Meet the Backing Essex Business Managers
The Business Managers at Backing Essex Business are here to help small companies like yours to grow by giving advice, answering questions, and being a confidant. Since the introduction of the service, they have supported hundreds of businesses on their journey to success.
Get to know our Team:
Andy Turner
Originally from the south coast, Andy ‘retired’ to Norfolk in early 2020, just prior to the first COVID-19 lockdown. Before working with the LDGB Essex team, he had previously been a Business Manager for Let’s Do Business Group and after two years of volunteering, he re-joined LDBG in April 2022 to manage the Essex team as the Director of Services!
After starting as a business manager in November 2017, Andy has been happy to support businesses of all sizes and across all sectors but has a specialism in helping businesses to expand and provides financial (and non-financial) solutions to support that.
Andy works part time since returning to work from retirement. His job on a day-to-day basis consists of looking after the staff that support the Backing Essex Business (BEB), North Essex Economic Board (NEEB) and the Southend-based ‘Finance Advice for Business’ contracts by ensuring they have everything they need to provide the best service.
“I came back to work in business support because I missed contact with people in the business world and wanted to continue to help businesses across Essex. The biggest pro of my job is working with these people and understanding what makes them come to work each day.”
For Andy, the most rewarding thing about his role is working with a talented team of Business Advisory Managers and seeing the results of them helping Essex-based businesses by way of case studies and good news stories that he gets to see.
Andy’s advice:
“Get whatever help and support is available, have a well-thought through business plan and be prepared to revisit and refresh this at least annually to reflect necessary changes in direction.”
Robert Laurie
Born and bred in Essex, Robert was a Relationship Director at RBS/NatWest for 34 years, working in London & Essex supporting Commercial and Corporate business clients with their financial requirements.
For Robert, no two days are the same. He spends most of his time meeting new business clients who have approached Backing Essex Business for assistance & guidance with business issues they are experiencing, and following up with existing clients to provide continued support. As well as that he maintains contact with key business partners and introducers across Essex informing them of our services which can assist their clients, and attends various networking events meeting business owners to highlight our services, and also works closely with Economic Development Officers at a number of District Councils to help support their efforts engaging with local commerce.
Due to a number of his previous colleagues working for LDBG and recommending that he consider a role due to his experience and knowledge with the local business community, Robert joined the Essex team in July 2022. Something that made him want to work in business support was the experience he had picked up over the years helping local businesses, especially with his background in finance, to assist businesses with various headwinds that the nation & local economic situation are causing, with the ultimate aim to protect and expand jobs within the County.
“One of the biggest positives of my role is being able to meet clients face-to-face. Since the pandemic, all meetings had to be undertaken online and I have welcomed the opportunity of now being able to go visit and meet with clients, to fully understand their set up & operations and appreciate the issues they face.”
Robert has found his current role to be very rewarding, and has assisted many local businesses through various issues they faced and made many local business to business introductions, as well as be a sounding board for business owners who often have to shoulder all aspects and issues by themselves.
Robert’s advice:
“Make sure to have a planned strategy that can adapt to changes not yet foreseen and remember to always have sufficient cash to weather business storms that can pick up very quickly.”
Elaine Robinson
Unlike the rest of the Essex team, Elaine works from the LDBG office in Hastings and lives in Eastbourne. Before starting her role here, she worked at NatWest since the age of 16 with the last 14 years of working there being as a Business Relationship Manager. After 41 years of working with around 200 SME business clients, Elaine started as a Business Advisory Manager in June 2022.
Elaine’s day-to-day job consists of contacting clients who are looking for business support, identify their needs and then either assisting them herself or signposting them to one of the other team members. She also deals with Growth, Working Capital and Asset Purchase funding requests, stays connected with past clients to see where she can further assist as they grow, ensuring our CRM records are kept up-to-date and most importantly, brings in home-made cake on a Monday when her other colleagues insist!
