One of the leading retailers of his generation, Mike France operated from his early thirties at board level for several blue-chip companies (BHS, Sears, Debenhams) before becoming CEO/co-owner of the world renowned educational toy brand, Early Learning Centre together with his business partner, Peter Ellis. The pair sold the business in April 2004 and within weeks came up with the idea of launching the world’s first pure-play online luxury watch brand. He is also on the advisory board at Kurt Salmon Consulting and has previously held various non-executive roles as varied as Premier League football clubs (West Ham United) and in several private equity ventures.
Christopher Ward co-founder Mike France explains why he doesn’t look at negative reviews as something to hide from in today’s digital age.
Black tie dress code and glamorous locations, industry awards are a great opportunity for business promotion – but only if targeted in the right way.
Not afraid to get his hands dirty on the shop floor, Mike France explains why the seasonal rush helps bring everyone together to meet the customer needs.
Choosing suppliers can be a confusing and daunting task, but Total Gas & Power’s fixed price gas and electricity products are designed to be simple and transparent – so you can get on with running your business.
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When we think about premium brands, it can be all too easy to be drawn in by the flashing lights of the city. London, Paris and Milan are hotbeds of the high-end, and buzzwords of bespoke after all.
When you start a business you must find something that you do better than anyone else, that sets you apart – or why bother?
For your business to reach the next stage of growth, raising capital might be a necessity. Serial entrepreneur Mike France has some tales from the trenches.
His is a business located in a very competitive market, but Mike France has some useful advice on thinking different for those in a similar situation.
In keeping with our goal of being different, this month we were delighted to be awarded the esteemed D&AD Wood Pencil award for our 2016 company rebrand, which sought – amongst other things – to reflect the way our business and identity differ from those of our industry competitors.
Last month I discussed our approach to our annual budget, one aspect of which is considering how much we spend on sponsorship and influencers to engage with the Christopher Ward brand.
As a new financial year approaches, Mike France and his firm are laying out the next annual budget – and he has some wise words for others doing likewise.
For a consumer brand like Christopher Ward, having an advertising strategy that provides evidence of success or failure is key for Mike France and his team.
In his effort to become a market leader, Mike France is tapping into the Belbin philosophy at Christopher Ward – encouraging behavioural diversity, not stifling it.
