As the CEO of a B2B telemarketing agency with 130 staff and a turnover of around £2.5 million I do, inevitably, face the same challenges as most SME heads - how to: increase and sustain business growth; improve customer retention; find the best talent and keep it; inspire creativity and facilitate leadership development; keep better control of costs; and transfer knowledge around the company. It's no surprise that all of these challenges, and more, have befallen me at some stage or another since I set up the company.
Yet although they are probably some of the most important ones, ironically they have been the easiest ones to navigate without my sight. Believe it or not, it is the less-significant tasks - those that generally wouldn't cross most people's minds - that are actually the hardest to do.
Take recruiting a personal assistant. Ever since I set up the business, I have had a personal assistant - and that is exactly what she is, in every sense of the word. For me, my PA is so much more than a traditional ‘secretary'. She needs to be flexible, sociable and, most importantly, likeminded. I attend a great deal of functions around the country so I always need my PA with me. She attends meetings, comes to dinners, meets clients and shares just about everything work-related with me, so when I come to recruiting someone, it can be a challenge to find a person that ticks all of those boxes.
And as you can imagine, once I have found that person, I don't want to let her go! Which is why the PA role has turned into something of a training scheme. My last couple of PAs have both started in the job and, after a couple of years, moved on to more strategic roles within the company.
While my PA is great at keeping a handle on me, understanding what is going on business-wise became that bit harder when I lost my sight, which is why it is more important for me than most to have a really strong management team in place to keep me updated on the day-to-day activity. I sit alongside all the employees so I can hear what's happening and keep abreast of any issues they are facing.
An open-plan office has really helped me on the people management side of things, too. There's no better way of getting to know your employees than sitting with them day in, day out and sharing the business with them. Funnily enough, being blind has probably been something of an advantage for me in this respect. When you can't see, you rely on all your other senses to work harder for you, and your hearing becomes more important than ever. I do think my communication skills - particularly my ability to listen - are better than they possibly ever would have been if I weren't blind.
And that's definitely a bonus when it comes to winning business. I've always been a confident person, don't get me wrong, but as soon as people realise I don't shy away from my blindness, they seem to open up instantly, which can be particularly advantageous when it comes to first-time meetings and pitches. In many cases, the position I have reached (all things considered) helps me establish a credibility with my audience that wouldn't otherwise be possible, which can't be too bad a thing.
I think the same is true with my employees. Of course, things aren't easy, but I try to lead the business by example. Everyone has got their own personal challenges, I just do what I can to get on with things and achieve goals to the very best of my ability. Hopefully, it shows people that with determination, they can fulfil their ambitions, whatever the circumstances around them.
Liz Jackson is CEO of Great Guns Marketing
