10 Years On: Miles Aviation Consulting Ltd, Taking the Leap from Employee to Entrepreneur
MEET THE FOUNDER
With over 40 years of extensive global experience, Simon Miles is a seasoned professional in the airline and aviation sector. Throughout his lifelong dedication to aviation, and since founding Miles Aviation Consultancy Ltd in 2014, Simon has introduced innovative initiatives that have shaped the industry's direction. From the past to the present, he has made significant contributions to the course of aviation. Here, he reflects on 10 years of being in business.
One morning in early 2014, I was presented with an opportunity that could really change my life.
There wasn't a lot of time to decide, and the dilemma was whether to stay in the security of a progressive role within a globally leading airline, or to give it all up to do something independent. This wasn’t just a change of company, office, or colleagues – it was a jump into the complete unknown, maybe a leap of faith. I knew that to be successful I would have to use every skill I ever thought I had, and many more that I didn’t know if I had or not.
But what was I jumping into? Nothing really, yet. No structure existed; it was simply a bunch of ideas and theories.
I already had a long and relatively successful career in the aviation industry, but in the months leading up to that point, I had often pondered on what the future may hold. It was then that the realisation came; if I wanted a better, more satisfying future, I would have to create it for myself, it could not remain in the hands of others.
In April 2014, I finally left my position at Virgin Atlantic Airways after ten years of working there. I had no other job to go to but armed with a redundancy payment, I realised that I had an opportunity to craft a business that could bridge my passion and expertise – allowing me to deliver services to the industry in a way I hadn’t seen while working for any airline. Finding myself in the unique position of having learned what worked – and more importantly what didn’t – I knew I could create a proposition that could excel in both content and delivery to the industry.
A few weeks later, Miles Aviation Consultancy Ltd was born. For a few months, it was still pretty much notes on a sheet of paper and discussions around my kitchen table. This year, we celebrate a significant milestone – 10 years in business.
Back in time; completing a loadsheet for an Emirates ‘demonstration flight’ in Rome circa 1990.
“The smell of Jet A1 wafting over the airfield, the thunder of the idling engine as an aircraft taxis onto its parking stand, is as addictive and evocative to me today as it was on day one.”
As you’d expect, there have been highs and lows; it’s been a steep learning curve. We’ve nearly gone out of business twice, but, as the saying goes, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And so it has. Only now do I finally allow myself to consider our company as successful. We have created a place for ourselves as one of the foremost specialist aviation consultancy companies within our sector. We’ve exploited our niche, attained deep knowledge, and gained a reputation for delivering quality services to our many clients within the aviation ground operations and ground handling space.
The transition from employee to business owner was nerve-racking. With all safety nets gone and my network vastly reduced, it required time, patience, and resilience to build. You very quickly realise that you now have two jobs; delivering your product or service (the part that came more naturally), and learning how to run a business. Both require 100%. One of the first things my business coach told me was to be successful I need to have a vision or objective, something tangible that I want to achieve, otherwise why am I doing it? But to achieve it I needed to become a better version of myself. It was then that I first heard about the equation ‘Be x Do = Have’ – check it out, it’s so true (thanks Tom).
On the ramp at Tobago, 2006
Lessons Learned
So, exactly what have I learned? Many things come to mind on this occasion, so I’d like to share just a few of my thoughts on running a business that may be of interest, and possibly helpful to some.
Your Network is Your Net Worth
I love the Richard Branson quote “Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you,” not because I worked for Virgin Atlantic, but because he understands both business and people.
It really is true. Your ‘inner circle’ becomes the most valuable part of your business. When I started, I had around 150 LinkedIn contacts. To be honest, at the time I didn’t see what value they had to me as I was starting out. But they formed the foundation of my future network. I worked those contacts relentlessly, and shamelessly promoted our activities until I got a reaction, repeating as my reach grew. It wasn't immediate, but it eventually came.
Never underestimate the value and the power of your contact base; they can get you out of trouble, further your cause, drive business, and help you in ways that you never thought possible. Some of those contacts eventually became friends, close associates, and even clients.
But you have your supporters and detractors; remember the old saying ‘keep your friends close and your enemies closer.’ I like to collaborate rather than compete; it can become an asset, allow you to extend your reach, and be a valuable support when you need it. In your business life, there are many people to thank. I work with a superb set of colleagues and associates, people that I like and trust where we can work in a mutually beneficial way.
