I’m Scott Dylan, Inc & Co Co-Founder and Partner, and I oversee the company’s strategic direction. This is something I created with my business partners as a way to bring companies together, to help businesses improve their business operations and collaborations. I am passionate about saving companies, and the jobs of those who work for them, and so Inc & Co invests in and funds the acquisitions.
I’ve worked in various different businesses across various sectors, including creative digital businesses, logistics companies and even the music industry. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot of lessons, and now, my goal is to use my past experiences and knowledge to support start-up businesses and businesses that are struggling by providing strategic support, mentorship and direction to give them a new lease of life. I’m already off to a good start, but I have no plans to stop anytime soon.
Proud Co-Founder of Inc & Co
I am a people person and if I can help, I always will. This is why the role of Head of People & Culture was the very first hire at Inc & Co, as we wanted people to be part of the company’s DNA. This is a decision that has paid off, as Inc & Co quickly grew into something much bigger than I could have ever imagined. During COVID, we self-funded everyone who was on the group’s payroll, as we know how much people are part of what we do. As co-founder of Inc & Co, it will come as no surprise that I get excited by challenges and problems, and I’m always trying to find ways to fix them and get companies through. Working in the distressed companies sector has its ups and downs, as not all businesses can be saved, but we always try to save as many as we can.
Through Inc & Co, we have funded several groups with specific sector specialities. The groups include Inc Logistics Group, Inc Retail Group and Inc & Co Property Group to name a few, but that is not where things stop. Each group also acquires and holds several subsidiaries, so I like to think that there’s no stopping us.
Our brands, whilst spread across different sectors are able to come together and share their expertise when needed. Currently, we have Skylab, KNOMO, Baldwins Travel, King Street Grooming, Maker&Son & incspaces and we’re always on the lookout for more companies to join our group.
Outside of Inc & Co, I’m also a current member of the Forbes Business Council and regularly contribute to Forbes. I was also part of the initial team that started AND Digital in 2014, and I helped to the foundations for fast growth, working with some leading brands. Now, that company has 1800 employees and is turning over £143m globally. It’s incredible how much a company can grow in such a short amount of time, as long as it has the right people backing it.
Entrepreneurial Edge
I’m sure many of the peers in my younger years would have called me a geek, but I have always considered myself to be a bit of an entrepreneur. I started my first venture whilst still at school, and this really kicked off my interest in business. I understood that the school was spending hundreds of pounds on replacing headphones that I knew could be fixed for less than £15 a set. I ended up being paid by my school to do exactly that.
I had a paper round, I fixed school headphones and I helped to set up a Young People’s Cafe in Woolwich London. I also sat on the Young People’s Council. I have always strived to succeed, which became obvious when I solved an issue with Virgin’s servers that even their own team were stumped by. After a week of being flummoxed, I ended up being called upon and within a few hours I had it fixed. It’s something I take great pride in to this day; all of these experts, and a young guy barely out of school managed to find the problem and solve it.
Founding a Private Equity Disruptor
Inc & Co was created as a private equity disruptor, a way to take over or invest in companies and change business behaviours through inclusive and collaborative capabilities. I’m proud to say that we now have offices in London, Manchester and Leeds, and we are still growing.
The idea of building up and acquiring companies, and building up groups, stemmed from the fact we wanted various sector-specific companies to work closely together. By bringing them into a group collective, they benefit from shared top-level business functions such as HR, marketing, finance and business development. This allows them to focus on what they do best, delivering high quality services to their clients.
Recent acquisitions funded include the UK’s biggest on-demand laundry service Laundrapp, Leeds-based creative agency Brass, award-winning digital marketing agency Neon, mobile development app business Cuhu, serviced office company Prospect Business Centres, parcel delivery company Parcelwise and logistics company GLB Transport. Inc & Co has also funded the start-up of companies, including the technology-focused logistics company Vectura Logistics.
In 2020, Inc & Co funded the formation of Inc & Co Property Group to oversee the acquisition and development of Prospect Business Centres, which provides serviced office accommodation. I’m actively seeking new sectors to bring the proposition to.
Personal Passions and Philanthropy
When I’m not working, you will find me travelling and spending time with my partner Gareth and my two dogs, a Jack Russel called Harvey and a Doberman called Ozlo. Sadly, we lost our beloved Japanese Akita Collie cross Ralph in 2022. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a lot and I’ve lived everywhere, from the USA and Spain, to the Netherlands and France. I’m drawn in by the culture of being somewhere completely new. I am always looking for the next adventure, so who knows where I’ll end up next.
When I’m not travelling, I prioritise spending time with friends and family, and enjoying some of my favourite hobbies. This could be listening to music – I studied music at school and I play a variety of instruments – dancing or relaxing at the cinema. I believe they are the people that are there for you no matter what, so I try to put as much effort into them as possible.
I do as much as I can to champion causes that mean a lot to me, one of which is mental health. I suffer from Complex PTSD, so I have first hand experience of how challenging life can be at times. I’ve previously been a Samaritan, and I supported a community centre called Beehive during COVID. It was going to be closed due to lack of local council funding, which would have been a huge loss to the community.
I’m always interested in hearing from like-minded people, so feel free to get in touch.
