Defining your profile is never easy, but I think I can justifiably describe myself as an entrepreneur.
Without an academic background, but with a lot of inspiration, even more perspiration and (I'd like to think) natural ability, I've been involved in the development of an award winning organisation, and now own and manage two successful businesses of my own.
My early professional background was in technical support and the design of bespoke web solutions. This gave me a great grounding in the basics of IT, but also taught me an equally valuable lesson - that working for someone else wasn't for me.
Excited by the potential for working independently, I set up my first business as a consultant to local SMEs.
In 2004, a client recommended my work to a new business start up - thebestof. Championing and promoting local businesses, thebestof is now a highly successful and multi-award (including the Sunday Times Tech Track 100) winning organisation. MD Nigel Botterill - fellow entrepreneur and something of a mentor - appointed me as Technical Director, with responsibility for all technical elements of thebestof website including future development, operational performance and stability.
Helping to develop and launch thebestof gave me an insight into the importance of combining technical know-how with commercial awareness. The creation of b10g, my SEO and online reputation management consultancy, was a natural progression of this realisation.
As MD of this growing business, I'm able to provide clients with a service that I believe is rarely offered in the industry - strategic, intelligent online marketing based on a genuine understanding of business needs and objectives. It gives our clients a genuine return on investment - as their recommendations and testimonials demonstrate.
I'm also fortunate enough to be able to indulge my personal and professional passion for property investment (and its connection with online marketing) through my second business - Offshore Properties, which specialises in advising clients on overseas property investment. Our core markets include property in Abu Dhabi and Morocco - two exciting and rapidly developing markets that are both perfect candidates for our online-based approach.
Working hard is no fun without playing hard too, and when not at my desk I can normally be found unwinding with a (strictly fair-weather) round of golf or playing rugby and cricket.
