David Browne and his family, who own the Scottish Shutter Company, have been running successful businesses in Dundee for over three decades.
Now, the entrepreneur shares with us the secret of his success.
Q How and why did you start in business?
A The Fabric Shop was our original interior design business started by my wife June 28 years ago, and for over 13 years, was based in Perth Road, Dundee.
It’s still going strong and is an integral and important part of our business.
I had a very successful career in the computer industry but left in 1997 to join June in her business to concentrate on growing the window blind product range.
About 15 years ago it became apparent that interior timber plantation shutters, which were already very popular in America and Australia, were starting to become popular here in the UK so we set up The Scottish Shutter Company.
Q How did you get to where you are today?
A Through hard work, determination and an overwhelming passion for our products.
Over the years we have been joined in the business by other family members who share that passion and that has worked well for us.
There are now five family members in the business with one non-family member who we all refer to as “adopted”. Responsibility for driving the business forward now rests with me and my daughter Judith.
Q Who has helped you along the way?
A Many people have contributed to our success in big and small ways.
I’m always keen to take advice from experts in their field.
Recently, we have started working with Business Gateway. Our local office are assisting us in identifying where we can get additional support to help us recruit graduates with the appropriate skills set.
I’m also very fortunate to be mentored by one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs Nigel Botterill, who has set up eight £1 million businesses.
Q What was your biggest mistake?
A Not having the courage to think big, like Donald Trump advises entrepreneurs, in our early years. Everything we did, we did cautiously.
Q What is your greatest achievement?
A This year has been a year of awards and we have won five.
Without doubt, the most significant was being presented with the UK Family Business of the Year People’s Choice Award runners-up at a reception held at the Queen’s solicitors in London Farrar & Co.
Q What do you hope you will achieve in the future?
A Growth is the keyword at the top of our agenda.
To meet our ambitious plans we need more people, and we also want to be able to pass on the secrets of our success and in particular our unique marketing style to other small business owners, and we’ll be looking at ways to allow them to benefit from our experience.
Q Do you want to recruit in the future?
A Absolutely, but not in the future: our requirements are immediate.
Our need for new people is acute and we are actively looking for graduates with various skill-sets in graphics arts, web design, social media and marketing to augment our existing skills.
Q What is the hardest thing about running your own business?
A Trying to resist the temptation to work in your business rather than working on it.
Q Do you have any advice to give wannabe entrepreneurs?
A Grab every opportunity with both hands and remember that the only limit to super success is in your own head. We are all capable of very much more than we think.