Dave Mills

A group of entrepreneurs and business leaders have teamed up with the Eastern Enterprise Hub as “Enterprise Superstars”, to encourage more people around the region to consider running a business of their own. In the second of an occasional series of Question & Answer profiles of the “superstars”, the spotlight falls on Dave Mills of Fulcrum Ventures

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When you were a child, what did you want to be?

A musician in a heavy metal band – I think the Evening Star probably still has pictures in its archives of my early attempts!

What is your greatest business success, the thing you are most proud of achieving?

Creating my first multi-million pound turnover business with nothing more than a telephone and a copy of the Yellow Pages.

What is the most important business lesson you have learnt?

There are so many,here are a few very simple ones that are often overlooked in the excitement of a new venture are: Ask the difficult questions and have the difficult conversations right at the beginning of any deal, that way there should never be any nasty surprises further down the line, and if you’re unsure of anything then make sure to clarify the position before making a commitment. Don’t believe anything people promise you, however charming and convincing they might be, unless they’re prepared to back it up in writing prior to the commencement of any arrangement. Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver and if you make a commitment stick to it. Re-evaluate all the wonderful business ideas you’ve discussed over a few glasses of wine in the cold light of day; they very often don’t seem nearly as appealing or viable.

Who is your greatest inspiration and why?

My children continue to inspire me on a daily basis; they constantly question “why not?” if they want to do something and I tell them it’s not possible and invariably they always find a way!

Why have you become an enterprise superstar?

In order to help other people that do not come from a background of business ownership or self-employment but have some great ideas get established. It’s often the fear of the unknown that prevents people from taking the first steps to success.

What single piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in business?

Keep a tight rein on the finances at the beginning, it can be very tempting to spend money on fancy offices and equipment that isn’t really necessary in order to show you’ve “arrived” but you might run out of capital before the business gets off the ground properly. If you haven’t spent the money you don’t have to worry about earning it and huge desks and leather chairs etc can be achieved when the success comes, although having said that some of the most successful people I know are not bothered about those things in the slightest and I for one have the smallest desk in all of the businesses I’m involved in.

What piece of music do you listen to when you need some motivation?

Time by Pink Floyd; the lyrics always remind me that every day is a one off that can never be lived again and this inspires me to make the most out of every single one of them.

What keeps you awake at night? Great ideas, I am working with some incredibly talented people on a variety of projects at the moment and it’s hard to sleep when I think about what it’s possible for us to achieve together.

If you were Prime Minister for a day, what would you do?

Actually say what I meant as opposed to saying what I think other people and the press might want to hear.

What was the last book you

really enjoyed and why?

Small Is Beautiful: A Study Of Economics As If People Mattered because despite being published nearly 40 years ago much of it is still very relevant today.

What is the best thing about doing business in Suffolk?

I was born in Suffolk and it’s nice to be able to encourage growth and work with people in an area that I love and have spent a large part of my life in – and of course not having to spend hours in my car stuck in traffic jams!

When you’re not at work how do you relax?

By spending time with my family and friends. They say that the best things in life are free and I think that doing this proves that they certainly are.

If you were in the Den, what new idea would you pitch to the dragons?

A Den with a panel of Dragons that are actually more interested in the ideas that are bought to them than they are in cultivating their own public image – something that we try to achieve at Fulcrum Venture on a daily basis.

All the Enterprise Superstars are available to speak to audiences around the region; to book, call 01473 527100 or visit www.eehub.co.uk .