the right recipe for growth
TRANSCRIPT
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HUB THE MAGAZINE FOR THE SEEDA ENTERPRISE HUB NETWORK
WINTER 2008/09
THE RIGHT RECIPE FOR GROWTHHow Hub companies can use tHe knowledge base to gain new innovations FUTURE SUPPORT FOR
INNOVATION AND GROWTHInnovatIon & Growth teams
Get an IntroductIon
A mEASURE OF SUCCESS two enterprIse hub companIes share theIr vIews on the hIGh Growth coachInG proGramme
PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT smes reveal how they’re wInnInG
bIG corporate busIness
GUEST EDITORtrevor baylIs obe
our fIrst ever Guest edItor
HUBMAPENTERPRISE HUB NETWORK DIRECTORY
aYlesbuRY vale Hub www.avalehub.co.uk
1 buckingham university of buckingham, buckingham mK18 1eG t: 01280 825050
• MartinBrassell – HubDirector t: 01280 825050 m: 07971 107202 [email protected]
• StephenMilne – LocalDirector m: 07891 227194 [email protected]
canteRbuRY Hub www.canterburyhub.co.uk
2 Canterbury biosciences building, university of Kent, Giles lane, canterbury, Kent ct2 7nJ
• DavidButler – HubDirector t: 01227 824641 [email protected]
gatwick diamond Hub www.diamondhub.co.uk
3 Crawley basepoint business & Innovation centre, metcalf way, crawley, west sussex rh11 7XX
• SteveWood – HubDirector t: 01293 817700 m: 07712 193797
• AmandaGeel – PortfolioManager t: 01293 817702 m: 07710 909586
• ColinHayhurst – PortfolioManager t: 01293 817702 m: 07710 900640
isle oF wigHt Hub www.wighthub.co.uk
4 newport Innovation centre, monks brook, st cross business park, newport, Isle of wight po30 5wb
• KenDueck – HubDirector t: 01983 535846 m: 07785 977527 [email protected]
medwaY Hub www.medwayenterprisehub.co.uk
5 Chatham university of Greenwich at medway, chatham maritime, Kent me4 4tb
• RayWynne – HubDirector t: 01634 883615 m: 07939 508210
milton keYnes Hub www.mkenterprisehub.co.uk
6 MiltonKeynes 02 wing, the michael young building, the open university, walton hall, milton Keynes mK7 6aa
• ChrisDunkley–HubDirector t: 01908 655263 m: 07799 860818
• DavidBurns – InterimPortfolioDirector t: 01908 377744
oxFoRdsHiRe Hub www.oxfordshirehub.co.uk
7 Bicester cherwell Innovation centre, (main office) 77 heyford park, upper heyford, bicester oX25 5hd t: 01869 238088 f: 01869 238001
• JohnLee – HubDirector t: 01235 838616 m: 07818 014222 [email protected]
• DrWendyTindsley – PortfolioDirector m: 07807 054617 [email protected]
• PlaciEspejo – NetworkManager m: 07807 054617 [email protected]
8 Didcot harwell Innovation centre, (second operating office) building 173, curie avenue, harwell science & Innovation campus, didcot oX11 0QG t: 01235 838500 f:01235 838501
sittingbouRne Hub www.sehl.co.uk
9 Sittingbourne newton house, building 550, winch road, Kent science park, sittingbourne, Kent me9 8ef
• PaulWalsh – HubDirector t: 01795 411501 m: 07814 723261 [email protected]
solent Hub www.solenthub.co.uk10 Portsmouth
portsmouth technopole, Kingston crescent, portsmouth po2 8fa t: 02392 846 199
• ArthurMonks–HubDirector t: 02392 658208 [email protected]
soutHampton Hub www.southamptonhub.com11 southampton
chilworth business Incubator, university of southampton science park, southampton so16 7np
• SteveDavis – HubDirector t: 02380 763794 m: 07979 645473
suRReY Hub www.surreyhub.co.uk12 Guildford
surrey technology centre, 40 occam road, surrey research park, Guildford Gu2 7yG
• MikeLunch – HubDirector t: 01483 685232 m: 07802 909090 [email protected]
• AndrewCross – PortfolioDirector m: 01483 685232 [email protected]
• MalcolmLoucks – PortfolioDirector m: 07802 793797 [email protected]
13 egham royal holloway research & enterprise centre, orchard building, egham surrey tw20 0eX
• JoanneJenkins–PortfolioDirector t: 01784 414985
14 Leatherhead leatherhead enterprise centre, leatherhead food International, randalls road, leatherhead, surrey Kt22 7ry t: 0845 3451682
east sussex Hub www.eastsussexhub.co.uk15 Hastings
creative media centre, 17 & 45 robertson street, hastings, east sussex tn34 1hl t: 01424 205388 f: 01424 205401
• JimChristy – HubDirector t: 01424 205388 m: 07770 733247 [email protected]
16 Eastbourne minster house, york road, eastbourne, east sussex bn21 4st t: 01323 739591
tHames valleY Hub www.thamesvalleyhub.co.uk17 Reading
reading enterprise centre, university of reading, earley Gate, reading, berkshire rG6 6au
• SusanElliott – HubDirector t: 0118 9357318 m: 07989 512907
• TraceySanderson–HubManager t: 0118 9357115
• StephenFoale – PortfolioDirector t: 0118 9357369 m: 07769 937708
• CarlosRojas – PortfolioDirector t: 0118 9357369 m: 07717 740670
• StephenConstable – PortfolioDirector t: 0118 9357369 m: 07973 655569
• SimonDale – HubDirector t: 0118 3787704 m: 07825 016837 [email protected] www.foodhub.co.uk
18 Newbury&Basingstoke liberty house, new Greenham park, newbury, berkshire rG19 6hw
• EdCooper – HubDirector t: 01635 500301 m: 07899 794794 [email protected]
wYcombe Hub www.wycombehub.co.uk19 HighWycombe
bnu wellesbourne campus, Kingshill road, high wycombe hp13 5bb
• MartinBrassell – HubDirector t: 01494 430080 m: 07971 107202 [email protected]
• DrTonyDiment – LocalDirector m: 07710 271676 [email protected]
Food tecHnologY Hub www.foodhub.co.uk20 Reading
G16, building l027, the university of reading, london road, reading rG1 5aQ
• SimonDale–HubDirector t: 0118 378 7704 e: [email protected]
1Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
HEllO, AND A WARm WElCOmE FROm mE AND ‘HUB’, THE ENTERPRISE HUB NETWORk’S mAGAzINE.
I’m delighted to have been asked to guest edit ‘hub’, especially as I’m told I’m the first one ever, which plays nicely to my ego! something all us entrepreneurs cannot do without!
more importantly, I’m thrilled to get involved, as I believe organisations like the enterprise hub network are vital if uK plc is to really profit from its innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs. I’m an old stick-in-the-mud on this issue and you can read more of my thoughts on page 25.
other than my own piece, I’d like to draw your attention to hybrid marine, a company featured in ‘hubbub’. I’ve always been a keen swimmer and always had boats, so a parallel hybrid electric propulsion system for boats particularly caught my eye. It’s also a wonderful invention and success story.
other than that, there’s plenty for us innovation and technology driven business people to get our teeth into. especially if you read the article on page 8 all about the high Growth coaching programme that features more food, a manufacturer of truly yummy cakes. or so I’m reliably told!
enjoy the read!
