Doing business with style

Don't be scared of being unconventional, says Jacqueline

Jacqueline de Baer made her name through the corporate clothing design-and-manufacture business she set up in the 1980s.

The venture, based in a converted warehouse in south London, earned the forty-something entrepreneur the title of Businesswoman of the Year in 1993.

The business has gone from strength-to-strength, building from just one member of staff and one client in 1984 to supply major European companies across a range of industries.

What was your first car?

It was an Austin 1100 - my grandmother's old car that I bought and had at 17, which gave me an edge over my friends.

It was black and faded so looked a sort of bottle green.

But it had zero street credibility, so if I'd had a choice I would have gone for a Volkswagen beetle.

What was your first job?

My first job was peeling Brussels sprouts, aged 16, for Christmas lunches at Prudential Insurance in Reading for not very much.

The sacks were as high as a table and looked impossibly big.

I loved them, but peeling them! After all that work they often overcooked them.

What was the first house you bought?

It was a three-bedroom house with a 90-foot garden in Oxford, which I rented out probably illegally, as it did not have multi occupancy status.

I never did live there but kept a sleeping bag in a hole under the stairs, and filled the house with other people.

I bought it for £12,000 or £15,000 and sold it a year later for £18,000 so it was a good investment.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

Richard Branson springs to mind as not exactly an inspiration, but someone who has done things differently.

I like the way he thinks out of the box, and I do the same. He is not conventional and this I can relate to because I understand where he is coming from.

For instance, when I started making uniforms I took a different slant to the norm and pioneered uniforms for building brand and being wearable.

I am also interested in his brand and brand extension. He has developed the brand in an unconventional way and applied it to a variety of businesses.

What's the best bit of business advice you've had?

I had some advice from the then equivalent of Business Link.

It was to balance sales activity with ongoing day-to-day business. So I spent at least 25% of each day on developing new business.

It was a lesson learnt and a good principle.

What business story is grabbing your interest at the moment?

It is what is happening at Marks & Spencer's. It will be interesting to see whether Philip Green manages to persuade shareholders that his offer is worthwhile.

What can the government do to boost business?

I would like to see the government expand on Business Link and educate the developing and established leaders of small and medium enterprises.

For example, they could support a major conference with international business leaders to inspire and educate.

I did self-help and joined ACE - the Academy of Chief Executives. I would like to see the government give more positive help at this level.

What do you believe is the biggest issue for business at the moment?

There is a flood of cheap goods and a climate of non-inflation so prices cannot be put up.

Many of our clients still have to increase dividends for shareholders, so there is pressure on them to cut their costs.

This trend has two results.

Margins have been cut and some small suppliers have ceased to trade.

The other effect is that clients can find the 'value added' difficult to afford, which means there is less differentiation between them and their competitors.

What was the proudest moment of your career?

It was when I won the Young Businesswoman of the Year award in 1993.

It was so unexpected and I had had no indication before that it was likely.

So I was not prepared, I had dressed badly and wore no make-up.

Norman Lamont presented the cut glass trophy. He was aware of my confusion and said: "Would you like to sit down?"

The prize was a £5,000 trip to Eastern Europe, which was memorable.

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The de Baer group manufactures and supplies career wear and work wear to companies needing staff uniforms.

The company's services include design and product development to customers including Euro star to Kelsey Roofing - with the capacity to churn out over 100,000 garments a day.

Founded in 1984 the company now has a staff of 60 and a turnover of £15m.