Gareth Smyth, founder of Hilton Smythe Business Advisers on building a business straight out of university

As part part of Bdaily’s feature week looking into entrepreneurship, I hear from Gareth Smyth of Hilton Smythe Business Advisers.

Hilton Smythe helps buyers and sellers of small businesses throughout the UK, and for more than a decade have arranged the sale of all sorts of businesses from high street staples such as cafes and newsagents to engineering and manufacturing businesses.

Gareth said, “we help businesses grow through acquisition. We support aspiring business owners to find and buy their first business. And we even arrange finance for management buyouts so an existing team can take on the business they are already part of.

“We help business owners sell their businesses, so they can retire, change career or make more time for family commitments, while helping them realise and benefit from the value they have built often over many years. We also provide a range of commercial finance options to businesses who want to expand their businesses through borrowing.”

Gareth went straight from school to work for a national business broker as a sales negotiator, which sadly went into administration. He said, “this led to a decision which changed my future, as I chose to go back to education, completing a Law degree in 2011.

“Shortly after, we started Hilton Smythe in a small rented office, that we got rent-free for six months. The business began with myself and Craig Graham, our Group operations director funding the firm through student loans and overdrafts.

“Our experience of the business broker sector convinced us to try to do things differently, and we set out with a total focus on helping others buy, sell and grow businesses. Fast forward to now and we currently employ over 40 staff in our own town centre office building, which we own. And most importantly we have helped thousands of people and many hundreds of businesses succeed and prosper. That is our real success.”

Asking what advice he’d give those trying to start a business, he answered, “In common with just about every start up business, we didn’t have the easiest beginning! Our first few months, even years, were really tough, and we learnt what it takes to weather the storm and come through stronger.

“Our experience taught us not only to stick with it, but to do business in a kind and empathetic way, as we know what it is to worry and to struggle. That’s the advice I would like to pass on to others stick with it and be kind to others on the way.

“I’d also like to say that, again from our experience, you’ll regret the opportunities that passed you by, not the ones you took. I’ve learnt to trust my instinct more, and sometimes to just do it.

He concluded saying that, “my final piece of advice is to make sure you get the very best people you can afford and the very best advice you can find. I have been really lucky to have a brilliant team and some really wise advisers along the way.”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily

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