Trevor Baylis OBE
6 WHY BUSINESSES SHOUlD BE BlOGGING thames valley hub company fav.or.it is revolutionising the corporate world of blogs.
8 A mEASURE OF SUCCESS one coach and two enterprise hub companies share their experiences on the high Growth coaching programme.
15 CONTROl YOUR CASH FlOW support and advice on smoothing out the peaks and troughs of a steady income for your business.
16 PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT two surrey enterprise hub companies explain how they’re winning corporate customers.
20 INNOVATION & GROWTH TEAmS Innovation and growth throughout the south east will be supported differently in 2009.
24 WEll CONNECTED east sussex enterprise hub and internet services provider beaming reveal the benefits of a long and fruitful relationship.
2 HUBBUB news from around the enterprise hub network.
4 INNOVATION NEWS Keep up with the enterprise hub companies leading the way in innovation.
22 ASk THE EXPERT Isle of wight hub director Ken dueck shares his expertise and discusses marketing.
25 GUEST EDITOR trevor baylis obe explains why teachers are the mothers of invention.
AllY CHARlESpr & marKetInG manaGer Global competItIveness, seeda t 01483 484200e [email protected]
DESIGN & WRITING small bacK room
PHOTOGRAPHY Km photos
Printed on revive 50:50 Gloss. this magazine is printed on recycled paper certified as an fsc mixed sources grade paper, containing 50% recovered waste and 50% virgin fibre.
If english is not your first language, we can provide a summarised version of this document in punjabi, hindi, Gujurati, urdu, polish and bengali. the document is also available in large print, braille, disk and audio cassette. for a copy, please email [email protected], or call 01483 484 200.
GUEST EDITOR TREVOR BAYlIS OBE
FEATURES
REGUlARS
WELCOME TO HUB MAGAZINEWINTER 2008/09
THE HUB mAGAzINE TEAm AT SEEDA
If you would like more information,telephone the Enterprise Hub Networkon 01483 484 200, email [email protected] log on to www.enterprisehubnetwork.co.uk
Whenyoustartabusinessyouimaginethechallenges.HowdoIprovemyideaworks?What’sthebestway toprotectit?WherecanIsecurefunding?Questionsthatdemandanswersifyou’retosucceed.
Whatyoucouldneverhaveimaginedisthattheanswersareavailable,closetohandandfree.
HubDirectorsarehugelyexperiencedbusinessmenandwomen.They’vebuilttheirowncompanies, managedothersandachievedgrowthbysuccessfullycommercialisingideasandinnovations.
ThroughtheEnterpriseHubNetworklocatedthroughouttheSouthEast,HubDirectorscanprovide personalised,specialistsupportforyourbusiness,accessingawiderangeofexpertsandexperience.
Inshort,theycanhelpyoukeepyourbusinessontrack.Andbetterpreparedfornationalandinternationalgrowth.Andthat’sfact.Notalinewe’rehandingyou.
tHe diFFeRence a Hub diRectoR can make summed up in one line.
time
gRow
tH
12 THE RIGHT RECIPE FOR GROWTH Fudge kitchen and the Natural Resources Institute make Business Plus work for each other.
2 3Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
hybrid marine is an electronic design house specialising in control systems using microcontroller technology. their parallel hybrid electric propulsion system is the result of five years work and was launched at this year’s southampton International boat show (12-21 september 2008).
hybrid marine collaborated with beta marine, a producer of marine propulsion engines, for the final development stages, assembly, testing and marketing of the parallel hybrid electric propulsion system. It’s the world’s most technologically advanced and cost effective parallel hybrid solution and the collaboration makes fully integrated, off the shelf hybrid solutions available to the mass market.
Graeme hawksley, managing director of hybrid marine, explains. “this is the end of five years hard work and I’m delighted to have launched with such a respected partner as beta marine.
we’ve every chance of becoming a formidable force in the marketplace. particularly with the soaring cost of oil and more stringent regulations concerning emissions.”
Graeme has worked with Ken dueck at the Isle of wight enterprise hub. Ken outlines where the hub has managed to support Graeme to date, “I introduced Graeme to a mentor, tony smith, and I know Graeme has thoroughly appreciated having someone to bounce ideas off. but where I believe the hub has added great value to hybrid marine is with funding.” Ken continues, “we’ve worked alongside Graeme developing the presentation of his business so that investors find it an attractive proposition.” Graeme adds, “the hub has been critical in getting the company to where it is today. without funding from finance south east’s commercialisation fund, we would not have been able to position ourselves so well in the marketplace at such an early stage of our growth”. now Graeme has launched at the southampton and amsterdam boat shows, one of the world’s first hybrid propulsion systems is set to propel him and hybrid marine ahead for sure.
Formoreinformation: HubDirector:KenDueck [email protected]
“thIs Is the end of fIve years’ hard worK and I’m delIGhted to launch wIth such a respected partner as beta marIne. we’ve every chance of becomInG a formIdable face In the marKetplace...”
Jan JunG Is chIef eXecutIve of screenplay productIons, an east susseX enterprIse hub company.
Jan set the business up on the back of 25 years’ experience as a writer, director and most recently producer. but screenplay is not a standard production company. Jan explains, “we’re talent driven. we want to work with the best, develop the best material and only make the most talented programmes.” that places an emphasis on finding and nurturing new talent and Jan has developed a dedicated service called screenplay talent to facilitate that search. It’s a service that has caught the eye of channel 4 as screenplay has been shortlisted as one of channel 4’s ‘most promising companies’ and has recently featured on ‘Industry Insider’ on 4laughs.
Jan sees screenplay’s work extending further, too. Jan explains, “the south east is caught in london’s shadow when it comes to production infrastructure yet the region has an abundance of talent that the london market swallows up.” Jan is keen to reverse that trend and has worked with Jim christy, hub director at the east sussex enterprise hub, to promote the south east as a viable production cluster. “Jan is attempting to identify production companies in the region, unify their interests and form a trade association, which is hoped will attract the attention of commissioning editors. we’re very happy to help Jan wherever we can.”
HUBBUB news from the enterprise hub network.
sHowcase launcH FoR HYbRid MARINE,ANISLEoFWIGHTENTERPRISE Hub companY
cHannel 4 Recognition FoR scReenplaY pRoductions
founded in 2007, istylista is an online, automated, personal stylist service for female fashion followers anywhere in the world.
istylista is a surrey enterprise hub company and have recently secured some significant funding. after a pitch to finance south east, istylista has been awarded finance through the seeda backed commercialisation fund. the commercialisation fund can award up to £60,000 for early interaction business ideas that need to be proved or financial through market traction. In this respect, istylista was the perfect candidate for the money as customers can only engage with the brand online, receiving up to ten clothing suggestions a month picked out by istylista’s ‘human’ stylist and viewed by logging onto a personalised online changing room.
Formoreinformation: www.surreyhub.co.uk www.financesoutheast.co.uk
istYlista looks good FoR Funding
GeosolveIt is a specialist independent consultancy providing geographic information management solutions and associated business support services to both the private and public sectors.
GeosolveIt’s solutions enable organisations to successfully map, visualise, analyse and interact with their data and assets. solutions can range from a single desktop application through to a fully integrated, enterprise wide solution.
as a surrey enterprise hub portfolio company, GeosolveIt has recently achieved Iso 9001:2000, which recognises GeosolveIt’s excellence in delivering services.
as managing director nigel robbins puts it, “our clients need to know that they will be dealt with through approved procedures and in a timely fashion. Knowing we have processes in our business is important, but our key driver is to ensure our customers receive exceptional service in all we do.” nigel adds, “that way we ensure we build long-term relationships where we act as a trusted supplier.”
