Ben Coker, CEO of Business Developments Limited has enjoyed a comprehensive business career.
Starting in the late 1960’s as a concert and event promoter (whilst at Liverpool University) and then with partner Sue Place, founding Anvil Press (Liverpool) to serve the Student Union market mainly in the North West along with many other customers in the local area.
We created and published an annual Student Guide to Liverpool and Manchester funded by advertising sales which was highly regarded and later sold to another publisher. We also published several books by local poets and authors.
We went on to take over Peter James Printing Ltd and Modula Design serving organisations like Rank and Ladbrokes nationally with design and print.
At the start of the 80’s in the light of massive technological changes we decided to break up and sell the company’s assets which we successfully accomplished.
Following an 8 year break when I was employed in the IT industry, notably ICL in Manchester, as Senior Programme Manager, I started Business Developments Ltd providing at first project management consultancy to medium sized businesses.
In 1994 on the strength of my contacts and record at ICL, I was invited to help with the formation of Railtrack working sequentially on civil engineering organisation, valuation and flotation of the company, the performance regime, and the Year 2000 initiative. There were only a few very short breaks between these assignments!
The demise of Railtrack and replacement by Network Rail led to a policy of not employing consultants so I spent the next few years as a consultant with smaller companies in the sector working on survey and mapping (this was before Google!), a Franchise bid, production of site access guides, and signalling renewal on the London Underground.
Meanwhile I had other business interests including MBA tutoring for Warwick Business School and setting up and operating, as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer, Manchester Scuba School for 10 years, brought to an end by a decline in demand for scuba training in the UK as more opportunities opened up in warmer waters!
In 1999 BDL entered the world of Network Marketing and this still provides a significant recurring monthly income although I’m not actively engaged on the ‘front line’ any more. As a result of 20+ years experience and my ‘orthodox’ marketing background I’m now one of the most knowledgeable and possibly only impartial experts in the UK on this business model.
I’ve now largely evolved the company back to its roots in the publishing and product creation arena and look forward to many more years and opportunities to help people achieve their goals and in association with my sister company Life Mastery Universal Ltd. providing life coaching and therapy services.
