Value Added Partner Spotlight

For this month’s Value Added Partner Spotlight, we interview Rob Starr, of Seico Group.

Tell Us about the Seico Group story?

I started Seico the old fashioned way, sitting at the end of my bed with a Yellow Pages and a plug-in phone. This was 1991 and before the internet, before mobile phones and before I could afford a fax machine. I was 21 at the time and had been working for various insurance and mortgage brokers since I left school at 15 – without any exams to my name. For some reason, I actually thought I knew enough to work for myself when, in truth, I knew about 1% of anything. But I was a decent sales person and for every 20 or so calls I made I managed to get an appointment. Bit by bit, with hard work, honesty and, perhaps, a little charm, I built a client bank. We are now in year 32 with offices in Brighton, London and South Africa – and still growing.

What has been your biggest business challenge to date?

Cashflow!  Like every small business, cash flow is like oxygen. With it we survive and without it we die. Even the most profitable businesses will fail if their cash flow is not controlled. For 32 years, this has been the single biggest challenge I’ve had.

What has been your greatest or proudest business achievement to date?

Getting through year one. Then surviving the financial meltdown in 2008 and outlasting many of my contemporaries. Also having a large number of my team who have each been with me for over 15 years is pretty cool. I am also very proud of the fact that we set up and run a charity, Starr Trust, and cover all its running costs.

What type of clients do you currently work with and who are you looking to meet?

We have two sides to SEICO: mortgages and insurance. Our mortgage clients are a mix of property owners, landlords, first time buyers – anyone who owns or wants to own a property. Our Insurance clients are mostly based in South Africa and include the three largest mobile phone operators in the country, the second largest retailer, the largest retail bank in Africa and even a huge mining operation. Every day at SEICO is an interesting one.

What type of clients do you currently work with and who are you looking to meet?

Whilst our clients run into the hundreds of thousands, in truth our business only grows and thrives because of our partner companies. We work closely with partners who introduce clients to us. For instance, accountants who recommend our residential mortgage services, businesses who need or know of people who require commercial finance and large corporations who need specialist insurance help. Influential partners like these are the secret to our success.

www.seicogroup.co.uk

01273 778888

info@seicogroup.com