North West Christmas convo: Paul Bolton of Salford Professional Development

The Christmas break is here and it’s been a well and truly exciting year for the North West business community.

With many of the region’s businesspeople no doubt spending the festive period soaking up a well-earned rest, grabbing a glass of wine, putting their feet up and allowing themselves to slip into a post-roast dinner snooze, at Bdaily we thought we’d bring you closer to the personalities behind some of the North West’s most exciting enterprises.

Today’s festive catchup is with Paul Bolton, deputy chief executive of Salford Professional Development, a standalone training firm launched by the University of Salford.

What did your business achieve in 2015?

We achieved our profit targets but, more importantly, we delivered some fantastic conferences covering topics we had not explored before. This meant that professionals in many public sector services returned to their organisations better-informed and more inspired. It gives us great pleasure to see our delegates so excited about what they have learned at our events.

What were some of the bigger challenges you faced this year?

We recently expanded into London and we were nervous as to how this would work out. We have run some pilot conferences and courses, and these seem to be working well. We did a lot of research into the market before we took the plunge, and this seems to have paid off.

Does your business have anything exciting planned for 2016?

We are looking to expand more into London and will also be supporting the University of Salford to expand its links with industry. This will see SPD leveraging its connections with industry partners and introducing them to the university, which we hope will bring opportunities for students.

Do you find any other North West businesses or their owners inspiring? If so, who?

Phil Jones, managing director of Brother UK, is a great leader and has demonstrated how senior executives can embrace social media.

Give us one tip for a budding entrepreneur.

If you have a plan or a business idea, think commercially and get your numbers right to back it up. Investors in particular look for two things – whether they can work with you and whether you have a solid business idea. If you tick these boxes, you have a chance of succeeding.

Where’s your favourite village/town/city in the North West, besides where you live?

I love Saddleworth – it’s a beautiful part of the world.

What would be your dream job?

I have my dream job because I make sure that I am always doing the right thing, and every decision I make goes back to my personal objectives in life – namely, having time in the future to spend with my family and to carry out voluntary work.

Do you have a favourite Christmas song?

The Band Aid single, Do They Know It’s Christmas? People forget the meaning of Christmas, which is that it’s important to give, and this song really highlights that.

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