But your family and friends become your biggest supporters. Their absolute and unconditional support helps you build the courage and the enthusiasm to start and continue, despite the many obstacles that are thrown at you. Without that, we would not have survived.
“I had an opportunity to craft a business that could bridge my passion and expertise – allowing me to deliver services to the industry in a way I hadn’t seen while working for any airline.”
Auditing in Mexico City, 2018
60% of Business Start-ups Go Bust Within Their First Three Years
Starting and running a business is like having a second, full-time job, which requires lots of different skill sets, most that ‘others’ previously ‘did’. Accounts, bookkeeping, tax rules, sales, marketing, and web administration are just some examples of subjects that I didn't have a clue about.
At the beginning, I became a sponge. I networked, observed, and asked questions. Family, friends, and associates – I spent lots of time with anyone who ran small businesses. I listened and learned a lot from them. None were in my sector, but maybe that helped; our common goal was to be successful.
Whether the 60% statistic is accurate or not, I don’t know, but it must be somewhere around that number. I’ve seen small business owners create unnecessary trouble for themselves simply by not learning or understanding the basics. My business coach used to (quite rightly) talk about the balance needed by spending time ‘in the business’ and ‘on the business.’ Both are business essentials and critical to longevity.
Perhaps one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned is to focus on areas of my business where I get the most return on my time. Don’t spend time trying to do something you aren’t skilled at. The first appointment that I made in my business was my accountant. The advice she has given me over the years has been invaluable.
Time wasters – there will be plenty. Learn quickly how to read them, and how to establish if this lead is likely to go anywhere. I once spent over a week preparing a proposal for a large piece of work; I submitted it and never heard another thing from them. Never again.
Cashflow is one of the biggest issues that affect small businesses. Statistics suggest that 40% of all invoices in the UK are paid late. We have suffered significantly from this over the years. In my experience, and as shortsighted as it is, most of our clients appear to be indifferent on this subject even though it can be fatal for some businesses.
Don’t be seduced into a false sense of security by ‘big relationships.’ Significant deals may look attractive and sometimes are. If the contract dominates your time, effort, and resources, there could be a significant risk to revenue – one over which you have no power to control.
A few years ago, we had a ‘big relationship’ with a ground handler. I let it happen because it was easy; they just kept asking us to do more and more. Then, one day, it stopped. I could never have predicted the exact reason, but in retrospect, I could have probably predicted that it could happen. After all, in business, nothing lasts forever, not even the best relationships. The phone stopped ringing, and 80% of our revenue disappeared in a flash. Time to get help.
The fact is that failures happen for many reasons: lack of knowledge or experience, inability to take advice, little learning, no plan B, or cash flow, the list is long. My advice – get help, listen, and learn, most of it costs nothing. And always remember Murphy’s law: “If it can happen, it will happen.”
Love What You Do, Do What You Love
You have probably heard the saying, ‘Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.’
I am truly privileged. For all my adult life, I have worked within an industry that I have loved. From that day in 1969, as a six-year-old boy on my dad’s shoulders watching a prototype of Concorde taking off at Farnborough, I knew where I wanted to be. Over the years, my career has given me many things and experiences that I just wouldn’t have had elsewhere.
The smell of Jet A1 wafting over the airfield, the thunder of the idling engine as an aircraft taxis onto its parking stand, is as addictive and evocative to me today as it was on day one.
Final preparation of G-BOAE, prior to its final ever flight, 2003.
Back on the ramp, San Francisco 2019
Working with a wide variety of clients and contacts, my views and knowledge of the aviation industry, business, and even politics are now very different from what they were back when I started Miles Aviation Consultancy Ltd in 2014. I feel better informed, I can see a bigger picture.
But 10 years of running a business probably now makes me ‘unemployable.’ Despite the stresses and strains, the truth is, I wouldn't want to go back now; I love the freedom and the very different perspective that it gives me.
Some people can’t or won’t make the jump, I completely get that. Some people do but still don’t make it. But what’s clear to me is that in this world, if you want something different, you need to do and be something different; you have to create it yourself, it won’t fall in your lap.
I’ve had the pleasure of working for and cutting my teeth with some of the world’s premier aviation companies – British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways and Virgin Atlantic, to name a few. I often get asked “Who was the best?” to which I now say, “My own company.”
If you jump, be sure. If you run into trouble, get help. If it takes time, be patient. When it works, pat yourself on the back. Carpe diem.