Danbro's Damian Broughton inspires businesses at 52M event

By 52M Consulting Ltd

21 Feb 2020

At the first in a series of monthly events being organised and hosted by 52M Consulting in 2020, an audience of Lancashire business leaders heard an earthy, honest and insightful account of how Damian Broughton and his wife, Helen, have grown Danbro into a £170m-a-year business since starting it in the family home.

Damian explained how the husband-and-wife team first considered running a pub and then a cross-stitch franchise before eventually starting an accountancy business providing a full range of advisory, tax and compliance services to contractors and freelancers.

Despite the success enjoyed by the business today, Damian was very candid about the obstacles it has faced along the way, including the acquisition of an accountancy practice elsewhere in the country that didn't work out as planned.

He told the assembled audience that Danbro owes much of its success to embedding the right processes, being disciplined, having a marketing plan and sticking to it, investing in people, supporting them and giving them space to deliver, and not being afraid to outsource non-core activities to external specialists - valuing the acquisition of this expertise as an investment and not a cost.

Olivia Carter, from the Athena Network for women in business, attended the event and said afterwards: "It was fascinating to hear how Damian Broughton and his wife have built their company from scratch into the successful business it is today. I really learned a lot from listening to Damian recount his experiences in what was a relaxed, down-to-earth setting."

It's a sentiment that others have been busy expressing on social media, with Gillian Seville, head of business development for Napthens Solicitors branding it "a fabulous inaugural event" on Twitter and commenting that it provided "a fascinating insight into an incredible business". Councillor Michael Green, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Lancashire County Council, described it as "a great opportunity for businesses to network" and said that he "enjoyed the honest insight given by Damian Broughton" with Poulton-le-Fylde based Code Galaxy also describing Damian's story as "fascinating" and saying that it had learned some lessons that it plans to implement in its business.

It was fascinating to hear how Damian Broughton and his wife have built their company from scratch into the successful business it is today.

The event, held on the first floor landing at Bizspace on Marsh Lane, Preston, also saw a lively Q&A and was supported by a number of local organisations that exhibited on the night, including IT experts NetDec, Shout Network and Lancashire's growth hub Boost.

Lee Petts, managing director at 52M Consulting, said he is delighted by the response and can't wait to host the next event in the series: "It was such a pleasure to see so many people brave the terrible weather and come along to hear what was a genuinely inspiring talk from one of Lancashire's most successful entrepreneurs.

"I think everyone will agree that they left feeling invigorated and that they'd learned something valuable that could improve their growth prospects.

"Next month, we have a very different guest speaker in the form of hairdressing entreprenuer John Kersey. His story started when he opened his first salon aged just 18 before going on to grow one of the largest independent chains in the North West of England, and I'm really looking forward to giving him a platform to share it."

Businesses wishing to attend the second event in the series can find out more and book here.

Enjoyed this? Read more from 52M Consulting Ltd

Latest news

1

CBP goes into administration Community and Business Partners in Blackburn with doors shut

CBP goes into administration

23 Jan 2025

2

Plan moves forward for new £13.2m Innovation Hub Councillor Phillippa Williamson and Coun Aidy Riggott

Plan moves forward for new £13.2m Innovation Hub

22 Jan 2025

3

Record turnover as Napthens continues to grow Stephen Faulkner

Record turnover as Napthens continues to grow

22 Jan 2025

4

Ranvir Singh to host Convention of the North 2025 in Preston Ranvir Singh

Ranvir Singh to host Convention of the North 2025 in Preston

22 Jan 2025

5

Lancashire Business Board chairman takes centre stage at Festival of Business Mo Isap

Lancashire Business Board chairman takes centre stage at Festival of Business

21 Jan 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
The Lancashire Festival of Business
FOB 315
Exhibitions
30 Jan 2025

The Lancashire Festival of Business

Impact Conferencing, Burnley, BB12 6QP

09:30 - 16:00

Skills Bootcamp in Procurement - Cohort 3
Blue-Modern-Land-Travel-Youtube-Thumbnail-2-1024x576.png.png
LBV Hub Awards
14 Jan 2025 - 18 Mar 2025

Skills Bootcamp in Procurement - Cohort 3

Community & Business Partners CIC, Blackburn, BB2 3UA

09:30 - 13:00

North West Holiday Home Show
PLG - NWHHS - Social - Jan 2024.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
18 Jan 2025 - 26 Jan 2025

North West Holiday Home Show

South Lakeland House Showground, Yealand Redmayne, LA5 9RN

09:00 - 14:58

January Freelancer Meet-Up and Coworking Day
Freelancer Meet-Up Jan general.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
23 Jan 2025 - 23 Jan 2025

January Freelancer Meet-Up and Coworking Day

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:00

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire
LBV Hub Event Image.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
30 Jan 2025 - 30 Jan 2025

The Marketing Meetup IRL: Lancashire

Strawberry Fields Digital Hub, Chorley, PR7 1PS

18:00 - 20:00

February Preston Tech Connection Meet-Up: Tech & Our Planet
PRESTON TECH CONNECTION jan.ai.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
12 Feb 2025 - 12 Feb 2025

February Preston Tech Connection Meet-Up: Tech & Our Planet

Society1 Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:30

Police Apprenticeship event
Student Centre Autumn 2022.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Social
12 Feb 2025 - 12 Jan 2025

Police Apprenticeship event

University of Central Lancashire, Foster Social Space , Preston , PR1 2HE

16:00 - 19:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
13 Feb 2025 - 13 Feb 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Mytton Fold, Langho, BB6 8AB

11:30 - 14:15

Sub36 Networking - Behind the beans
Sub36 Social1200Atkinsons New
Networking
14 Feb 2025

Sub36 Networking - Behind the beans

Atkinsons Speciality Coffee, Lancaster, LA1 1 EX

09:00 - 11:30

Red Rose Awards 2025
Red Rose Awards 2025
Awards
13 Mar 2025

Red Rose Awards 2025

Winter Gardens Blackpool

18:00 - 11:59

Lancashire Business Day 2025
241122lbvlancashiredaylhp0647web
Networking
27 Nov 2025

Lancashire Business Day 2025

12:00 - 17:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV120 Online Graphic 1
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin