David Morton
Phone Number
07981 282210
Email Address
david.morton@i-boardroom.com
I spent 30 years in management and senior management positions with Lloyds bank, most of which was focused on advising and lending to SME businesses in London and the South of England. During my career with the bank, besides my direct experience with numerous SME businesses, I benefitted from extensive training and experience in management and leadership throughout my career.
Since leaving the bank in 2012, I have set up a number of businesses with others in the wind energy industry, construction, property development and financial services, 2 of which were sold to public companies.
My aspirations for i-boardroom
I was delighted when Sam Dyer approached me to get involved with this exciting concept. SME business owners usually lack sufficient business management experience to ensure that they can be fully informed about all the options they face or have the full range of skills to deliver on decisions effectively. Frankly, many SME business owners have high technical skills and knowledge in their chosen fields, but have little experience and training in any of multiple business management skills required to run a business organisation effectively, so end up learning on the job!
It’s therefore no surprise that up to 50% of new businesses fail in the first 3 years, often reflecting a lack of resources and capability to deal with the challenges encountered. In my view, when businesses start out, 90% of the focus and effort is outward – towards the market and customers. However, after about 3 years this has often switched round to 90% of the focus being inward dealing with internal issues and putting out fires caused by problems that stem from management and control issues.
Of the businesses that survive, many fail to achieve their full potential due to poor strategic decisions, lack of finance, cash flow issues or problems with staff or internal management tensions.
At i-boardroom we provide a confidential and safe environment for business leaders to come together and form a board that will operate in a similar fashion to a board in a large company. We will discuss the full range of business topics that challenge businesses and members will benefit from the ideas of other board members. As Chair of my board, I will be leading the discussions so that members receive high levels of both challenge and support in facing and resolving their own challenges and progressing opportunities.
We will also look to keep abreast of external issues providing opportunities or threats to businesses such as changes to the law or national and local economic conditions.
We can share contacts and help each other source good professional advice and support services.
To be clear, the goal is not simply to provide support and ideas to resolve problems and challenges, but to assist members to identify and adopt challenging business goals and support them in their endeavours in achieving them.