Name: Gavin Preston
Company Name: Windermere Works Ltd & Gavin Preston Ltd
Length of time in role: I have been involved in some capacity in the family business Windermere Works and its former guise Windermere Business Centre for 25 years. 15 years at Gavin Preston Ltd.
Number of employees: Four
What was your first job: A paper round for the local free paper at the age of 14.
What personal skills do you need in your current role? Self belief, persistence, patience, persuasion and the ability to come up with creative ideas to solve problems.
What is your best business memory? Securing a speaking contract with HSBC that saw me delivering 86 speaking events entitled 'Double Your Business' for HSBC across the UK over two years.
What is your worst business memory? As a result of the economic downturn in 2009 having to leave a previous business partnership because clients were telling us that they did not have the resources to engage our services. This was one of three major set backs that happened in my life at the time. It was a tough time. However, it was a time that I realised I needed to grow bigger than the problem…and I did.
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