Business Development Partners are crucial to the smooth running of our Business Partner estate here at Hall & Woodhouse. Our Business Development Partners, also known as BDPs, bring a wealth of knowledge to the (pub) table, with a collective 120 years of experience between them.
From the first moment you enquire about a pub vacancy, all the way through to a departure from one of our pubs – sometimes a couple of decades later – you’ll receive unparalleled support that will help you take your pub to the next level.
We have four BDPs, each supporting around 35 pubs. The pubs that a BDP supports are divided geographically across the South of England, ensuring they’re never far away from you and they have the best possible local knowledge. All of our BDPs are required to undertake appropriate training, including the Application of the UK Pub Sector Tenanted Code, rent review procedure and production of Fair Maintainable Rent assessments.
Our BDPs work to support suitable Business Partners throughout the on-boarding journey, along with tirelessly supporting all of our existing Business Partners in the day-to-day running of pubs. If you have a question about a change in legislation, require supplier recommendations or need advice on running an event; they’re there to help, along with the wider Support Team.
The first year of running a new pub will always be the most challenging. There’s a lot to get to grips with, from building your business to managing your overheads and cash flow. Alongside the routine visits, to help you in your journey in your first year we’ll run minuted meetings at the end of months one, three, six, nine and twelve. During these visits, your BDP will discuss progress with you and agree any actions or further support that you may need.
“Our Business Development Partners are definitely some of the most adaptable and patient individuals I know. Each BDP brings their own mix of experience and through collaboration and communication; they’re a great mechanism for overcoming problems and driving improvements in all of our pubs.” Laura Ladlow – Business Partner Marketing Manager
This month we welcomed a new BDP to the family, Scott Rhodes-Ward. Scott has been with the Hall & Woodhouse for 10 years, gaining a breadth of knowledge on the Managed House side of the business. Scott brings a wealth of experience with him including hospitality management, maximising profit margins through optimised controls as well as driving guest footfall. We caught up with Scott to find out what a ‘typical’ day involves in the life of a BDP:
7am – 8am:
While enjoying a coffee, I check in on any new queries that may have come in overnight from Business Partners. If there’s any urgent requests or supplier issues, I’ll prioritise these to ensure all of my pubs have what they need as soon as possible.
8am – 11am:
I’m most likely to be on the road during this time, making a regular visit to a Business Partner. We could be discussing ideas to better improve the flow of the pub for example, or simply catching up over coffee. I have great relationships already with all of the Business Partners.
11am – 1pm:
I’ll be pitched up in the corner of one of my BPs for a couple of hours, in case they need me, or perhaps in the hope of a bacon sandwich! I’ll be dealing with enquiries and making sure all of my pubs are happy.
1 – 3pm:
This is usually a quiet time with queries from current BPs as they’re generally busy with the lunchtime rush, so I use this window to check in on any new Business Partner applications. I really enjoy speaking to new applicants; everyone has their own story. We have such a wide mix of Business Partners – some have previous experience as Head Chefs or General Managers as you’d expect, but we also have ex-Teachers, Accountants, Military personnel and Nurses all in the family! One of the most enjoyable aspects of this part of the job is matching applicants up with the right pub, sometimes we will know of upcoming vacancies that haven’t been advertised yet so I’d always encourage anyone to get in contact with us even if none of the pubs on our vacancy page appeal to them. You never know what might be just around the corner!
3 – 6pm:
I’ll be visiting another Business Partner to touch base, before heading home for the day. As a last point of call, I’ll be updating any Business Partners that raised issues today. If I haven’t managed to resolve them on the same day, they know they’re my top priority for the next working day.
If you’re interested in becoming a Hall & Woodhouse Business Partner, you can find out more here – https://www.hall-woodhousepartnerships.co.uk/partnerships