& I

So am I the great success? No. I think I have done very well, especially for my age, but I am no where near where I want to be. That said, there are many aspects of business that I do now that I am very pleased with, and I have listed them below.

Infozure is still my biggest concern, which is why I spend most of my time on it. When I meet people for the first time I always say I work for a marketing company. But it is not because I love marketing more than my other ventures, it is simply that it is the only industry I am in that allows me to really use my strengths to develop brands and business. After all, much of marketing is simply business strategy. I thoroughly enjoy looking objectively at a brand and trying to generate ideas that with lead to an increase in sales revenue. I often need to be careful not to overstep my brief and stick to the marketing, but many clients appreciate my thoughts even if they take them no further. I also love digital marketing because it is a continually changing market place. Social media is the big buzz word of the year, but it is still in its infancy and far from where it could be taken – and it probably won’t be taken there by the self proclaimed ‘social gurus’ of today (Guys who were obviously bullied at school and lack any real social skills at all. Too much? Sorry). Finally, Infozure allows me the ability to take on a new venture running. Marketing materials can be put together quickly with my direction, and from day 1 we can begin to increase sales and brand awareness. I think Infozure will always be my ‘main’ business.

The Laurence James Partnership is made up of five people from a variety of business backgrounds and of very different ages. I am in fact the youngest of the group, but we all bring something slightly different to the table. We look for new or struggling businesses to invest in. Unlike traditional investment, we really like to get stuck in. We look to develop the business at every level, starting financially but going right through to brand placement and strategic direction. The idea behind it was that five heads are better than one, not to mention five wallets. The idea developed at the point when I realised I could not do everything myself. I had a variety of business opportunities, but needed help to ensure their success. We all had connections to each other through business ventures and quickly came to respect those we didn’t. Between us we cover all bases, or at least we like to think so! Just for a taster of things that we are involved with on a B2B basis; Promotions & Events (clients include Hamleys toy store, Debenhams, Bromley Council), Mobile Marketing (clients include The Ritz Casino, Amika and London Club Awards), Coffee (clients include Simply Distribution, golf clubs and major london hotels) and high end Property Agents. From a B2C perspective we are involved in Event Tickets sales, high end Property sales and Beverage Retail.

Onto something that I hold close to my heart. I am fortunate enough to be a founding member of TradeRelief, a charity with an exceptional mission. The concept of providing the means for someone in a developing nation to fend for themselves is hardly new, but providing micro-finance to entrepreneurs certainly is still in its infancy. The idea is simple – if you have an idea for a business that will directly impact on the surrounding community in a large enough manner, we are interested in investing. Charitable donations are taken from generous folk in the UK and 100% used to provide micro-finance of between £500 and £3,000 to the ‘missing middle’. The missing middle is a term we use to describe the poor in developing nations who are not catered for in a typical charitable manner, and do not have the securities to raise traditional investment. We work with local appointed agents to find worthy and achievable business ideas and then provide the finance and assistance to make it a reality. Initially assistance was a large priority, and while in its principles business is the same globally, using strict accounting methods and reporting criteria in many countries is unrealistic. We therefore try to help them in a way that works for their economic and social environment. The investment is paid back, with interest over a 3 or 5 year period. That then allows us to inject the same charitable donation more than once and so year on year our investment pool is the total of new donations and repaid investment loans. Obviously not all businesses will succeed, but with support from TradeRelief and local partners, they have a fighting chance.

Let me perhaps put this in perspective. Our western Kenyan Initiative (our investment pool for Western Kenya) has two great examples of investments that help the local community. 1) GoodChoice is a local amenities store that had an investment of around £2,500 that paid for the shop and stock. Although only employing three people, an additional 12-15 act as agents, borrowing goods in the morning to sell and paying for them come the afternoon. Effectively it means that at any given time 15-18 Kenyans have a job that can earn them enough to feed themselves and their families. As the shop develops, it may be that it can take on more agents and staff. 2) In order to go to school in Kenya, you need to have a school uniform, the supply of which is controlled by a handful of large manufacturers who hold a monopoly and charge disproportionately for the clothes. Sola Cago is a small cottage industry who needed £800 for the equipment to manufacture school uniforms. Although a small manufacturer, they now provide school uniforms for several of the surrounding communities, allowing children to go to school at a fair price. Effectively we need businesses that have a greater impact than simply making one individual wealthy.

And that sums up what I do now.