Nathan Winch has been something of a serial entrepreneur since an early age. For those who haven’t encountered him yet, he hosts a YouTube channel, does public speaking engagements and has been featured in the news several times for his business successes.
We sat down with Nathan and set about learning more about the Leeds based business owner. Our first question to Nathan was about how he got started.
“I’d always wanted to be a doctor, but I ended up studying Molecular Biology. During my final year, after some work experience in the NHS, I realised that there was a huge opportunity to provide the NHS with cheaper liquid, foam and gel hand sanitiser, having seen how much they were paying for the products. I started a medical supply company, WinchPharma.”
That was back in 2011. Do you still own the company?
“No, in the end, I sold the business to one of our chemical suppliers. I’d run into problems with some of the investors. In hindsight, we had the wrong investors; they weren’t the right fit.”
We asked why he had selected those particular investors.
“It was something I think I rushed into. When people are offering you lots of money, you don’t tend to do due diligence as a start-up entrepreneur going 100 miles an hour. In the end, I rectified the mistake, and everyone got what they needed. We ended up selling the business to one of our suppliers who were part of our supply chain.”
Did this experience change how you saw business?
“I did very well out of that transaction. For me, as an entrepreneur, that was the pivotal moment. I looked at everything that was going on around me, and I thought, ‘I’ve made more money in these last 48 hours than I have made in the whole three to four years combined, by several factors. We have to be buying and selling stuff, not holding and running stuff.”
Nathan went on to become an angel investor, buying into new and existing businesses and helping them grow and streamline. This flourished into a private equity and management consultancy, Winch & Co. We asked him how this business compared to running just one company.
“We now invest in a range of asset classes, with private equity very much dominating what we do. Investing in businesses is our day job, and within that, we focus on technology, Software-as-a-Service, and FMCG (Fast-moving consumer goods, such as packaged foods, cosmetics, over the counter drugs, and other consumables).
Winch & Co currently own over 20 companies, with an annual turnover in excess of £7 million. We wondered if this was enough for Nathan, or did he have more planned?
“I’ve got a keen eye for property as a safe and stable pension style investment. As such, I began to invest in private and commercial property. I actually run a YouTube channel where I talk about a lot of that side of my investments and do public speaking about business and the paths to success.”
How has the world of being a YouTuber and public speaker gone?
“I’ve attracted an audience, with four and a half thousand followers. But as awareness of the brand grew, I’ve also attracted critics. I received a lot of flack. I’m not hugely known, but obviously, those who do know me acted as a buffer to see who is the real deal and who is not. It’s all behind us now and forgotten about. Because more often than not, it’s more about them than it is about you.”
Finally, what do you hope viewers of your YouTube blog and public events will gain from listening to you?
“Every business has highs and lows. Don’t be scared of taking risks. There may be bad choices in partners, occasional litigation, and other issues. But you’ll come out the other side not only stronger but a lot wiser in how you choose to invest your money and who you partner with. It can take a long time to acquire this knowledge.
It’s part of the business. You can’t just know this on day one. It can take years to develop. We’ve been looking to provide some of our experience and wisdom to others so they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I’ve encountered.
Onwards and upwards!”
