Lisa Keeble Interview

Lisa Keeble interviewed by Bradley Chapman

Contactor Umbrella is run by Lisa Keeble from their Colchester offices. Contractor Umbrella is one of the largest and most respected Umbrella Companies in the UK. Established in 2002, it is now recognised as being the market leader with several thousand satisfied clients.

Contractor Umbrella is part of the SJD Group of Accountancy Companies, which includes SJD Accountancy owned by Simon Dolan, Lisa's brother. SJD are the chosen accountancy firm of over 8,000 contractors working through their own limited companies, winner of the prestigious Accountancy Age Awards for Excellence and are the National Firm of Accountants recommended by the Professional Contractors Group.

Lisa's journey has seen her business achieve some fairly significant awards including coming 14th in Fast Track 100 (2007) and Regional Finalists in the National Business Awards. I hooked up with Lisa in her Colchester offices to find out exactly who she is and what challenges and adversity she has faced and had to overcome during her rise to success.

How did you start the business?

I was working at a haulage firm when Simon approached me and said that he had an opportunity for me to go out on my own and I decided to give it a go. I had never even heard of an umbrella company at this point but after some training I started the business. I had about 20 clients initially and worked out of the back bedroom in my house.

What was your vision?

Well for the first few months it was to properly understand what I was doing. Once I got into it I knew i wanted Contractor Umbrella to be the biggest company of its type and the best that i could be. I wanted to do something different. So many umbrella companies suggest that they can earn their clients more money than thier competitors but that is not the case. I try to educate my clients with instructive marketing. You cannot earn more money with one contract umbrella company than another and 7 years on I am half way there and many other contract umbrella companies are coming round to our way of thinking. We pride ourselves on our customer service, and equally, customer satisfaction My passion and determination are higher than ever before and I am beating back some of the ridiculous claims made by other Umbrella Companies to try and ensure that UK contractors are not misled and receive the highest levels of service possible.

Who are you?

I am learning to be the person that I wanted to be for many years. I was in a very tough and challenging personal situation before I started the business, resulting in clinical depression. It took a lot of strength to find myelf again and the business has helped me to re-focus my life and feel proud of who I am, what I do and what I am doing it for. I love developing my staff and that gives me a real sense of achievement as it's something that has tangible results. When I worked for someone I just didn't get that level of satisfaction.

What drives you?

SUCCESS and partly money! I measure my own success and at this time in my life it's about being proud of what I have achieved. I have come through pretty challenging personal adversity to build a successful business and that makes me feel very proud of how far I have come.

What has been your biggest personal or business adversity?

Experiencing clinical depression was absolutely the toughest time of my life. I was depressed for a number of years. I faced a point of no return which shocked me into doing something about it and with the support of my husband and my family I was able to overcome it. I was also later inspired by Tony Robbins and finally completed my Firewalk in 2007. I learned to love myself again and re-focus on what was important to me.

Did you have a childhood hero?

Well actually it was a friend of my Dads, he used to drive a Triumph Stag and I so wanted to drive it but never actually got to ride in it, I guess that's where I picked up my taste for fast cars. I suppose I associated the Stag as a symbol of success. When I first test drove a Porsche I can remember calling my friends to say "WOW" but nobody answered. I currently drive an Audi A6 Sport, which has a 5.2 litre engine. I drive fast, love the power and I have my eyes on my next car - Aston Martin DB9!

How will your business change in the next two years?

We currently turnover £44 Million annually and we are the third largest contract umbrella company In the UK. In two years we will be NUMBER ONE!

What is your biggest skill?

People-management and training. I believe that if we can help younger people gain core skills earlier in life they will be better equipped. I suppose I am also good anylsis and I love putting together complicated excel spreadsheets. I always feel that if you break things down into its simplest form you can integrate ideas and concepts much more quickly into your business.

I have a short attention span and I do not like to get bogged down in the nitty gritty. My brother is a great sounding board for me. Although he is a man of few words he is great at getting around a problem. He can strip away the emotion from the situation and that is a rare talent.

Tell me about Fast Track?

At this point Lisa's arms fly through the air, her smile covers the room and she has a Ready Brek energy glow surrounding her!

I got to meet Sir Richard Branson which is the coolest thing ever.... He actually worked out what we did just from our name; we had dinner in a marquee at his home, took photos and discussed business. It was the best business day that I have ever had and to reach Fast Track shows that we have been successful and it, of course, adds credibility to us and our business.

If you have 6 people to dinner, dead or alive, who would it be?

I would have Peter Jones because I think he is a genius and he's also quite cute. I would also invite Ayn Rand who wrote Atlas Shrugged. Jeremy Clarkson just because he's so cool, my husband because he would love to meet all these people, Charles Darwin for obvious reasons and Billy Connolly because he makes me laugh so much.

Do you have a key member of staff?

I have some really great staff but Russell my office manager is one of my greatest assets. I trust him completely and we have a similar mind set, he has been with me for about 6 years and I have taught him what I know. Russell understands that balance of carrot and stick, is very ambitious and well balanced.

How important are IT systems in your business?

Very! We find the best possible solution to make our business as efficient as possible. We have a web designer who looks after our web site and another IT supplier who develops our back end systems.

What about sales and marketing is that important as well?

Extremely! If you do not market effectively to your customers then they will not be sure of what you are offering an dtherfore not confident in your ability to deliver. We keep our marketing as simple as possible and make ourselves as approachable as possible; Even something as simple as coloursyou use on your web site can be important as well. We value our customers and use customer feedback to our advantages.

When was the last time you took a holiday?

When I first started the business I had not taken a holiday for five years, but I have now reached the stage where I can afford to take two holidays a year. I visited the Canary Islands last year and I recently went to Barbados

What is your definition of an Entrepreneur?

Someone who has enough belief in themselves to do whatever they want to do, whatever that may be.

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Lisa I would like to thank you for your time and for providing me with a personal insight into your thoughts, feelings and emotions about your business journey. You really are a true inspiration to anyone who has faced adversity.

Regards Bradley Chapman
Founder Million Impossible - The Entrepreneur Network

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