pay the supplier but split the invoice and spread the 50% across 3 or 6 months keeping your working capital in the bank longer. This is just one example of being more creative with your money.

In the last 5 years we have seen the rise to Cryptocurrency, Blockchain, NFT’s, Digital Marketing and many more! What do you think will impact the world most in regards to online selling?

Online selling has become vital to the transformation of how we attract new customers, high street shops while nice are too limited. Online sales allow us to reach customers nationwide or even internationally. All online selling platforms link to your digital marketing. Over the years I have transformed from print to omnichannel which is the ideal formula. To be available across an omnichannel needs to be the goal, this then allows business to expand their customer base both online and offline. The rise of Crypto and Blockchain is becoming more and more important, my experience is to make sure to stay informed on how these new ears can impact your sector.

On a more subtle note. If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive who would it be and why?

Muhammad Ali
Julius Caesar
Etan Senna

Reading is still one of the most popular ways to learn anything. What is your most recommended book(s) by who and what did you learn from them?

winner but the importance of family values."}” data-sheets-userformat=”{"2":513,"3":{"1":0},"12":0}”>Relentless by Eddie Hearn, as I connected my own 12 rounds with his book. The passion and fight that is needed to be a winner but the importance of family values.

What is your purpose for getting out of bed each day and what do you aim to achieve in the future?

My purpose is to build something for me, my family, my co-workers, and the world, to have purpose and meaning. My future is dedicated to helping people in some way.