Joanne Jenkins, portfolio manager at the hub adds, “GeosolveIt has come a long way but their hard work is paying off.” the company has recently secured a number of government contracts and has been seeking new innovative areas for growth of GeosolveIt’s services.
this strategy is starting to reap dividends with a range of new clients, including a newly formed manchester housing association, as well as a number of emerging international opportunities.
Formoreinformation: HubManager:JoanneJenkins www.surreyhub.co.uk
gRowtH all mapped outthe annual customer satisfaction survey has just reported back and the early signs are that the enterprise hub network is performing very well.
the 2008 survey was conducted online via a five-minute questionnaire targeted at portfolio companies and potential prospective portfolio companies. In total, 236 companies responded.
the purpose of the customer satisfaction survey is to measure the enterprise hub network’s performance against KpI (Key performance Indicators).the KpI measure for 2008 is 84%, which is, encouragingly, up from last year at 82.5%.
General overall satisfaction figures are also very high. almost half those questioned, 47%, said they were ‘very satisfied’ with the service they received. another 39% reported they were ‘satisfied’. this equates to an overall satisfaction score of 86%. Interestingly, the three services with the highest proportion of respondents reporting they were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the enterprise hub network were: ‘access to an experienced individual to act as an individual sounding board’, ‘face-to-face coaching on a day-to-day basis’ and ‘assistance in developing a business plan including investment strategy’.
Formoreinformation: www.enterprisehubnetwork.co.uk
THEHUBNETWoRK:GooDResults FoR good woRk
Formoreinformation: HubDirector:JimChristy [email protected]
4 5Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
Formoreinformation: HubPortfolioDirector: ColinHayhurst [email protected]
the GIbson IndeX contaIns the names and profIles of over 30,000 start-ups, smes, unIversIty spInouts, technoloGy-led consultants and busIness partnershIps.
It is the brainchild of marcus Gibson, a former financial times technology correspondent and passionate supporter of britain’s small companies.
“I wanted to catalogue the great little companies in britain,” explains marcus. “they are part of the country’s crown jewels, and we should recognise their contribution to the british economy.”
the Gibson Index is the first comprehensive, national, small company database anywhere in the developed world, and took marcus and his team of researchers 10 years to compile.
the Gibson Index, though, delivers more than recognition. smes can register to be included in the Index. a significant number have greatly benefitted from exposure to larger organisations such as QinetiQ plc and reckitt benckiser, which are searching for new technology- and innovation-led suppliers. smes can register at: www.gibsonindex.if5.com
subscribers to the service include government organisations, corporates, academic institutions, financial houses and economic development agencies. as marcus puts it, “they represent a significant business opportunity to any small company.”
marcus also produces the Gibson Index newsletter, a 30-page monthly publication distributed free to around 300 technology directors at major british companies and subsidiaries.
last month, denfotex launched a revolutionary new dental product, which will very likely have a major impact on the dental marketplace and, encouragingly, will reduce pain for patients.
the new product ‘pad plus’ (pad stands for photo activated disinfection) is a patented technique, based on several years of development and trials, which eliminates all oral bacteria.
pad technology is based on two components: an aqueous solution of dilute, medical grade tolonium chloride (a vital stain) and a led red light system of a specific wavelength to activate the solution. Introduced into the infected region, the pad solution selectively targets and tags all bacteria. when the solution is activated by the pad light it releases singlet oxygen, which ruptures the cell membranes of the bacteria thereby killing them. the pad light is delivered in around one minute by a handheld device and the whole process is harmless to normal tissue and completely painless. pad treatment thus eliminates much of the need for drilling and filling, for post treatment medication and it reduces treatment times.
denfotex is a Gatwick diamond enterprise hub portfolio company and has worked with the hub over the past year. colin hayhurst, hub portfolio manager, outlines some of the work he’s done with denfotex. “pad has the potential to transform the dentistry industry and is a platform technology which, in future, could be used to treat other infections. however, to exploit denfotex’s significant development and technical work in the dental market, further funding was required.” colin continues, “despite the current climate we have recently helped denfotex secure £380,000 of funding which has helped them complete development, launch their product in several countries and put them in a position to accelerate sales.”
INNOVATIONNEWSCompanies throughout the enterprise hub network are turning innovative ideas into CommerCial suCCesses.
calling time on old scHool call centResvoXIQ Is set to revolutIonIse the worK of call centres and theIr customers’ eXperIence of usInG them. founded and run by archIe macaulay, voXIQ was a Germ of an Idea about ten years aGo.
archIe has patented hIs technoloGy In 14 countrIes and holds an eXclusIve lIcense from bae systems, hIs former employers, to develop hIs enablInG technoloGy.
Formoreinformation: HubDirector:MartinBrassell [email protected]
Formoreinformation: HubPortfolioDirector:CarlosRojas [email protected]
ToregisteryourcompanyattheGibsonIndex,pleasecontactMarcusGibson www.gibson-index.com
Formoreinformation: www.surreyhub.co.uk
denfoteX was formed In 1998 and specIalIses In the development and manufacture of products for dental and medIcal applIcatIons.
the voxIQ system integrates speech technologies, artificial intelligence and databases. It means that relevant information appears on screen for a call centre agent automatically. as a customer speaks, the system identifies key words and automatically stores them, saving time and increasing the call efficiency.
archie can illustrate the benefits with a simple example of an insurance broker. “when a customer calls and begins a conversation with the agent, the mention of key words such as ‘car insurance’ and ‘ford mondeo’ will cause the system to display appropriate forms on the agent’s computer screen and it will populate these with existing customer and product information retrieved from databases. further words such ‘disability’ or ‘racing’ might also be recognised and further information would be retrieved to notify the agent of ancillary conditions of the insurance.”
voxIQ has benefitted from premises at the wycombe enterprise hub’s ‘hatchery’. It moved from london for an improved start-up environment. the enterprise hub has provided the company with a detailed review of its business plan and undertaken a company valuation exercise. the hub has also played an important role in connecting and introducing the business to providers of capital and prospective investors. archie says “the high wycombe hub is excellent.
there is space, peace and quiet and it works very well for us. the hub has also been great for bouncing ideas off.”
wycombe enterprise hub director martin brassell says, “the combination of knowledge-based software and a core speech recognition engine provides a compelling application for commercial exploitation in call centres and command and control environments. the company has raised some £600,000 of investment from management, friends, family and the angel community and has met all of its development milestones.”
currently, archie is working with a sash window manufacturer developing his technology as a personal assistance tool. the company’s surveyors need to record 22 different pieces of information from a customer visit, which they then filter back to head office where the data is turned into drawings and ultimately new windows. voxIQ’s platform will enable an account manager to record, store and send information without the need for wifi or hot spots.
when paul Kitching, md of trad sash window’s, was asked at the recent thames valley Innovation conference how much it had cost him, he responded with “the question is irrelevant, you should have asked how much it is saving me.”
surrey enterprise hub company triometric creates unique real user monitoring (r.u.m.) products for high-value web applications. the triometric analyzer captures and reports on web application usage, errors and performance as experienced by real users.
the triometric analyzer is made up of three software components: triometric monitor, which monitors and measures web users’ behaviour; triometric management station, which processes the information from the monitor and triometric reporter that generates and presents reports.
awareness of r.u.m. is steadily growing as companies begin to realise the benefits. awareness that has recently helped secure Invensys, mondi and fiat as triometric customers.
plentY oF R.u.m. no piRates
winning at tHe olYmpics
BRITAIN’SBIGLITTLEcompanies
gatwick diamond Hub gets tHeiR teetH into denFotex
as one of the leading players in international wifi interconnection, coordinate worked with china mobile, china’s largest wifi provider, to make ready their wifi network in each of the six olympic cities. Kai liang, senior vice president of coordinate, explains the challenge. “It was a huge task. china mobile launched its 3G network, the government reshuffled the telecom industry, wide ranging telco upgrades were implemented prior to the Games, and the ramifications of the sichuan province earthquake and increasingly tense security were very evident.”
despite the complications, coordinate successfully configured, tested and connected more than 20 international operators with china mobile’s wifi assets within three weeks.
thames valley hub has helped coordinate secure $50K to date and some angel funding. moreover, the hub has increased coordinate’s credibility with potential investors. portfolio director carlos rojas explains, “we ask the questions investors ask. and by helping coordinate prepare the answers, we’ve helped them become less of a risk.”
7Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
BUSINESSADVICE Bloggingisnotthesoledomainoftheyoung. Norisitrestrictedtosocialmedia.Increasingly,blogsplayanintegralroleinacompany’scommunicationsplatform,offeringabusiness,regardlessofsize, acost-effective,highlyresponsivemarketingtool.What’smore,ThamesValleyEnterpriseHubcompanyFav.or.ithasdevelopedtechnologytoplacethemattheforefrontofasecondgenerationofbloggers–businessbloggers.
corporate blogging can be highly effective both internally and externally, playing a central role in a company’s marketing activities. like all marketing, however, blogging is only effective if it is planned, targeted and measured. In other words, its success is dependent on the work done before the actual blog is written.
nick halstead, founder of fav.or.it, puts it simply. “thanks to the advent of new technology, blogs have moved from being purely a social tool to a business tool.” nick regards blogging as an opportunity that offers businesses of all sizes immediate benefits, as nick explains. “a blog can raise a company’s profile on a search engine. but also enhance its profile and interface with key audiences.”
fav.or.it was set up in mid-2007 as a spin out from a former project to see how forum systems could be improved. the fav.or.it system aggregates content from several blogs to a single interface to allow a blogger to access, read and reply to personalised content from numerous blogs without having to visit each individual website. this delivers a better experience as information is refined to their particular interests and stored in one place.
for a business wanting to publish a blog, fav.or.it’s integrated system is equally effective. by selecting and categorising content, the fav.or.it system allows a business to publish a blog around a particular subject relevant to the business. what’s more, by tracking reader attention data, a business can publish a blog ranked by reader popularity. nick sums up the benefit. “In other words, using fav.or.it, a business blog can respond to consumer behaviour. what other form of marketing can quickly and cost effectively allow a brand to do that?”
for a brand, the fav.or.it system is a powerful tool, as nick illustrates. “take the launch of a new handset by a mobile manufacturer such as nokia. the fav.or.it system could search for interest around the handset and channel it into a unique site, effectively building a tailor-made mini community around the launch. similarly, with a tv channel like five, for example, the fav.or.it system could search fans’ and celebrity sites for comments on a programme in order to build a bespoke community.”
start-ups and smes throughout the enterprise hub network would do well to take note of nick’s advice. blogging is particularly useful for businesses developing a new product or service or relying on its specialist knowledge to attract customers. often the challenge for these companies is to provide evidence, to demonstrate that an innovation or technological breakthrough works commercially. blogging allows a company to demonstrate its expertise quickly, cost-effectively and interactively. think of a blog as the most dynamic case study and you can begin to see the effect.
likewise, companies promoting a new product or service can receive valuable feedback from customers and opinion-formers, and gain advocates into the bargain.
a blog works across borders, too. owners and managers looking to internationalise their businesses can communicate freely with audiences not just locally or nationally but anywhere in the world, simply but changing the emphasis of a post to include international themes and references.
thames valley enterprise hub has been working with nick, too. “the hub has been great to us. not only did he help me secure a £150,000 investment but he’s assisted me with the day to day financial management and forecasting, the tools I need to continue to grow the business,” explains nick.
fortunately, nick took time out from growing fav.or.it to jot down his top reasons for business blogging. Judging by fav.or.it’s growth, it’s well worth a read.
•Bloggingenablesbusinessestodemonstrateandcommunicatetheirexpertiseinacertainareaoftenenablingthemtodominate anichemarket.
•Bybuildingindividualcommunities,smallbusinessescanfostercollaboration.
•Acompany’sreputationcanbeenhancedandtrustcanbebuilt.
•Bloggingisgreatforsearchenginerankingssootherswillfindyoumoreeasily.
•Blogsallowabrandtoproject itspersonality.
•Finally,don’tgethungupon theword‘blog’,it’sjustatool. Soevaluatewhatyourbusinessneedsandfocusstronglyonusing ablogforthatpurposeanditwillbesuccessfulforyourbusiness.
AT A GlANCE
“Inotherwords,usingFav.or.it, abusinessblogcanrespondtoconsumerbehaviour.Whatother formofmarketingcanquicklyandcosteffectivelyallowabrandtodothat?”
Formoreinformation: HubPortfolioDirector: StephenFoale ThamesValleyEnterpriseHub
9
the hIGh Growth busIness coachInG proGramme
andrew cross has worked with the enterprise hub network since 2005. he is one of six coaches in the high Growth business coaching programme and is currently working with four companies. all of the coaches have vast and varied experience in running fast growing companies themselves, in andrew’s case as marketing, commercial and managing director roles, mainly in life sciences.
when it comes to coaching, andrew is very clear about his role. “I discover what it is that’s holding a business back and work with them to help remove that barrier. of course, the obstacles differ greatly from company to company.”
more food manufactures high quality cakes employing traditional, handmade baking methods. caron howe, founder and managing director, knew she had a great idea when customers started queuing around the block for her chocolate caramel crispy cake from her café in chichester. “nobody was really using handmade production. competitors of similar products use mass production techniques that, inevitably, damage quality,” explains caron.
having sold the café to concentrate on supplying a local wholesaler, caron found herself baking cakes out of a small manufacturing unit using one oven, a microwave and a single table. but the cakes were delicious and very soon the more food name was synonymous with quality. It wasn’t long before a second wholesaler came on board with
an order for an additional 200 cakes a week. caron picks up the story, “the first big move was to hire a master baker. It was a huge strain on the business at the time but I knew I needed additional skills to keep up with demand.”
the way caron worked with wholesalers proved very popular, too. “we’ve never dictated to them and said that’s the range, take it or leave it,” says caron. “we work with our wholesalers, asking them what they want so that they receive a bespoke range.”
the turning point arrived when caron got involved with a local food marketing initiative called ‘a taste of sussex’, part of sussex enterprise the seeda backed food and drink business support organisation. they ran a ‘meet the buyer’ event with budgens, who were looking for a high quality cake supplier to complement their economy range. more food ended up supplying eight budgens’ stores. “suddenly, we were supplying thousands of cakes. and budgens, who had never sold cakes at £5 before, asked us to supply nationally,” recalls caron. another, equally successful, ‘meet the buyer’ event introduced caron to waitrose and another national contract. today, more food turnover £2.4 million and have reached capacity at their current premises.
‘a taste of sussex’ via business link introduced caron to the enterprise hub network, where she met Gatwick diamond enterprise hub director steve wood. steve had already started to work with caron as a portfolio company when he recommended she apply for the high Growth business coaching programme, but caron expressed reservations. “at first I really wasn’t sure I had the time to commit to such a
A mEASURE OF SUCCESS
Growth is essential to the development of all smes. but often that involves owners managing business functions outside their core competences. the high Growth business coaching programme provides smes with high growth potential access to expert support in the form of an experienced business coach. as this programme completes its second full year, we take a look at two of the companies involved to see how their coach, andrew cross, has helped their business achieve success.
Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
“Thefirstbigmovewastohirea masterbaker.Itwasahugestrain onthebusinessatthetimebutIknew Ineededadditionalskillstokeepup withdemand.”
10 11Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
programme but now I don’t think I could ever have done without it!” steve thought more food was an outstanding candidate for the high Growth business coaching programme despite fierce competition for places. as steve explains, “there were only 20 places this year but more food satisfied the criteria, being an established business with a turnover between half and five million pounds and expecting continuing high growth in the next few years. It was obvious more food would benefit from intensive coaching.”
caron is quick to point out the importance of her involvement with the high Growth business coaching programme. “more food started as a family business and quickly outgrew both its core competences and premises. we weren’t financially efficient and had no idea how to source, negotiate and perform a major relocation. It’s here andrew has added such a tremendous amount.”
“caron’s great strength is her creativity; her innovative recipes and determination to use only the finest ingredients, allied to the use of traditional baking methods, is the key to her success.” andrew adds, “but as with so many creative people, the financial reporting, costing and margin management wasn’t getting
sufficient attention in order to support such rapid business growth.”
andrew initially focused on finding more food a financial director and through a seeda contact was able to introduce david James, who now works two days a month. caron explains what a difference david has made to the business. “I now have a 36 month forecast and monthly control and reporting. led by david, I’m now spending a lot more time on financial control, which would never have happened without andrew’s involvement. my passion was for baking cakes, but if you can’t afford to run the business, you haven’t got a business.”
david has played a vital role in the search for new premises, too. caron continues, “now the numbers are bigger, any mistake costs the business a lot more money.” In fact, caron had been able to call upon quite a formidable team throughout the search for new premises. “I went to look at a possible site recently and asked andrew, david and steve to come with me. It was really useful to get their different opinions,” says caron. finding new premises is crucial to more food’s future growth, as they need to obtain british retail consortium (brc) accreditation, the Gold award for food production. “we have to move to reach the next part of our growth potential,” explains caron. “without brc approval we won’t secure the larger contracts from waitrose and budgens. but we can’t obtain brc at our current home, it’s just not set up to do that.”
andrew also acts as coach to Gordon murray design. operating from shalford in surrey, Gordon murray design was founded in July 2007 and currently employees 29 people with a collective experience of over 440 years. they specialise in the development of whole car programmes as opposed to being a consultancy for major car manufacturers. their work is highly innovative. the t.25 city car is set to revolutionise the car market. being available for around £5,000 and with extremely low running and lifecycle co2 impact, it has a lightweight design and introduces massive savings to manufacturing costs. the ramifications for the motor industry and the environment are huge. the t.25 offers significant advantages for parking and congestion while protecting personal mobility and the fun of driving.
andrew spent considerable time getting to know the management team at Gordon murray design in order to gain a thorough understanding of the business and key factors influencing their growth. huw owen, managing director of Gordon murray design, notes this was one of the key points that attracted him to the programme. “I personally get a lot out of the sessions with andrew but the high Growth business coaching programme is not primarily for a md’s development but for the business as a whole.”
andrew reveals what he discovered getting to know the management team. “their skills and capabilities are immense. Gordon murray alone has worked for brabham and mclaren for 17 and 18 years respectively. they’re a focused and highly motivated team having enjoyed in excess of 1,850 man years of working together.”
not surprisingly, with such a depth of knowledge, Gordon murray design is aiming high. “we want to be the world leader in automotive design and reverse the current trend for sub-contracting by having a complete in-house capability for design, prototyping and development,” explains huw.
andrew relates the issue huw and his team were struggling to solve. “they were finding it difficult to value their Ip and put in place licensing agreements. It’s not something any of them had done before. they knew they needed specialist support.” andrew introduced Ip and licensing experts to Gordon murray design, which contributed to securing a licensing agreement alongside the first contract.
Gordon murray, founder of Gordon murray design, picks up the case. “we’re not just introducing a new, revolutionary car but a new, revolutionary
business model. for the first time ever in the automotive industry, we can license the way we manufacture, just like they do in the electronics industry. with something that unique, it was vital we protected the business.” huw adds, “we would have probably got to an Ip solution by ourselves but not as quickly. often solutions are right under your nose but it takes a third party perspective to reveal them to you. that’s what andrew has added to the business.”
the challenge ahead for Gordon murray design is in convincing the right people of the validity of a project such as the t.25. andrew explains, “I’m working with huw to discover where best to promote the business, to what industry sectors and in which markets. the united states could be huge, for example.”
huw has found being part of the high Growth business coaching programme extremely rewarding. “we’re all tremendously experienced here but we want to continue to learn. the exchange of ideas within the high Growth business coaching programme has really benefitted the business.” huw continues, “being able to chat and bounce around ideas and thoughts I find really useful.” caron howe agrees, “the coaching process really helped me get the stuff up in my head down onto paper.”
but what are the specific benefits for a company in Gordon murray design’s position. huw explains, “the coaching programme is a bespoke service unlike a training course. It is sales driven advice in a small and intimate environment. It’s really
stimulating. and the hub is always there when you need it. you’re not left high and dry after the programme finishes.”
andrew identifies a common trait between both Gordon murray design and more food, “managers of businesses must be really open to new ideas, which is not always easy, not when you’re used to micro-managing everything.”
and what of the high Growth business coaching programme as a whole, what’s the real advantage for companies such as more food and Gordon murray design? andrew sums it up, “the real strength of the high Growth business coaching programme is precisely the lack of measures for short term success. there’s no long list of objectives, no agenda or vested interests. the only measure of success is the company’s own success, most likely beyond the end of the programme.” little wonder huw says he’d recommend the high Growth business coaching programme, “even if you don’t think you need it!”
Formoreinformation: HubDirector:SteveWood www.coaching.enterprisehubnetwork.co.uk
above: caron howe of more foods.
right: a display at Gordon murray design.above: a model communicating advances in green automotive design
left : the Gordon murray team
above left: Gordon murray speaking with prince philip
“WewouldhaveprobablygottoanIPsolutionbyourselvesbutnotasquickly.oftensolutionsarerightunderyournosebutittakesathirdpartyperspectivetorevealthemtoyou. That’swhatAndrewhasaddedto thebusiness.”
“Butaswithsomanycreativepeople,thefinancialreporting,costingandmarginmanagementwasn’tgettingsufficientattentioninordertosupportsuchrapidbusinessgrowth.”
sian holt met Jim Garrahy in a pub. Jim owned Jim Garrahy’s fudge in america; a highly successful brand distributed via outlets at america’s great theme parks. before long, sian was managing Jim Garrahy’s first uK based outlet at blackpool pleasure beach and learning a lot about fudge.
uniquely, and crucially, Jim Garrahy’s fudge is made without including butter and sold unpacked in hefty slices. butter keeps fudge softer for longer and is commonplace in other, non-premium products. consequently, sian’s fudge looks, feels, tastes, smells and is presented completely differently to anything else out there in the market.
having bought Jim Garrahy out of the business, sian now owns seven shops throughout the uK, all in high tourist areas where fudge Kitchen’s unique recipe and retail theatre prove very popular. “we manufacture in store, right in front of customers. It’s all part of the experience that helps differentiate our product,” explains sian. “and without butter, the melted ingredients need plenty of working, or creaming, to break the sugars down and produce a really delicious and smooth fudge.”
the original store was opened almost 25 years ago. despite sian’s obvious success, she knew she had to change the business in order to grow it further. as sian puts it, “shops are very expensive to acquire, set up and run. It takes anywhere between five and seven years to really see a return on the investment” sian continues, “I knew sometime ago wholesale was where the future
growth of the business would be achieved. we got plenty of requests to supply markets, delis and food hampers but could never fulfil them.” despite demand from the wholesale market, sian faced a fundamental problem.
