As the corporate giants feel the pinch of recession and fall by the wayside, should that deter the ambitious entrepreneurs who’s SME’s play such a major part in the UK’s economy?
My name is Dave Hale and fate has dealt me a trump card. For nearly 20 years I plied my trade in the parcels industry, growing from a part time Sortation Operative to a General Manager in busy London sites of 3 different parcel carriers. An unforgiving industry that gives no respite to the senior teams – a true 24/7 job with a work hard – work harder ethos and little respect for family values.
Over the years I watched the industry boom with advent of Internet shopping and (almost) bust with the big players in that market driving prices down to unsustainable levels forcing numerous acquisitions and the odd demise of household names. The pressures in boardrooms to reduce cost filtered down to the foot soldiers in the form of redundancies and site closures and, although I was fortunate enough to avoid ‘that’ meeting with HR, sitting on the right side of the desk and putting others through that pain takes its toll eventually. So, having been micro managed to the point of ill health it was time to act – not just to leave my post, but to leave all I knew.
I’ve always had a bit of a knack of falling on my feet but whilst the country spent the summer marvelling in glory of London 2012, I was in limbo considering my next move. Having a supportive family certainly helped but it was Facebook that would provide the platform for the rest of my career. A message from an old friend, an old friend who is part of the team that created DeckSafe Solutions; changed my life.
You see, far from the stifling and suppressing attitude of the corporate beast fighting to survive, I discovered a thriving business built by people prepared to take risks and allow their creativity to shape their success. A speculate to accumulate attitude, a far cry from the need to get CEO approval for a £25 expense claim.
My new adventure is still in its infancy and I still have a lot to prove both to myself and to my new employers. However, with products this good, a dedicated team that is set to receive an addition very soon, and the backing of a forward thinking and ambitious board – I won’t ever get a better chance to make my mark.
DeckSafe Solutions 