MICHAEL COLLINS was born and raised in South Africa, mostly in farming areas as his father worked in forestry. Upon leaving school he went on to study nature conservation before moving over to the UK in 1999. He found himself working in the events industry, working his way up to eventually running the operations for one of London’s largest event crew providers. In 2009 he and two others decided to go solo and Urban Crew was born.
When he isn’t working, Michael can be found running mountain trails or riding his bike.
What made you decide to start your own business?
I had built up the experience over the years working in the events industry, starting at the bottom and working my way up, so it was natural progression to build my own business and I set up Urban Crew with two other people, including a colleague at the time. What propelled me into finally launching the business was a combination of being let down as an employee, and having the confidence to know we could make a success of it on our own. It was also a case of good timing – it was during the last financial crisis in 2009 when bigger companies were having to manage drop off but we were starting from scratch with minimal overheads, so it worked in our favour. Add to that we didn’t have family responsibilities at that time so we could take more chances.
What is the best and the worst part of being a founder / CEO?
The best part is being my own boss. That means knowing that with every decision and action the buck stops with me, but I also have greater control both in delivering over and above what our clients expect and hitting the targets we set ourselves.
However, the worst part is the responsibility it carries, knowing that people’s livelihoods rely on your actions and decisions and how critical it is that you need to get them right, not just for the growth of the business but for the sake of those people who work with you. We have a small office team of about five but employ 65-70 people to work on site at any one time, which is a lot of people directly and indirectly impacted by the decisions I make.
How do you decide what to focus time and investment on?
In our business the quality of our staff is essential, so this is a primary focus point for me – along with client relationships – and I play an active role in these areas.
In terms of investment, we have developed our own logistics software system – initially in 2009 and then a major upgrade in 2015 – which consists of a database for the office, a logistics app that the whole company sees and details every aspect of every job, and then a bespoke portal for each client. That involved a large initial investment and is something we’re continually evolving, but it is one of the most important parts of the business. Without it we’d have to double our office staff but having that crucial tech in place enables us to run a lean team and a highly efficient operation.
How do you do things you don’t want to do?
My routine is to exercise (run or ride) in the morning which sets me up for my day and then to deal with a “mundane” task that needs to be done, along with good coffee. At the end of the day everything naturally falls in front of me – whether it’s to do with logistics, personnel, finance and everything in between – and while I’m not afraid to delegate where necessary I do like to know things are being done properly so I always run my eye over everything.
Have you ever failed? What did you do with it?
I dipped into a few sideline projects that never went any further than that – I wouldn’t say they were failures but more they never got 100% attention. When I started Urban Crew, I knew it needed to be 100% so that is what we did. That’s not to say side hustles can’t turn into something hugely successful – though I think there is often a bit of luck and timing involved – but for Urban Crew it was 100% or nothing.
What keeps you up at night?
Covid did and the stress that came with having the taps turned off for over two years. The events industry was, of course, decimated and while initially we thought we’d have to ride out three months – and could see through to the other side – it ended up being a lot longer. We had some financial help like furlough and loans but we’re only just finishing paying those back and I’d say we’re still in a recovery phase. However, we’re very close to pre-Covid levels which is positive and thankfully the industry has bounced back brilliantly.
How do you define success, and has that changed over time?
Personally, success has always been personal freedom as a priority – being in the position to manage your own time and how and where you focus that time and energy. Naturally making money to provide for my family and for our employees and their families is a top priority that drives me forward.
And the sense of “winning” when we land a big job and deliver successfully certainly drives the ambition too. That sense of accomplishment is something that never diminishes no matter how many jobs we do.
When did you first feel like you were on the path to success? How did you celebrate?
When we started out in 2009 the London Olympics was on our mind – we wanted to be a functioning entity in time to be considered for a role in that event. We knew our involvement in London 2012 would help solidify and boost our reputation so it was critical that was a success – which it was! We celebrated by taking the team skiing in France that year.
What’s your next goal?
The #1 goal right now is to get the business back to pre-Covid trading levels and then build it to a level beyond that.
What would you like your legacy to be?
I think we all want a legacy of being good to people and sharing our success. One of the key reasons I left my final employer was because I’d been promised shares and they just never materialised. That is something we now offer our senior team, and if the company hits our targets our teams are rewarded.
I also believe in running a friendly, relaxed environment that supports people’s lifestyles outside work. We offer flexible working, such as working from home, and try to ensure parents can make it to sports days and school events wherever possible.
60 SECONDS with MICHAEL
Favourite way to relax?
Exercise – running, riding my bike or surfing, plus spending time with my family.
Where is your happy place?
Where most people don’t go – the top of a mountain or any remote destination.
What would you like to own that you don’t currently have?
An old series 2 Land Rover.
Which entrepreneur do you most admire?
Richard Branson, for his drive and tenacity and where he came from.
A recent read that really inspired you?
I mostly read autobiographies but am currently reading “A Path Through the Jungle” by Professor Steve Peters.
Best European city for a weekend away?
Paris.
Do you have a favourite brand?
I’m not a brand person but rather favour what is most practical for the task at hand.
Do you have a motto in life?
Carpe Diem.