Partner Article

Behind the business with AMP Consultants

David Hodgson, managing director of AMP Consultants and regional Chairman of The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) takes Bdaily behind the business.

What key challenges has your company recently faced?

The huge downturn in the construction industry since 2008 has been our main challenge. The result of this is a shift in our client base; however, most clients are still long-term repeat clients to whom we have provided designs for nearly 20 years.

What is your biggest achievement over the past 12 months?

To have made it through a difficult climate and still be trading and working hard.

What is your biggest focus for the coming year?

To continue providing the high standard of engineering services that our clients expect and to continue searching for opportunities in other sectors and countries. We would also like to embark on a period of slow but steady growth.

If you had to choose one top piece of advice for someone just starting out in business, or is currently operating within your industry sector, what would it be?

I believe that an open, honest, optimistic and cheerful outlook is the only way to do business. The last thing that anyone wants to do is to work with people who are dour and pessimistic. It’s like going to your favourite restaurant- it is not necessarily the food that clinches the choice, but the service. The reception that you receive has a great bearing on whether you will return or not.

Can you share with us your view of the current landscape of business, in this region or generally, and where your organisation sits within it?

Business has changed. It used to be fun, but it is now hard and I do not see this situation changing for quite some time. However, there are pockets of success wherever you look and in all industries. So long as you are keeping clients happy while not under-pricing your services, then you are on the right road.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Hodgson .