Paying your staff well and increasing their value to your company are among the secrets of business success, according to a York entrepreneur.

Adrian Barraclough, chief executive of the Audasi Group, which has a £30m turnover, took to the floor of the Guildhall to give the advice as City of York Council launched its annual Business Festival today (Tuesday).

One of the themes of the month-long festival is business being a force for good, with his talk following a presentation from the Good Business Charter.

Adrian, who grew up in council housing, recalled being made redundant from the Brel railway works, working in York nightclubs and eventually buying the Sessions printing company in Huntington in 2010.

“You have a duty as a business to give people the opportunity to be the best they can be,” he said.

This includes creating a ‘platform’ for this, building a pathway for employees and understanding where they want to be.

The 57-year-old  recommended paying well, says his business recently increased pay for 300 blue collar staff by a fifth as long as they were diligent, starting five minutes early and finishing five minutes late.

He also cited satisfaction in two employees going to Barbados this winter.

Emphasising staff development, he continued: “As long as you are worth more than you earn, you are safe.”

Firms should also answer the phone promptly, regardless of the day or time.

“It work’s”, he said, noting rising sales thanks to great customer service. Staff turnover is so low, people hardly ever leave saving time and money spent on recruitment.

People must also prepare and should not be afraid to ask for advice, recalling how he learnt from asking a businessman how he could afford to run a Jaguar.

Earlier, Jenny Herrera, CEO of the Good Business Charter told the launch 97 per cent of consumers want businesses to act ‘responsibly’.

The Good Business Charter provides a framework for this, citing fair pay, paying fair tax, ethical sourcing and paying suppliers promptly. By treating staff better, it helps firms attract better talent too.

Jenny, who lives in York, said her organisation wants to “raise the bar on business standards and behaviour” but whilst we hear of bad employers, there is “not enough celebration or recognition of the good guys.”

The festival was launched by council leader Keith Aspden who said the event gave businesspeople a chance to share best practice, learn from experts in their field and for the council to listen to the business community.

Businesses are facing many challenges and City of York Council is doing much to help them.

York is also benefitting from major projects including Coney Street, Castle Gateway, York Central and the council continues to push the case for a ‘government hub’ in the city, with it also seeking the headquarters of Great British Railways, he added.