Name: Steve Howard

Company name: Business Doctor Lakes and Dales

Length of time in role: Just completed eight months

Number of employees : All by myself (there’s a song in there!) but with the association of 45 other self employed business doctors, all with senior executive experience across a wide range of businesses and organisations that I can call on if needed.

First job: Sales representative with Polycell Products; selling filler, brush cleaning liquids and other decorators materials into the local hardware and handyman stores in Notts and Derbyshire. Sadly most of these types of outlets have now disappeared from our local communities.

What personal skills do you need in your current role? The ability to listen! My job is to understand what the business owner I am working with really wants for their business, what are their aims and – importantly – their values. There is no ‘one size fits all’ strategy that you can apply to a business as they are all completely different and want to achieve their own vision. That is why it is important from the first minute to listen (and not just to ‘hear’!) what it is the business owner wants, and keep listening all the time you’re working together.

What is your best business memory? It was the first time I worked with a business owner who was very much in the ‘owners trap’. A successful business, but one that had taken over his life. After working together for a few weeks, we jointly created a plan to grow his business that also put him back in control. As we finalised the plan, you could see the ‘lightbulb’ came on, his shoulders relaxed and he smiled.

What is your worst business memory? Having to make people redundant. Through no fault of their own; just part of a corporate change of direction.