“the original recipe gave the product a five to seven day shelf life. all the time we’re producing and selling in our own shop that’s fine. as soon as I want to distribute to other outlets, the shelf life, or lack of it, is a huge problem. I knew I had to increase the shelf life if I was to grow the business into a wholesale operation.”
sian could simply have added butter to the ingredients but she was determined not to alter the taste, texture or appearance, as this was her point of difference. so at this time, sian thought packaging was the answer and had visited various suppliers with a whole gamut of weird and not so wonderful packaging solutions. none of which got anywhere near providing an adequate solution to increasing the shelf life.
out of desperation, sian trawled the Internet for packaging experts and came across linda nicolaides, principal scientist in the natural resources Institute (nrI) at Greenwich university. at the same time, she attended last year’s speciality food fair where simon dale, hub director, introduced himself. “I came across sian handing out samples of quite delicious fudge and chatting to all and sundry. I was curious and introduced myself.”
simon and sian already had plenty in common. despite a palpable love of fudge, they shared an acquaintance. dr. richard fuchs, head of packaging at Greenwich university and a colleague of linda nicolaides who had been approached by sian, also works with simon, sitting on the food hub steering group. between them, a route to solving sian’s shelf life problem became quickly apparent. simon dale explains,
“by the time I met sian she was already talking to Greenwich university about a Ktp (Knowledge transfer partnership). under the terms of a Ktp, education Institutions, independent research and
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“Mostpeoplebelievefudge isaBritishinventionwithitsoriginsinDevonorCornwall,”explainsSian.
“Actually,itcamefromAmericaanddatesbackto1830andabungled(fudged)batchofcaramel,whichiswheretheconfectioneryacquireditscommonname.”
Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
THE RIGHT RECIPE FOR GROWTHrunning a business is full of frustrations. chasing funding, customers and growth are just some of the tests sent to examine the most determined of owners. Imagine though, you’ve achieved growth and success over a number of years, know exactly where you need to take the business but are missing a vital ingredient. this is exactly the position sian holt, owner and managing director of fudge Kitchen, found herself in. successful, clear about her direction yet lacking the technological knowhow to change her business, sian successfully applied for a mini Ktp or business plus, and found that elusive growth.
15Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
at the start of 2007, 99.9% of uK businesses were smes. they employed 13.5 million people or 59.2% of the total private sector workforce and contributed as much as large business to the uK economy, 50% of Gross value added. In other words, small business is big business in the uK.
however, according to the International monetary fund’s (Imf) most recent world economic outlook, the world economy is, “entering a major downturn” in the face of, “the most dangerous shock” to rich-country financial markets since the 1930s. In september alone the uK economy lost 159,000 jobs, the most in a month since 2003. all of which is worrying news for britain’s small businesses and the government. hence the department for business, enterprise and regulatory reform (berr) recently announced the measures listed in the table below.
In addition, hub directors throughout the enterprise hub network are available to lend advice and support where possible. as martin brassell, director of the aylesbury vale and wycombe hubs, comments, “high potential businesses have to plan particularly carefully in this turbulent period, as their cash burn rates tend to be much higher than the average sme, and new investors are generally reluctant to fund survival rather than growth. the enterprise hub network can offer knowledgeable assistance, which is as useful and important in an economic downturn as it is in more prosperous times.”
a series of new guides written and produced by the Institute of credit management are also likely to be of assistance to businesses seeking to understand their cashflow options, and make sure they are taking all the necessary precautions to protect it. the guides, which can be found at www.creditmanagement.org.uk/berrguides.htm, are concise, easy to understand and designed to give straightforward and speedy cashflow advice with simple checklists and top tips.
as martin concludes, “hubs exist to support, encourage and help developing enterprises to achieve high growth. many of our client companies take years, not months, to build up to the point where they can start trading. In the current climate it’s particularly important to ensure businesses take all the necessary measures to look after the basic essentials, and none is more important than cashflow. so even if cash doesn’t appear to be an issue right now, reading these guides now could be time well spent.”
14
technologyorganisationscanapplyforagrantforapartialcontributiontoprojectcostscarriedoutinpartnershipwithabusiness.
Thebusinessistheninvoicedforthebalance.They’reperfectforSMEswithgrowthpotentialtobenefitfromtheexpertiseofacademics”SimonassistedSianwithherapplicationforaKTPthateventuallyledtoaplaceinBusinessPlus, aSEEDAfundedprogrammesimilartoaKTPthatfostersfirstinteractionbetweenbusinessesand aknowledgebasepartner,inSian’scase,GreenwichUniversity.
UnderBusinessPlus,SianmetJulieCrenn, afoodtechnologygraduateintheNRIatGreenwichUniversity,andhandedheratoughbrief.“Sianwantedtoincreasetheshelflifeofthefudgewithoutalteringanyotheraspectoftheproduct.Shedidn’twanttochangethelook,texture,colourortaste”clarifiesJulie.ThismadeJulie’sjobthatmuchharderbutsheveryquicklydismissedtheideaofpackaging.“PackagingisalwaysgoingtobeexpensiveandIsoonrealisedthatfudgeisinfluencedbyahugenumberoffactors:temperature,humidity,theflavouringredientandeventhetimeofdayit’smade.ManipulatinganyoneofthesemightbringaboutthechangetoshelflifeSianwasafter.”
BasedattheCanterburystore,Juliewouldtestbatchafterbatch,changingrecipeingredients,amountsandcombinationstoproducenewresults.Afterawhile,Julieformedahunchthatthesolutionrestedwiththesugarspresentinfudge.“SugarisanaturalpreservativesoIsuspectedIcouldaltertheshelflifebychangingthesugarcomposition.”Morethanthat,Julie’skeepingmumasshefinallyhituponarecipe thatproducedashelflifeof3weeks. Sianisdelighted.
“We’vethoroughlytestedthenewrecipeandI’vesentJulieroundallthestorestoteachthemit.”
“It’scausedquitearipplethroughoutthebusinessassomeofmymanagershavebeenwithmesincethebeginning,makingtheirfudgetothetraditionalrecipe“Butnowthey’realluptospeed,eachshopiseffectivelyawholesalesupplieraswellasaretailenvironment.I’veestimatedthere’sa3to4percentincrementalincreaseinprofitforeachshop.”
