Meet Jagdish Soor - the business advisor who has levered £2.6million private funding into Warwickshire's economy

Since joining Warwickshire County Council's Economy & Skills team as a Business Support Advisor in June 2017 Jagdish Soor has helped businesses access around £1.6 million in grants, loans and equity funding support which in turn has leveraged around £2.6 million private match funding back into the local economy. Jagdish has also provided a wealth of advice on behalf of the Council and its partner organisation University of Warwick Science Park.

A successful businessman in his own right, Jag has an enormous fund of experience and knowledge. Here we find out more about him.

"Success comes from having a great team around you - and Warwickshire County Council's Economy & Skills team is an exemplar. Between us we are able to offer a complete service"

Jag - what is your role with Warwickshire County Council?

I lead on the business support programme and the small capital grants scheme. This entails providing focused business advice and mentorship to a whole spectrum of companies and enabling them access to finance to help support and sustain their growth plans.

It is a role for which you are well-qualified. Tell us about your business background.

I am a qualified engineer and set out in the industry in the late 1970s working for a Leamington Spa company. They promised me fortune, fame and travel - but that's not quite how it worked out! However, through hard work and having diversified the company’s products successfully into other larger industry sectors such as electronics, aerospace and automotive, I doubled their turnover and was appointed MD.

At that point, I had my “Oliver Twist” moment and dared to ask the board for more - in the way of shareholdings. When they refused, I had the motivation and impetus to set up my own business.

Like all start-ups, it was a steep learning curve with limited funding but in the first five years the business grew significantly and it was then acquired by a major plc listed on the London Stock Exchange. After a two-year earn out period, and having learned a great deal about corporate life, I went on to set up, acquire and merge various businesses within the advanced manufacturing and construction sectors. I also created many joint ventures in the Far East where I still have a controlling interest in an electronic component manufacturing facility.  

I also actively invest into early stage, emerging-technology companies and provide expertise on becoming investor-ready, exit strategies and how to access finance from equity funds or venture capital.

So how did you come to join the council as business support advisor?

After taking a sabbatical for personal reasons, I started assisting the University of Warwick Science Park in the delivery of its Business Ready programme which provides high-level advice to technology and innovation-led businesses. Through this I was seconded to WCC to work with the Economy & Skills team to promote its business support and grants initiatives.

Many small businesses have commented how important your help to them has been to them. That must be very rewarding?

The secret is to offer not generic business advice but be entirely business-focused, working closely with each client to identify the challenges within their organisation. I try to offer practical and logical strategies but, more importantly, advice based upon proven real-world experience. Whilst sound, robust business mentorship is paramount, real success comes from engaging with the client at an emotional level. Businesses are operated by people, so any organisation has emotive elements to it.

Rewarding? Very much so, especially when most of your clients still want to meet for coffee after the engagement has expired.

It helps that in Warwickshire there is so much raw material - business ideas, talent and enterprise - to work with?

I have been a Warwickshire lad since age four, when my parents first came to the UK from Kenya and settled in Royal Leamington Spa. After 54 years I would like to think I know the county well but since joining the WCC team I've been constantly amazed at the diversity of businesses within Warwickshire - from rural camp sites, gin distilleries and gaming and app developers to companies innovating cutting-edge technology for electric vehicles. The landscape has been transformed in recent years so it’s so fantastic to see Warwickshire's economy adapting so well and remaining buoyant.

What is the most satisfying thing about your role?

The default answer would be 'making a difference to a client’s business' –  but that should be a given. Business support can be over-complicated with jargon but small business success stems from a very simple concept: attitude.

A positive attitude will lead to success, so the most satisfying part of my role is knowing that old-school business practices, mixed with experience, still works.

You work very closely with the council's Economy & Skills team, of course...

Success comes from having a great team around you and the WCC team is an exemplar. Between us we are able to offer a complete service from company start-up advice, inward investment, property searches, grants, loans, Equity and VC funding through to education, skills and recruitment.

The team is also further strengthened by our external stakeholders and partners from the University of Warwick Science Park, Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub, Coventry University Enterprises, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Coventry City Council and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund. The sum of which makes a very passionate and client- focused team and I am proud to be part of it.