Karen Darby
Karen Darby Direct

Karen Darby is a serial entrepreneur, and has been a leading figure in the call centre industry for over 25 years. From an inauspicious start (she left school at 16 with one GCSE), Karen embarked on what was to become a classic “rags to riches story”.

She set up her first company, The Decisions Group, in 1983. It grew to become the third largest telemarketing bureau in the UK and won the European Service Industry Forum’s award for Best Service Company. She sold her interests in 1990 and Decisions now trades as part of Sitel Inc.

She went on to establish a successful training and consultancy business, Karen Darby Direct. Clients included BSkyB, Commercial Union, Direct Line, General Accident, Scottish Widows, Telewest and Zurich Insurance.

Karen then set up her third venture, SimplySwitch, a telephone and web-based price comparison service. She secured venture capital funding from Bridges Community Ventures, which was subject to the business meeting certain social criteria such as being based in one of the most deprived areas of the UK. Initially launched as Simply Energy Ltd offering consumers a free and impartial switching service for gas and electricity, it quickly extended its portfolio of products to include home phone, mobile, broadband and a range of financial products and was re-branded SimplySwitch.

SimplySwitch created over 100 jobs in a deprived area (a condition of the Bridges funding) and helped thousands of consumers save over £20m on their household bills. In August 2006 Karen sold SimplySwitch to DMGT (Daily Mail & General Trust) for £22m.

Favourite Quotes:

1. "Some people see things as they are and ask Why? I dream of things that never were and ask Why not?" - George Bernard Shaw
2. "Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision." - Peter Drucker
3. "It's no excuse saying we’re going to do our best. You have to succeed in doing what is necessary." - Winston Churchill
   
   

Recommended Reads:

1. ‘The Second Bounce of the Ball’ by Ronald Cohen
2. ‘Eat Pray Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert
   

Top Tips for Success:

1. Do what you love
2. Create a white hot burning desire 
3. Create leverage – commit to doing something with determination
4. Maintain a laser beam focus on your business idea
5. Use someone else’s money – seek funding opportunities
6. Be a rhino – learn how to handle rejection
7. Employ smart people – surround yourself with a strong team
8. Be enthusiastic
9. Live the brand – you are the best possible PR for your company
10. Give yourself a check up form the neck up on a regular basis
11. Hypnotize yourself – tell yourself you’re wonderful and your ideas are wonderful
12. Know when not to listen – especially to negative comments
13. Double your failure rate
    

Your Inspiration:

In no particular order: Anita Roddick, Mother Theresa, Mahatama Gandhi, Mohammed Ali, Amma, Boudicca, The Beatles, Emmeline Pankhurst, Jamie Oliver, Pele, my mum.

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