TGt Meets... Alex Miller

As part of our Entrepreneur Week Specials, we've been speaking to Alex Miller from Sub13.

Tell us a little bit more about your business?

We are a cocktail bar, opened in 2004 with the intention of bringing London-style cocktail to Bath. Since then we have evolved into one of the most popular destinations in Bath, especially with hen parties. We have a great central location and a brilliant garden too, which is a real asset.

What inspired you to set up your business?

Like many people it has always been a dream to own my own bar, so when the opportunity came up to buy what was then Shades Wine Bar (where I’d been drinking for twelve years!) I jumped at the chance. Luckily my best friend from School Dan Perry was in the business in London and together we created Sub 13.

What do you think attracts people to starting their own business?

Who wouldn’t want to be their own boss? It certainly has its advantages, especially when enjoying a nice long breakfast at Same Same But Different on a Monday.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced?

Finding and retaining quality staff has been, and probably always will be, a serious challenge in our business.

Do you have a motto or favourite motivational quote?

“Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” Richard Branson

What advice would you give someone looking to take the plunge and start a business?

Take plenty of advice from someone who has been there and done it all before. That and understanding figures, these are the heartbeat of your business so it really is essential to be on top of them.

What’s the biggest challenge facing business leaders today?

I think that the tax regime could be a lot fairer, especially to small businesses that pay a much greater proportion of tax relative to their turnover compared to their bigger (and especially multinational) counterparts.

What’s been your biggest achievement to date?

Obviously starting a business takes a lot of investment, so when the business became profitable after many years that certainly felt like a big achievement – it makes everything worthwhile.

When you’re not busy running your business, how do you like to spend your down time?

Either on the squash court or in the gym.