Friday 8th July 2011 - Published by Kelly Jackson - Communications Executive

Robert Paints a Picture of Business Success

A company director chalked up a 30% rise in turnover, and a £75,000 increase in profits, after graduating from a Business Builder programme run by a business school in the North West.

Robert Crawford, Managing Director of Kendal-based painting and decorating firm, Different Strokes, attributes more than half the increase in profits to the skills he developed on the Showing Off Academy of Business programme, from which he graduated last August.

Established in 2001, Different Strokes is a high-quality painting contractor, providing interior and exterior house painting and decorating services to homes and businesses across the North West. The firm is staffed by a team of twenty, and lists the National Trust amongst its key clients.

Commenting on the Showing Off Academy programme, Robert said: “I learned more in 12 days of the course than I had in nine years of managing a business.

“I gained lots of ideas from the other delegates, learned to become much more efficient and organised, and how to get the best from my team. I was also given the confidence to test ideas in my own company, which has enabled us to run a more effective operation”, he added.

The Showing Off Academy, based in Lancaster, runs 12-month courses for business owners, covering the fundamental elements of growing a profitable business, including leadership, finance, sales, marketing, and technology, as well as time management, strategic planning and presentation skills.

Joanne Allday, Managing Director of The Showing Off Academy, said: “We were delighted to hear of Robert’s well deserved success. The work he put into the course, and his dedication to implementing his training and new skills into his business has clearly paid off.  His success clearly illustrates the amazing results that come from combining training with direct action.”