In November of last year, Alec Drew of The Business Expert interviewed MD of Kendlebell Kimmage, Gerry Delaney on Dublin City FM. Gerry discussed his life in the corporate world, setting up his own business and the challenges of the modern workplace.
Picking the Right Accountant
If you are an SME, picking the right accountant is very important. In Gerry’s eyes, finding the right accountant for your business involves exploring what accounts and firms are out there, and identifying who is right for you. Finding an accountant who not only is skilled on the technical side of things, but also has a business mind and a breadth of experience is advisable. Additionally, Gerry has been successful throughout his career by taking trusted recommendations.
Many SMEs try to do their own accountancy. Though from Gerry’s experience, he recommends going out of house.
‘It will save you money in the long run. You’re just adding another task to your day on top of everything else you are trying to do running a business’, Gerry comments.
Early Career
At the beginning of his career, Gerry joined PLC Smurfit with the aim to stay on for two years, which eventually turned into 15 years. During his time there, Gerry socialised, made great friendships, and worked for a company that was made up of family run, smaller businesses, within a big company.
Workplace Comradery
Alec commented that the workplace comradery in existence years ago doesn’t seem to be as prevalent today. Gerry discussed the new desire for businesses to cut down on costs, and why this may not be as evident within workplaces these days. Today, employees are now less likely to stay within the same company for years on end, and this is likely a big factor in the lack of comradery.
With Kendlebell in mind, this is something Gerry has worked on throughout the years. It is important to make a company enjoyable to work for, create employee friendships and develop meaningful connections within.
Finding & Retaining Staff
Both finding and retaining good staff members has become increasingly difficult in recent years. When recruiting, it can even be difficult to sometimes get applications from the right people through the door. Salary is important, though if employees are not happy, problems begin to arise. Gerry believes that the value of employees has increased due to human capital, expertise and client knowledge.
He commented; ‘All employees now are handling much more work because of technology. If you lose that person, training up a replacement takes a lot more time now. So, they are a lot more valuable now’.
Corporate World vs SME World
Gerry transferred from the corporate world to the SME world a number of years ago. With experience in both, he believes that the SME world is a lonelier world. From recruiting to looking after the IT, you have to do everything on your own when running an SME.
Time becomes more valuable when setting up an SME. Gerry has learned over the years that it is better to pay out of the business to get some tasks done, if it means winning new business. Priorities change between corporate and SME businesses.
‘If I can sign up a customer today as opposed to spending time trying to sort out something that I can pay somebody to do, that customer is going to be with me for a couple of years. So, it is looking at the value’, Gerry commented.
Communications & Change
In the past, businesses were not reliant on technology and devices. Today, without technology, so many businesses would not be able to exist. For Gerry in the Kendlebell Kimmage office, he ensures there are always backup technology options available, as without them, work would not be feasible.
Additionally, the supply chain has become more complex. If something internally goes down, it can often be time consuming to identify the root cause.
Kendlebell Kimmage
At Kendlebell Kimmage, clients range from self-employed single traders, to large public companies. Kendlebell is seen as the ‘public face’ of companies who are too busy to answer calls coming in throughout the day. Alternatively, for companies who may not have calls coming in all day, and do not have enough work for their own receptionist, Kendlebell is the perfect choice.