From small acorns...

History has shown us that some of the greatest business leaders started with just an idea;

Take Aristotle Onassis for example.  During the oil boom of the 1950's Onassis approached the Saudi rulers, asking them to sign over their entire oil shipping contract, if he could halve their shipping costs.  They signed the contract (I mean, who wouldn't) and Onassis went on to become the richest man in the world.  How did he do it?  Well, he knew that the US government were sitting on a vast fleet of redundant oil tankers.  Anchored off ports all around the world, and of no more use to the US government, his offer to buy them at scrap value was of course accepted and the Onassis Shipping Company was born.  

At the same time in London, Donald Gosling saw a huge opportunity for the plots of land that had been decimated during the Blitz.  Together with his business partner,  Ronald Hobson, they set about buying them for virtually nothing, turning each huge crater into a site for a new 'Central Car Park'.  Now that might not be a name, you're too familiar with but if I told you that Central Car Parks went on to become National Car Parks Ltd, you'll see how well their initial idea panned out!

While we hunker down and do our bit to keep each other safe and well, I'm sure I'm not alone in worrying about what the future will hold.  Our lives will change, there's no doubt about it, and now is the time to put this 'downtime' to good use, get our thinking caps on and develop the ideas and products that will shape our future. 

The investment world is still turning, money is still out there waiting, and indeed needing to be spent.  Let's start dreaming, let us have your ideas and we will help you make them happen.

Paul Daniels

Chairman