Rob Hallam is managing director of Bigtank Productions, a video production company based in Ramsbottom.

The business has worked with private and public sector clients across the UK including Mercedes Benz Trucks, the Department for International Trade and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Bigtank is currently taking part in Two Zero’s Scaleup Leaders Network, delivered by Cube Thinking. Rob shares what he has learned as a scaleup leader, which scaleup business he admires and the legacy he wants Bigtank to create.

What is the most important quality of a scaleup business leader and why?

The ability to see a broad picture of where a business is heading and also the ability to inspire and motivate a team so they share your vision of what the business needs to be. You cannot do it alone.

How have you grown and developed as a scaleup leader?

I have always felt I have a great management style and am a good communicator but working in the business and not on it was always something I would fall back to.

Over the last three years, however, by bringing the right team on board and being disciplined to look at where I am really needed in a business, I have learned to focus on the areas that will drive long term change and delegate more of the day-to-day tasks.

How do you inspire and empower your people?

By showing genuine passion and absolute sincerity of what I want Bigtank to be, what we should stand for and how we should be regarded by our clients. My team know I am not faking this or on some journey just to make money.

We are building a business based on rock solid values, hard work and a passion for the industry and the jobs we have within it. It’s about creating a place where we all love to come and work and do our best for each other and for our clients.

What is the best piece of business advice you have received and why?

Customer is king. My dad told me that when I was ten. He was right and still is. Our customers may not be right all the time, they may not always act logically, and occasionally, they may do things that upset us, but without them, we don’t have a business.

If they haven’t valued something we have done, we shouldn’t assume it’s because they haven’t grasped the value. It may be that we haven’t explained something properly or have taken certain things for granted. So when treating clients like royalty, be patient, open minded, clear and ready to listen.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned on your business journey, and how has this impacted you?

Trust yourself to do the right thing and don’t worry about the noise. It’s very easy to worry about every detail and to sometimes second guess what someone is thinking. Self-doubt plays a part in the mind of every business owner I know, but don’t let that doubting voice have a casting vote.

Trust the skills we have honed over the years, trust our support networks and trust the fact that we have a growing, profitable and well-regarded business. That wouldn’t have happened without us bringing lots of magic to the table along the way and being very good at what we do.

What scaleup business do you admire the most and why?

Frank Recruitment Group which was started in 2006 by a friend of my brother and a team of eight in a room in Newcastle with a clear goal to own their market.

They are now operating in more than 20 offices around the world with 2000+ staff and are on track to reach a $1bn valuation this year. Their success was based on a simple business model to offer niche recruiting services in the Microsoft Dynamics space, to train people in an easy sales method and to make sure they stuck to it.

Even to an outsider, their reason for being and their streamlined approach to business was clear: find a problem, provide a solution and listen to your clients so you are there when the next problem arises.

Their journey and their advice has absolutely been pivotal in shaping our success. We know that if we aren’t solving a problem for a client or seizing an opportunity, they don’t really need us.

What key metrics do you look at everyday in your business?

We used to have a morning meeting every Monday, we now have one every day from 0830 to 0900. In this meeting we look at the day ahead from a planning and logistics viewpoint but also:

• Is everyone happy in the office? If not, is this something we need to look at if it’s work related or do we allow someone the space to crack on knowing there is support if needed?
• What are the team working on today and what do they want to have achieved by the end of the day? Is this in line with what we want to achieve this week / month and year? What can myself and my management team do to help?

Financial metrics are reviewed every Friday afternoon by the three directors. We look at financial performance for the year to date, how we are performing in relation to the previous year and what targets need to be implemented the following week to keep on track.

What is the legacy you want to create?

That our clients, our staff, their families and mine smile when they think of Bigtank. That they see it or saw it as a great place to work. That we were always great people to deal with and that Bigtank was and is a business that generated countless commercially positive results for the businesses they dealt with in a warm, efficient, open and honest way.