Kim Marlor is a Chartered Management Accountant and Partner at KMA Accountancy.
Based in Hale, Altrincham, KMA specialise in supporting South Manchester businesses to “really understand the numbers” and what they mean, so they can make confident and sensible business decisions.
To learn more, visit www.kmaaccountancy.co.uk
Over to you Kim…
What one piece of advice would you give to your 20 year-old self?
Be careful who you listen to…remember you are in charge of your own destiny, believe in yourself and go for it. Aim for the moon. You may not achieve that but you will be a lot further forward than you ever imagined!
You find £20 down the back of the sofa what do you spend it on?
I’m always looking after everyone else so I may spend it on my hobbies which are all things crafty or failing that a bottle of fizz!
If you could spend 20 minutes with a successful or famous business person who would you choose and why?
I’ve been lucky enough to meet and spend time in the company of some very successful people like Lord Coe, Sir Steve Redgrave, Deborah Meaden, Mary Portas, Levi Roots, Lord Jeffery Archer, Michelle Mone, Karen Brady, Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Clive Woodward and Gerald Ratner. For me, these days I value spending time with my mastermind mentors as they have successful or multi million pound businesses. I get to see what they do, how they do it, warts and all without any fluff!
If you could be stuck in a lift with any two people, who would you choose and why!
I’d prefer not to get stuck in a lift in the first place but if I did then it would have to be Boris Johnson and Donald Trump – because if two of the most powerful men in the world can’t get us out super quick no one could. Plus, I’d love to ask them some seriously probing questions which they wouldn’t be prepared for and couldn’t pass to an adviser to answer. Either way I’d know if my opinions of them and how they govern were correct or not!
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
Working less, travelling more and enjoying life!
What’s been your personal highlight since joining 2020?
Getting involved and supporting the local business community and the CAFT charity.
You have 20 days holiday to spend away from your business, where and how will you spend it?
I would be spending it with my family on a lovely holiday or different city breaks, experiencing new horizons. I’d take the opportunity to read some business books to develop me and my business whilst I was away though!
What will you be doing at (the time) 20.20 tomorrow evening?
Relaxing, spending time with my family (in lockdown when I wrote this so can’t do much else) probably with a glass in my hand. Be rude not too!
What advice would you give to a woman starting out in their first 2 years of business?
Understand your target market, what your message is to them, where they hang out and how your going to get in front of them, and why they should buy from you. You need a plan, it doesn’t have to be onerous just carefully thought out and KNOW YOUR NUMBERS….but you’d expect me to say that!
You can have 2 minutes time with a famous person., Who would you choose to spend it with and why?
Bill Clinton – he’s supposedly very charismatic and I’d love to know what really went on!
Tell us two things the rest of the 2020 members might not know about you.
Sheila Easton was on a programme with Esther Rantzen and I wrote to her to see if they were doing any other ‘search for a star’ type programmes. I received a lovely letter back but they never made another series. Not sure what I was thinking – I was never going to match up to her!
After completing my Accountancy studies I did a City and Guilds Fashion design course!
Show us the 20th picture on your mobile phone
This picture was taken at the St. Helens Business Games, where I represented my accountancy institute and some other small businesses. It was great fun!
Thanks for sharing with us Kim! Look out for our next 20 minutes with… in a couple of week’s time.