Diane Brown

Background

About Diane Brown

As the managing director of Dovecote, I have taken this company from less than zero to over a million GBP plus turnover with a healthy bottom line in less than three years. The team has grown from three of us to start with and now we have eight full time staff. I feel real joy in helping SMEs flourish. Joy? Sound a bit strong? Not to me. A well-run SME has the wonderful ability to be agile, to make quick, effective decisions without the inevitable bureaucracy of its larger competitors. Like the large corporates, SMEs boast hugely talented people and I love the added entrepreneurialism they bring to their own show. It’s fantastic to work side by side with people who are passionate about doing the right thing. These are men and women who understand the bottom line but who make their top priority their personal and business values. I’m a networker and a builder of relationships. I connect quickly with diverse people to make relationships core to the way I do business. I have done this in the UK and in the Middle East, with men and women of all ages, types and cultures. I like people and I am fascinated by them and their stories. I know how to use that skill to help them do great business. In 2019 I was asked for help by a company director whose business had got into financial trouble. Could I help turn it around? After an intense period of research, talking to and negotiating with suppliers, customers and other directors, it was clear that the business could be saved only in radically new form. Painful changes must follow. Together we took that company through a tale of insolvency and re-invention. Even in the troubled times of lockdown, it thrived. Those people with whom I negotiated, even the frustrated suppliers and creditors, remain valued colleagues because I cared about them as I do now, and because I was honest and clear with what was possible and what was needed to achieve success for everyone. I have deep knowledge of running a business, and I understand only too well the need to bring in others to challenge and renew thinking. I don’t think of myself as a consultant; I am a member of a team and I bring diversity of ideas and highly effective relationships as my core contribution. If this is something that you would value too, let's have a conversation. Email: Diane@dovecotewindows.co.uk Or call my mobile:+44 (0) 7799 723256