30/09/2013

More By Chance than Career Path

If I mention the word ‘laser’ I suspect two films come to mind. It may be the eye-watering scene in Goldfinger (although interestingly not in the book because the technology did not then exist), or the clashing light sabres from the Star Wars films.

Say the word to Jane Robinson however and you will get an entirely different reaction.  Unsurprising  considering she is the business development director of Cutting Technologies, a successful laser cutting and engraving company which she co-founded ten years ago. “We have six industrial lasers which we use to cut and engrave metals, wood and plastics for a diverse range of industries” explains Jane. “My role is about developing the business both internally and externally. I am currently spending some time in production doing some development work but by the end of the year I will be back to my external role looking at applications: I have been working with lasers for twenty years and I still get a kick out of finding new ways of using them.”

Let’s be honest, there are not many girls (or boys) at school with a driving passion for a lifetime working with lasers. In this sense Jane was very typical and had shared the widely held view of manufacturing and engineering of the time (and sadly, all too prevalent today). “I had no intention of going anywhere near engineering or manufacturing!  At school I was encouraged to do the usual girls subjects and it never  occurred to me to look in a different direction entirely. I always assumed that engineering was a dirty, smelly, greasy business and to get any kind of office/managerial job you would need at least a degree in maths or physics, or similar.  I was good at maths but physics did not interest me, nor the people attracted to those subjects.”

It is fair to say that Jane’s success was not down to following a clearly mapped out career path. So how  exactly did she find her way into a lifetime of lasers?  “After failing my ‘A’ levels I ended up working for a precision engineering company as a receptionist because I knew the owners and needed a job.” It was however a world she found really interesting. It was also where a love for manufacturing and engineering as born. “I loved the idea of making things. It was amazing for me to see a steel bar come into the factory and be sent out two weeks later, completely transformed into a part destined for an aircraft engine. It made me realise that I would always work in manufacturing and, being a small business, I could get close to knowing how the business worked. I also enjoyed learning the strategy – all the stuff that you need to know to be good at running your own business.”

One of the major lessons learned was to understand the power and necessity of diversification for small businesses. “Where I worked was small, and the company had a typical strategy of servicing a small  number of customers. All good news when those customers are busy but if even one disappears, then the business is really exposed.  This got me thinking about diversification and really sowed the seed for how Cutting Technologies has evolved.”

Jane then had her introduction to the world of lasers which, when she started work, was an industrial  technology still in its infancy. This time her responsibility was sales order processing. “While still an admin job, I was moving up the ladder and got to learn a lot about what lasers could do. Learning about what was possible also got me thinking about where the technology might go in the future.  I still enjoy the applications aspect – finding ways of stretching the technology to do things that have never been done before – and it is still a big part of my job.”

However, it is a long way from thinking about the future and actually doing something about it. In Jane’s case, the process started remarkably simply – with a conversation. “I knew some likeminded people and we asked ourselves, ‘Why are we doing this for someone else when we can do it for ourselves?’.” Building on this was where the hard work began. “We had help fi nancially in the form of grants and cheap loans and the bank was very supportive. I don’t think that that kind of help is around today. We also got friends and family to rally round, one of which was a retired accountant who was invaluable in securing the finance. At the end of the day it’s a leap of faith. You have to be confident but not cocky in your abilities, know your subject and
your market and be prepared to work hard, very hard.  Our mantra in the early days was ‘failure is not an
option’ and it still holds true today.”

Jane is the first to admit that it is a very different economic and business climate that exists today compared to even ten years ago. “The kind of new business schemes that were available then simply do not exist now. Without the tens of thousands in grant money when the company was set up Cutting Technologies would never have come into being. Now we employ 32 people and pay over £500k a year in PAYE, VAT, rates and other taxes, which means millions have gone into central government coffers from a, relatively speaking, tiny investment.” She continues, “These schemes do work when they get to the right place; I think the problem is getting the schemes right so that the people who need the money actually get the money.  The banks now are so risk averse – it almost feels like they only lend to people who don’t need it!  Fortunately we have not suffered too much because we have a good trading history but for newer businesses it must be an absolute nightmare and it is these businesses that need to support of the banks most.”

It is not just a different economic and business climate that Jane refers to but also a culture that is  increasingly obsessed with celebrity and ‘get rich quick’ mentalities. “I am not sure the media is working well for people looking to set up businesses and the celebrity culture is sadly spreading out into business. Just being passionate about something even if you have an original idea does not a good business make. While trying hard is a huge factor in success, there are very few people who can make it by just turning up. We  can’t forget that you still need knowledge and skill to succeed, either through academic means or practical experience.  There is no point in me saying I want to be an opera singer at Glyndebourne, I have no talent for it so just trying hard is not going to get me anywhere! If you are going to set up your own business, you really
need to spend time planning and investigating your products/service and your market; I think nowadays many people are looking for the easy ticket.”

She also sees schools as playing a part in this, particularly in not teaching about the reality of life after  school. “Young people today have a skewed view of what the world is like outside school. They are often led to believe that they can be anything they want to but the reality is that they can’t. Surely it is better to help, guide and support young people to really find something engaging that will give them a good living for the rest of their lives rather than false hope and a life on benefits. Young people should have dreams and  aspirations but reality has to be in there somewhere! Failing your exams is not the end of the world – I am testament to that – but there is no such thing as a free lunch and you still need a direction and determination, even if the direction is vague to start with.”

A theme that runs through the above and my conversation with Jane is the importance of having the right expectations. For Jane, aiming in the wrong direction, even if you succeed, means you arrive at the wrong place, having achieved the wrong thing. This is why she encourages people to keep happiness as one of their primary aims. “It is very easy to look backwards and regret what you did not do, or covet the apparently luxurious easy lifestyle of a friend. Work hard and try hard but most of all enjoy it for you and don’t feel the pressure of what other people are doing. This is not settling for second best, this is just being happy being you.”

And when it comes to expectations, she has some unexpectedly positive news for girls or young women to think about. “If I ever get the opportunity to speak to any girls who are thinking about career choices I bang the drum for manufacturing long and loud! The EEF (The Manufacturers Organisation) conducted a study recently looking at senior women board members. They found that women were far better represented at senior level in manufacturing than in other industries. So the glass ceiling is far, far less prevalent in our industry and the opportunities to get on are exceptional. Why wouldn’t you want to go into a field with prospects? There really is much more creativity needed than you might imagine, it is not all muck and oil any more. This is where the media needs to come in because girls need positive role models. There are more choices to make than the traditional female stereotypes but until girls are presented with them in an inspiring way then we are stuck.”

To me Jane is a perfect example of where hard work, a good idea, and the willingness to take a chance, can take you. She is successful, ambitious - inspirational even - but with her feet firmly rooted in reality. At the end of our time together, she shared her three most valuable lessons learned through her business journey so far, lessons we can all benefit from.

1. Know your subject and don’t ignore the numbers, even though it might seem very boring!
2. Work hard - it will not happen on its own.
3. Do your planning and research – there is no substitute for it.