QA with Alan Price, CEO of Croner

QA with Alan Price, CEO of Croner QA with Alan Price, CEO of Croner THE name Alan  Price will be most familiar to people in the UK and Ireland for his expert commentary on human resource management  and  employment issues for a huge span of leading media outlets, including the Daily Telegraph, Sky News, the Sunday Times, the Financial Times, and The Guardian.“To be honest, if you love what you do, there is no work or personal lifeâ€"its all just fun.”One of the most notable Thought Leaders in employment and HR in the British Isles, Alan Price is the current CEO of Croner, a leading HR, Employment Law and Health Safety organisation, providing advice and services to thousands of organisations.Croner is part of  the award-winning Peninsula Group, the largest worldwide provider of employment law, HR and wellbeing consultancy services and related insurance cover for  businesses.Alan Price has been managing director of Peninsula Business Services (Ireland) since May 2007, and the group operations director of Peninsula UK since December 2014. He is an elected director and trustee for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with more than 15 years’ experience in employee relations. He sat for four years as a board director on The Chambers of Commerce Ireland, and is a Lay Member of Employment Tribunals for the UK Ministry of Justice, as well as a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, and a Fellow of the Australian Human Resources Institute.It is little wonder that, as he reveals  below, his schedule makes it difficult to find some time for himself. But inspired by Peninsula Business Services founder and MD, Alan Price  constantly strives to make “our business your business” and  ensure that Croner, as a business advisory service, exists as an extension of its clients’ workplaces. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 11 Questions for Alan PriceWhile his early career aspirations were to become an aviator in the Royal Air Force, in stead, his early experience on paper rounds, and running small businesses with his twin brother David from the age of 10, led Alan Price  to the business world. Thankfully Alan found time in his busy schedule to talk to us about his life in business, his motivations, inspirations and challenges, his favourite social media platforms,  and reveals the single lesson he would offer to his younger self  starting out in business for the first time. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 1. Briefly tell us how you first got into business, and describe your business goals.From a young age I had a keen interest in aircraft, so Id actually envisaged joining the RAF. Instead, I worked from the age of 12 on various paper and milk rounds. Having worked from such an early age, I took up retail roles, entering management at only 17. I went on to work in the insurance industry and became involved in the trade union movement, advising members on HR and industrial relations matters.When I was 24, I became one of the youngest judicial appointments at the time, and one of the youngest ever employment tribunal lay members in the UK, having held trade union roles in the finance industry in Liverpool.I actually started out at a competitor of Croner, providing business and employment law advice 13 years ago, and from that point I worked extremely hard to get to where I am today.My business goal is for our business to be your business, which means that we basically exist as expert business advisors and an extension of the workplace.The Croner brand was  established in  1941, and I’m keen for Croner to again become the number one  provider of compliance support and advice, and I’d like  to ensure that it  remains at the forefront of Employment Law, HR and Health Safety service provision.2. What age were you when you realised you wanted to be in  business?I had part-time roles throughout my school and university days and with my twin brother I’ve  always been ambitio us and determined to succeed. The realisation has been ongoing from more or less my first few weeks in employment that I wanted to be in control of my destiny. I’d actually set up small businesses with my twin brother at the age of 10, from a barber shop, to a mobile car valeting firm, to selling berries! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 3. Who are your business icons and inspirations?My biggest inspiration is Peter Done, who, with his brother, Fred Done, established Peninsula Business Service and Betfred. They started with fewer  than 10 employees, and now employ more than  10,000 people.Peter has a humble background, and has shown that through hard work, determination and an unwavering passion, you can achieve anything.He still has a hands-on approach with his business interests, and is constantly looking at ways to improve the client experience. Also, the fact that hes worked in business with his brother resonates with me, as my twin brother David runs anothe r associated company, Health Assured.4. What has been your biggest challenge in business, and how did you surmount it?The skills gap and growing jobs market have always been challenging. We’re hoping for  a positive shift in the economy and jobs market in 2020, and retaining people  will be one of the biggest challenges for every size of organisation, as employees may start to seek fresh job opportunities.It’s  crucial for businesses to recognise the talent they have and invest in training and development opportunities. I believe our employees are our biggest asset, which is why I invest in them and work closely with all levels of staff. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 5. Work-Life balance: is it possible? How do you achieve it?With my schedule it’s  sometimes difficult to find time for a break. However, when I do have  time to myself, I thoroughly enjoy reading, especially anything  by Malcolm Gladwell.I find his books inspirational in their focus on the i mportance of making the most out of human potential. To be honest, if you love what you do, there is no work or personal lifeâ€"its all just fun.6. What is the first thing you do every day?I like to start off my mornings with a green or mint tea while reading the daily business activity reports from the previous day. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 7. What screen saver picture is currently on your phone?A family picture having a twin brother who lives opposite me, and who works in an associated field, is a permanent reminder of family.8. What is the most important app on your mobile phone, and why?Probably the social media apps: Twitter (@alan__price) and LinkedIn primarily. As a society, we are more connected now than ever before, so it’s  imperative for anyone in business to utilise social media.LinkedIn is an ideal tool to connect with like-minded individuals, partners and potential prospects, and a platform that  allows me to share thoughts and insights vi a my blog posts. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 9. What is the last thing you Googled?‘Gender pay gap reporting’ this is going to be such a hot topic for businesses in 2020.10.   What item do you never leave the house without, and why?My mobile phone, notepad, business cards and a pen. I need my phone so that Im always  contactable for our employees. And when visiting  clients or travelling to another office,  I keep a notepad and pen handy to write down ideas, as I find that I’m most inspired during travel.  I carry the business cards as you never know who youll meet or what opportunities are around the corner! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 11. What advice would you give to your younger self starting out in business?I would say that it is better to be the master of one passion rather than a jack of all trades.Image source: croner