Two CEOs, two diaries, two tough business challenges

Wednesday, September 01, 2010 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: Thought Leadership | Tags: business, Alex Connock, links, media, Ros Simmons, business models, CEO, diary, retail, chief exec

Chief executives Alex Connock and Ros Simmons were both facing tough challenges in their business last summer. One was fighting a shifting media battlefield seeking new business models; the other was taking her retail company international. Every week, they blogged their thoughts and agendas here on the Grant Thornton Thinking Blogs. Here’s how they did…

1. ROS SIMMONS, VIE AT HOME
Ros is the chief executive of direct sales company VIE at home, which uses a combination of party plan and e-commerce to sell beauty and home products.

In 2009, she led a management buyout (MBO) of Virgin Vie At Home to form the new company, which is allowing her to fulfil her international ambitions of taking the VIE at home business model into Europe, the Middle East and the USA.

“It has been an unbelievably busy year, but a good one, and I am 100% certain we made the right decision in completing the MBO, despite its challenges. The company is now stronger, more focused and very loyal. Our international developments have also really taken off: Germany has launched well and the Middle East is expanding rapidly.

“I hope people enjoyed reading the more day-in-the-life quotes, which aimed to give a bit of an insight into my role.”

Highlights from Ros Simmons’ 12-week diary include:

• Ros Simmons Q&A : all the background on our female entrepreneur, including a typical working week and how she deals with the pressure of life at the top.
• Recession challenge : how to guide 10,000 self-employed consultants through tough economic times.
• My Big Decision : ‘Should I resign – or take over Virgin Vie At Home?’
• A week in the life of Ros Simmons : in which Ros flies to Dusseldorf to set up shop in Germany.
• Mentors, networks and the wrong A-levels : how choosing the wrong A-levels can lead to success.
• How to put on a successful launch event … and maximise revenue during the Christmas sales period.
• 1970s party plan is back with an e-commerce twist : why the recession is leading to a boom time for retro-style selling.

Read more posts from Ros Simmons’ Entrepreneur Diary

UPDATE: In August 2010, VIE at home launched a TV campaign and announced that it intends to recruit another 4,000 direct sales consultants in the lead-up to Christmas.

2. ALEX CONNOCK, TEN ALPS PLC
Alex is the CEO of Ten Alps PLC, a multi-platform factual media company he founded together with Bob Geldof in 1999. The business has gone from six employees to 520 and now turns over £80m per year.

As Alex says: “We make and sell great factual media for TV, online, print.  You’ll have seen our TV documentaries for years without realising it – on subjects like war, terrorism, famine and prisons.”

One of his aims in summer 2009 was to grow Ten Alps, despite the tough economic environment and a media sector desperately in search of new business models. Did he succeed?

“We’ve never worked so hard, and it’s been great. We’ve developed new online projects like never before: Yossa, Accountancy TV, Link2 and Newton HD, our new science channel with the Science Museum, Open University and Royal Institution.

“We’ve also been focusing on search engine optimisation, pushing creative output to our own Ten Alps blog site, and social networking both on and offline. These days your marketing is a direct function of your transparency to the internet – it’s as simple as that.”

Highlights from Alex Connock’s 12-week diary include:

• Alex Connock Q&A : all the background on our male entrepreneur, including his 170-mile commute, fanatical emailing style and ambitious company vision.
• How to succeed in the media in the next decade : competing on the rapidly changing media battlefield.
• Networking for success : why ‘who you know’ is still vital for building a future business empire.
• A week in the life of Alex Connock : 1,000 emails, 1,000 miles by train and a no-food lunch at The Ivy.
• Recession bites – but the show must go on : a post from the heart of the broadcasting industry, Hollywood, where the rise of free content is sounding the death knell for traditional business models.
• Work-life balance? In the media? : why media CEOs are like premier league footballers or managers.
• A Hollywood treatment for Manchester? : how can Manchester’s new Media City fulfil its destiny.

Read more posts from Alex Connock’s Entrepreneur Diary

UPDATE: Alex Connock continues to blog for Grant Thornton on trends in and issues facing the media sector. You can read his recent posts here. 

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