Knowing your ‘why’ will be your anchor when times get tough

It was during the lean pandemic years that Tim Fish found his way to Henley Business School. Having joined his father’s company Multi-Media, fresh out of school, by 2019 he’d expanded its footprint to Gauteng, bought his father’s share, and taken on two partners. But then the company, along with so many others in the country, hit a bump in the road: COVID-19.

A dramatic drop in demand as clients were forced by lockdowns to cancel events, meant the company had to cut 70% of its workforce – 85 people lost their jobs. “It was a traumatic experience,” says Tim. “But with trauma comes growth if you can build up the resilience to cope with the challenges. I am very humbled by the experience, as well as the resilience and commitment of our core staff at the time.”

The injection of skills he gained during his Postgraduate Diploma in Management Practice (PGDip) at Henley at the school, he says also made all the difference at this time. In fact, he loved the Henley approach and student experience – so much so that he immediately enrolled on the Henley MBA in October 2022. “There was a four-month gap between the two. I guess you could call me a sucker for punishment.”

Today, the business has bounced back stronger than ever – and has since expanded internationally, opening an office in the UAE. “It was mainly the management team’s contribution that led us through those tough times.”

The International Business module on Tim’s Henley MBA formed the basis of the research and the direction for market entry into the UAE. “It was, without doubt, a tremendous help in creating cultural awareness, assessing current and future business potential and risk, as well as identifying our specific strengths to capitalise on as we entered the market and what we potentially needed to scale as we gain traction.”

He adds that the Strategic Marketing module also assisted with developing the go-to-market strategy. “It has been challenging and fulfilling trying to tinker with the learning of the MBA and practically, and tactically, working with and adapting the plan versus the business realities,” he comments.

Tim says that the attraction of the UAE is primarily that it is a country that offers great growth opportunities. “The SA business was making good strides against competitors, but customer appetite and willingness to pay was, and still is, limited,” he says, adding that the UAE business event market is worth approximately $10,2 billion per year with a population of 10 million people and 17.5 million tourist visitors annually to Dubai alone. The same market in South Africa is worth just R 2 billion with a population of 60 million and only 8.5 million tourist visitors annually for the entire country. “Yes, competition is tough, but the numbers speak for themselves.”

It has, he admits, been a wild ride, and he’s learned so much along the way. He’s also eager to share that knowledge to help other South African businesses make the leap into international markets, a move he believes would be good for individual businesses and the economy. Below are five standout pieces of advice he shares.

1. Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted

2. Teamwork makes the dream work

3. Don’t ‘bet the farm’

Make sure you have the financial resources to sustain shocks along the way, professionally and personally. Take the leap, but make sure you manage the downside. This can take shape in many ways, such as time, financial cost, opportunity cost and emotional cost.

4. Always be networking

5. Be upfront with your family