SimonDale’sinvolvementwithFudgeKitchenhasn’tendedwithSian’ssuccessfulapplicationtoBusinessPlus.Asaportfoliocompany,SimonhasintroducedSiantoKeithSmith,aformerBird’sEyeDirectorofSalesandMarketingandSian’smentor.She’sfoundKeith’smarketingknowledgeinvaluable,particularlyintandemwiththeDunnhumbymarketintelligencedatathatSimonhasalsoprovidedSianaccessto. Siandescribeswhatithasmeant,“It’sreallyhelpedmeunderstandfudgebuyers’habits andthemarketasawhole.”Theintroduction ofDunnhumbydata,whichisreallyTescoClubCarddatabase,hashelpedchangeSian’sthoughtsabouthowtocreatethewholesaleoperation.“originally,Ithoughtwholesalewouldmeancentralisingproductiontosupplyvolumetothesupermarkets.Butnow,havingworkedwiththeFoodHub,we’rekeepingmanufacturinginstoreandsupplyingsmaller,localoutletssuchasdelis,famers’marketsandcafes.It’sabetterfitwithourphilosophyofincludingquality,fresh,naturalingredientsandprovidinganexperiencearoundtheproduct,”saysSian.
ItwouldappearthepartnershipwithGreenwichandworkingwithJuliehasreallyfiredSianup.
“I’vegotloadsofideas.Nowwecansuccessfullymanufactureforthewholesalemarketitopensupallsortsofpossibilities,likeMakeAtHomeKits,”enthusesSian.“AndI’vealreadygotJulieworkingonathirdgenerationrecipewithanevenlongershelflifefortheexportmarket.”
Clearly,FudgeKitchenisinagreatposition tomoveforwardandgrowthebusiness.Key tothesuccessofanyKTPisthecommitmentdemonstratedbybothSianandJulie.Sianexplainsfurther“Juliehasbecomeoneofus,oneoftheteam.She’sworkedoutoftheCanterburystore,managingherresearchamongthedailyproductionfortheshopwhilethestafftherehasfullyembracedwhatshewasattemptingtodo.”
GoodprojectmanagementisalsoessentialforthesuccessofanyKTP.“Juliecanwritemanualsforbreakfast!”ravesSian.“She’sbroughtalot oforganisationthroughcomplianceinourproductionprocess.Stuffweweredoingbeforebutneverrecorded.It’smadeusfarmoreprofessionalasamanufacturingoutfit.”
SimonDaleseesplentyofsuccessinthepartnership,too.“Giveabusinessknowledgeandincreasedlearning,addmarketintelligenceandyoucanopenupnewroutestomarketandcreategreatergrowth.That’spreciselywhatFudgeKitchenhasdone.”CertainlyforFudgeKitchen,it’sonehellofarecipe.
For more information: www.foodhub.co.uk Hub Portfolio Director: Simon Dale [email protected]
contRol YouR casHFlow BEFoREITCoNTRoLSyoU!
Manybusinessesareprofitablewhentheygounder.Alackofliquidity,oftenbroughtaboutbypoorcashflowmanagement,usuallystrikesthedeathknellforabusiness.Astheeconomytripsintorecession,assalesslowandcreditbecomesincreasinglyscarce,companiesneedtothinkmorecarefullythaneveraboutwaystosmoothoutthepeaksandtroughsandensureasteadystream ofincome.
Themistakemanybusinessesmanagersmakeistothinkthere’slittletheyoranybodyelsecandotoimprovetheircashflow.Fortunately,there’saplethoraofsupportandadviceavailableforSMEs,includinganewrangeofguidesfromtheInstituteofCreditManagement.
•Banksaccessinggovernmentcapitalsupportwill commit to maintain the availability and active marketing of competitively priced lending to smes at a level at least equivalent to that of 2007. a new small business finance forum will bring lenders and the business community together.
•CentralGovernmentwillpayallbillswithin10 days, and work to speed payments across the public and private sector.
•BusinessLinkwillprovidefreeHealthchecks for all businesses on demand: hands on advice from qualified experts to help identify problems early and survive in the current financial climate.
•ThroughTraintoGain,SMEsinEngland can now access extra support to ensure employees have the skills and business knowledge they need.
InstituteofCreditManagementguides onmanagingcashflowcanbereadanddownloadedfrom: www.creditmanagement.org.uk/berrguides.htm
BUSINESSADVICE
16 17Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
siptel is a new generation, independent It, voice and data solutions company providing fully converged solutions to businesses. some of their customers include tuI, rothschild’s bank, 2012 and battersea power station. what’s more, siptel is a certified partner for manufacturers such as avaya, cisco and microsoft. all of which has been established in a little over four years’ trading. so what’s siptel’s secret? founder and owner steve rasmussen says he started out on the right foot. “we actually set up in november 2003, five months before we started trading. but that was deliberate. we had invested our own money and wanted to establish all the systems we required first. come april 2004 when we started trading, we didn’t just have all our internal process systems and infrastructure in place but also our branding, business plan, website, servers, everything. you name it, we had it in place before the company even had a customer.” steve’s approach was obviously comprehensive and thorough, adopted from his corporate background “you can do it with little planning and preparation,” steve continues, “and some people do it off the back of an order, but we deal with mid to corporate to enterprise businesses, they’ll see through anything that’s not quite right.”
hyundai engineering & construction, a five billion dollar business, was siptel’s first customer; a piece of business that immediately put them among corporate clients. “we got to implement, support and set up hyundai’s london office,” says steve. but exactly how did siptel secure such a win? “we took our proposition out to a number of potential customers. people with a real drive to want our services,” explains steve. “It was about sales, getting in and talking to people.” but surely, once you’ve opened a door, you need a good presentation? “you can’t mention you’re a start-up. you’re selling the entity of what you’ve just set up,” explains steve.
steve had done his research, though. “start-ups in our business tend to target the smaller end of the market, the smes, small one and two man bands. we took up a different market position
and targeted larger, corporate clients because we knew this area would offer us greater potential for growth,” reveals steve. “the way I see it, every customer has to be a reference customer.”
having got the first corporate customer, steve set about developing the business and ensuring siptel sustained its growth. “I had to build the right team around me. that was the most critical part of our growth to date.” siptel makes a point of using the technology it recommends to customers. so ensuring members of staff understand the systems and products siptel sells is vital. steve goes on, “we actually use all the enterprise grade equipment ourselves. this shows the customer we really understand the technology that we’re delivering. we always say we’ve implemented, used, broken, fixed and lived with the latest technology. It’s a real differentiating factor for us. so much so, customers actually relish the position we’re in, using the technology that we actually use.”
understanding the technology, presenting the solutions in a professional and correct manner gives siptel’s customers great confidence. that siptel is not a huge corporate itself, also benefits the business, as steve outlines. “we can move very quickly. our agility and speed out guns all our competition.” a fact that is as much to do with their mentality, as it is their size. as steve puts it, “I don’t take no for an answer!”
steve first came across the enterprise hub network when he was looking for premises. “I was looking to locate somewhere in the m4/a3 corridor. the surrey technology centre was attractive because of its proximity to the enterprise hub and a network of small businesses. I envisaged support that was crucial to setting up
and running the business.” steve continues, “I had never run my own business before. It wasn’t my background. the hub has assisted and helped me with certain questions that I’ve had while setting up.”
siptel is now a portfolio company within the surrey hub and has received support as and when steve has felt the need. “we don’t have a dedicated marketing manager but wanted to do some pr and build useful press relationships. the hub assisted by introducing us to a pr expert and allowing us to work with him,” says steve. but the hub has played a more general role, too. mike lunch, surrey’s hub director explains, “steve would be the first to admit the people he’s met within the hub have many more year’s experience than he does when it comes to running a business. so he’s found it very useful to be able to ask how he should approach certain issues. It’s not full time mentoring, it’s not part time mentoring but support as and when steve needs it.”
