Scott Fletcher: How I kept afloat in the dotcom bust

Keeping a tight grip on cash was key to steering IT start-up ANS Group through the dotcom storm. But where does founder Scott Fletcher plan to take the business next?

By 1996 Scott Fletcher, then just 22, had already seen two of his employers go bust. But he wasn't bitter. "Both companies gave me great experience. I saw first-hand how not to run a business." In particular, he learned the importance of cash flow. "They were good firms and with a bit more financial expertise they could have done well." Rather than risk a third disaster, Fletcher decided to launch his own business, ANS Group.

His plan was to take over where his old employers had left off installing and maintaining IT systems for corporate clients. He was given a headstart when his old boss gave him the green light to contact existing customers. "Not everyone wanted to switch over, but within a week I had £100,000 of contracts."

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James McKeigue

James graduated from Keele University with a BA (Hons) in English literature and history, and has a certificate in journalism from the NCTJ. James has worked as a freelance journalist in various Latin American countries.He also had a spell at ITV, as welll as wring for Television Business International and covering the European equity markets for the Forbes.com London bureau. James has travelled extensively in emerging markets, reporting for international energy magazines such as Oil and Gas Investor, and institutional publications such as the Commonwealth Business Environment Report. He is currently the managing editor of LatAm INVESTOR, the UK's only Latin American finance magazine.