In an interesting article on Boodles, it states that the company was founded in Liverpool in 1798 and is now owned by the sixth generation brothers, Michael and Nicholas Wainwright. It would be very interesting to follow the ownership changes through the six generations to understand how and why members of the family were or were not included in the equity ownership and if they were, how were they bought out.
Nephews James Amos and Jody Wainwright have joined the business and I wonder if they are included in the equity. James sums up the allure of the life-style or Passive Equity Company “We’ve turned down many offers from private equity – and that boat has probably sailed away anyway – but we really benefit from being relaxed about the pace of the firm’s growth”.
Do you want to be relaxed? Not me!
Aside: Lots of flash on the website. Why would I want to go to a website to order a brochure – I want to buy….. As Grant Dain, internet marketing Cambridge, might say, it is an online brochure – the classic mistake.
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Image via WikipediaThe DT has an article on Dolphin Music in its series on Diary of…. Jason Tavaria and Rob Williams started Dolphin Music whilst students and have come a long way in ten years. Dolphin sells music equipment and has a turnover of £13million and employs 65 people.
Interestingly Dolphin was started as an Internet business and has recently opened shops in Liverpool, Tyne and Huddersfield whereas many others companies are looking to move the other way. As one of fastest (11th) growing business in the UK, they have experienced the inevitable growing pains and are now seeking new challenges by expanding into Europe. Of course the current financial woes might change their plans, I guess.
Dolphin has a good, simple website with many “calls to action”. However as a business, Dolphin Music has lots of physical stock and must have a very busy mail room dispatching all those large and heavy bits of equipment.
I wonder if they have a business plan resource and considered VC investment which would strengthen their balance sheet and their management?
If you were going to go into the music business these days, would you not prefer an Internet download business with no stock or language problems and no returns? But at least these youngsters show it can be done!
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