After being put forward for the role by her colleague Rupert, Elaine was led to this role as a Business Advisory Manager, which was very similar to her previous role and allows her to work a 3-day week, remotely from Essex, and it also means she works with colleagues who she has known and worked with over the decades.
“I wanted to work in business support as it’s what I’m trained for and what I love to do. There’s nothing better than hearing the worry and tension disappear from a client’s voice as you provide a solution to whatever their issue/dilemma is. The biggest pro to working here is being with great colleagues and dealing with clients!”
For Elaine, the most rewarding opportunity she had with a business was supporting Cookies & Cones Ltd. By the end of her first day working for LDBG, she was given the opportunity by Sean Dennis, Deputy Chief Executive, to take over their RLS loan, complete the assessment and obtain sanction by COB two days later as the scheme expired then. The very next day, she held an hour-long meeting over the phone that evening with the client to obtain answers and more info, but the was very patient meaning she got it all done and sanctioned in time. Cookies & Cones Ltd, are a dessert company who have their own shops, but are now going in-store at Primark stores! The loan was to assist with the first one, which has been so successful that Primark have now asked them to roll-out another 30 over the next 2 years.
Elaine’s advice
“Never lose sight of why they started their business and what they are doing it for/what they want from it, bigger isn’t always better and talk to your accountant for guidance and take advantage of all the support that is out there to assist. NEVER BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP AND ADVICE and be prepared to hear and take onboard honest feedback.”
John Sargant
John is one of the newest Business Advisor Managers to join LDBG, starting back in the new year. Before joining LDBG, John worked for the South East Business Boost programme which is a department within Southend City Council, initially as a Start Up Business Adviser and then Grants Officer.
His day-to-day job consists of advising small to medium enterprises to help them grow, as well as promotion of Backing Essex Business and relationship building with existing and potential partners.
“I was advised to apply to this position by one of the managers at Southend City Council, due to Brexit and the end of ERDF funding the South East Business Boost programme was ending. My passion to assist small businesses achieve their goals is what made me want to work in business support. Having owned small businesses myself previously, I have an insight to the challenges that they face, and I like to pass that knowledge and experience to them.”
One of the biggest pros to John’s job is watching business that he has assisted achieve their goals and seeing the way business owners’ attitudes and lives change after having business success. When it comes to business failure or success, it can be forgotten how much of an impact it has on families and how business advisers have important role in pointing business owners in the right direction.
“There have been many rewarding businesses I have worked with that come to mind for different reasons. One that really sticks out is a person who initially came to see me accompanied with a counsellor as they were suffering with a mental illness. I guided the person through the most difficult of times in starting their business - which is difficult enough – let alone with the other issues that they were encountering. To think that I helped them to achieve their life ambition business wise, and that it led to improving their mental wellness and change their family situation gives me a buzz.”
John’s advice:
“Carry out research, more research and then… more research! Get a good advisor, including accounting, marketing, or mentoring and have a plan!”
Ross Moran
Ross is one of the newest Business Advisor Managers to join LDBG. Before joining LDBG, he worked as a Business Manager with WSX Enterprise. His day-to-day job consists of working with and supporting entrepreneurs and businesses in Essex to grow their customer base and become more profitable.
“The opportunity to work with like-minded professionals who have a passion for helping businesses improve is what led me to this job. Having previously worked as a consultant and in business support this role was a natural next career move for me.”
One of the biggest pros to Ross’ job is the variety of different entrepreneurs and businesses to work with and help them exceed their business goals. Something difficult about this role for him is not being able to dedicate more time or help businesses prepare themselves better to compete. The road to success is long and sometimes ideas can take longer to develop than expected.
Ross’ advice:
“Become customer obsessed! It’s important to know how they are within their customers ecosystems. Also knowing exactly how the product or service they are supplying solves the customers problems. Once they have mapped out how they solve the problems, they then need to communicate this with the wider world. Keep reinforcing their relevance and promote themselves at every opportunity to build their brand.”
