Simon Biltcliffe
Entrepreneur & Business Speaker
Simon Biltcliffe is the unconventional founder and MD of Webmart and offers his different, yet successful, views as a speaker on leadership, teamwork, and creativity.
Webmart matches the print buyers with empty space at printing presses around the country. The company was set up with £10,000 of Simons own money, and with his award-winning software that connects the type and quantity of work required to printers with appropriate spare capacity, he started a business whose turnover now exceeds £30m a year.
His philosophy is somewhat unconventional. Marxism isn’t usually regarded as a vital principle of a successful business, but it is in the case of Webmart. Simon puts the success of Webmart down to recruiting the very best people in their fields. Each employee or webmarteer receives as much training, mentoring and support as he or she wants or needs.
He has also introduced a substantial profit share, and Webmart also shares their profits with the less fortunate through a charitable trust. As a business, Webmart has set up a business school in Harar, Ethiopia, with employees mentoring at the school. All Webmart carbon output is offset, and the company is creating oxygen farms. Plus they have launched ‘print miles’ which allows clients and suppliers to measure and offset their emissions.
SPEAKING TOPICS
Simons Biltcliffe speaks at conferences and events, and some of his keynote speeches include –
• The Webmart Story –the importance of originality and creativity
• The Webmart Way: How to Run a Marxist Business in a Capitalist World. –
• Insights from the Edge: Extreme CEO. – From the grueling heat of the Sahara to the far-flung frozen lakes of the Polar Circle; Simon Biltcliffe has braved several unusual challenges, and raised thousands for charity. Now he shares his insights from the edge: lessons learned from these extreme adventures and how they can be bought into the office environment.
• How to differentiate in a commoditised market.
• SEXi Business – Emotional, Intellectual and Financial Return. –Simon explains the vital importance of meeting the Emotional, Intellectual and Financial needs of employees, customers and suppliers alike; how true leadership is not just about carrots and sticks, but about trust and transparency from both parties.
• Reinventing the CEO.
“Simon is a one-off. He’s a gruff, challenging, outspoken and dynamic business leader with a glass that’s definitely half full who leaves your head spinning with ideas and enthusiasm. If you want someone who’ll challenge and engage your audience, that’s brimming with business savvy – and if you want someone to make you look good for booking a speaker with a difference – then Simon’s your man!”
— Timpson Ltd.
“[Simon’s] content was authentic and tangible, filled with creative examples of his own leadership and innovation. He invested upfront to be informed of the context and audience, Which showed in the quality and relevance of his presentation. His delivery was engaging and interactive but also direct with an edge where appropriate. We could have kept him occupied with Q&A for several hours. Simon’s not your typical player on the corporate speaker circuit! As the owner of the event, he made me look good – with widespread positive feedback on the day”
— Rob, Finance Director ASDA