Going forward, siptel is in a strong position despite the recent downturn in the economy. currently experiencing 300% growth, an incredible figure for such a young company, steve explains why he’s optimistic. “we’ve zero debt, cash in the bank and overheads covered by recurring revenues.” so has he got any tips for other start-ups trying to secure that big contract? “you can’t attack all the big players without some of the smaller players. you have to start somewhere to bring in revenue and to secure cashflow.” but at the end of the day, steve’s personality is what drives the success of the business. “I have a very positive mindset. but I’m also a pragmatist as you can’t be over confident or over zealous. otherwise you can make a foul mess. you must take your time and a methodical approach.”
PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT!
for any start-up or sme, winning and keeping customers is all important. but when you’re small and resources and budgets are tight, how do you open the doors of the large corporate customers? when you’ve little or no track record and trust is yet to be established, how do you break into the big league? particularly when smaller clients are more plentiful and seemingly easier to pick off. siptel and netociety are two portfolio companies at the surrey enterprise hub with enviable client lists having been successfully punching above their weight.
STEVE RASmUSSEN, founder and owner, sIptel lImIted
“Start-upsinourbusinesstendto targetthesmallerendofthemarket,theSMEs,smalloneandtwomanbands.Wetookupadifferentmarketpositionandtargetedlarger,corporateclientsbecauseweknewthisareawouldofferusgreaterpotentialgrowth”
19
stephen danelutti worked in large, blue chip companies until he set up netociety, a company that supplies social software to businesses to aid communication and collaboration with staff and customers. stephen picks up the story, “most large companies experience problems with people not working well together. rather, they work in silos.” motivated by an interest in technology, stephen started getting into the Internet. stephen continues, “the Internet, in the beginning, tended to be a broadcast medium, little more than an online brochure. I was really interested in the Internet beyond that and how it might work as an interactive platform.”
stephen’s job before netociety was at sony. “my role moved into the area of collaboration. I set up a crm programme and worked with technologies to help the brand interact externally with customers and internally with employees.” stephen liked what he saw. “I identified an opportunity for a new breed of lightweight, social and web-based solutions, so I left sony and set up netociety with three others.”
netociety immediately started working with large, corporate clients. “we started by reselling technology. free and open source social software, applications and platforms, and customising them for clients.” sony, thales, british airways and british american tobacco feature among netociety’s client list. “we target large companies as they’re the ones with the greatest challenges and opportunities, with poor communication and the inefficiencies this creates. and they have lots of customers they wish to communicate effectively with where the web is a key component in their customers’ lives,” says stephen.
stephen discovered the surrey enterprise hub while searching the Internet for general start-up information. netociety was invited to become a portfolio company and was assigned a mentor, david halliwell, who is now a shareholder and supports the company in various areas. stephen
has appreciated the networking opportunities and particularly his relationship with portfolio director malcolm loucks. as stephen explains, “I really enjoy the networking events. they cover a wide range of topics, from sales to Ip and funding, which is where malcolm has added so much to our business.” stephen continues, “we’ve recently applied for some contingency finance that malcolm made us aware of and has helped us apply for. the process couldn’t have been smoother and that’s largely down to malcolm.”
the hub has played a far more significant role in the growth of netociety, too. as malcolm says, netociety weren’t the ideal hub company to start with. “when mike lunch the hub director first met netociety they didn’t fit all the criteria for a hub company. we work with high growth companies that have an idea that can be commercialised. netociety were resellers, tailoring existing technologies, albeit for large corporates.” through some open and honest conversations, the hub team suggested a new direction for netociety. malcolm continues, “we floated the idea of netociety developing their own product. vc money is often dependent upon strong Ip and it makes the company more scalable.” stephen and his team had already thought along these lines. “we would have gone this way anyway,” says stephen. “but it has happened a lot quicker being challenged by the enterprise hub.”
halvr, netociety’s new social networking platform built on very flexible and scalable architecture, is the result of those discussions. as stephen puts it, “halvr has a lot of the core components, widgets, plugins, mashups, etc. that are added in very flexible and extendible ways.” stephen continues, “halvr allows customers to develop and tailor a platform to answer their particular needs, and facilitates subsequent further development should a customer want it.”
stephen explains the benefit to businesses. “In the past, enterprise 1.0 software vendors created and embedded features and functions in their applications that they thought would support their customers’ operations. customers and users, often under direct control of an It department, where told what to use and how with very little flexibility to change features and functions.” stephen goes on to explain where halvr has
improved upon the situation. “enterprise 2.0 software, so labeled as it is based on some core web 2.0 principles, can be molded around people and processes more easily. therefore, the user is in control and can easily change features and functions to adapt to increasingly changing business requirements. by virtue of its flexible architecture and extendibility, halvr takes this breed of software to even greater heights.”
halvr uses social software that social networking sites such as facebook already use but with one crucial difference. stephen explains, “whereas facebook and other social networking sites are public platforms, halvr operates trusted networking that’s robust, secure and customisable.” for malcolm, this was the key. “If you’re targeting ftse 100 companies as stephen is, trusted networking is vital for businesses as security of data is paramount.”
stephen has two halvr trials for high profile customers already underway, which at this stage cannot be mentioned specifically. but just how is netociety getting a foot in the door? “we use a lot of the technology we sell,” says stephen. “I’m forever blogging and webcasting, getting our story out there, networking with people and now people are starting to approach us.”
a recent report released by forrester research on the 20 april 2008 has predicted that enterprise spending on collaborative software technologies is going to increase over the next five years. this increase will include more spending on social networking tools, mashups and rss, with the end result being a global enterprise market of $4.6 billion by 2013. “our challenge is to gear up and scale up to meet that demand,” says stephen. If that involves further collaboration with big companies, manufacturers and even the enterprise hub, netociety is in for a rosy future. after all, collaboration is their strength.
STEPHEN DANElUTTI, founder and manaGInG dIrector, netocIety lImIted
Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
“Wetargetlargecompaniesasthey’retheoneswiththegreatestproblems,withpoorcommunicationandtheinefficienciesthiscreates.Andtheyhavelotsofcustomerstheywishtocommunicateeffectivelywith.”
Formoreinformation: www.surreyhub.co.uk HubDirector:MikeLunch [email protected]
20 21Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
TheEnterpriseHubNetworkisabouttoundergoanexcitingandsignificantchange.Aspartofthegovernment’sgoaltostreamlinepubliclyfundedsupportschemesby2010andclarifybusinesssupport,SEEDAisinvitingapplicationsfromsub-regionalpartnershipstoformacomprehensivenetworkofeightInnovation&GrowthTeams.Thesenew,responsiveteamswillfocusongrowthareasintheregionandwillfusethecurrentrangeofbusinesssupportactivity.Innovation&GrowthTeamswilldelivertargetedspecialistsupporttoaidthegrowthofbusinessesandultimatelytheeconomicprosperityoftheSouthEast.Theimprovementsalsoinvolveabroader,moredynamicapproachtopromotinginnovationandgrowth.MarilynHuckerby,HeadofBusinessInnovation andGrowthatSEEDA,highlightstheopportunitiesforbusinessesthroughout theregion.
Why introduce new and streamlined Innovation & Growth Teams?
“the change unifies various strands of funded support for businesses with high growth potential into one cohesive, regional network of Innovation & Growth teams. each team will comprise of high calibre people with very credible business experience and will better represent use of this expertise, knowledge and best practice sharing and accelerate businesses through the growth stages, from start up to corporate. Innovation & Growth teams will focus intensive support on 2000 businesses with very high growth potential, to maximise their impact on the economy.”
Innovation & Growth Teams will work with new definitions of innovation and growth. What exactly are these definitions and how do they improve upon current understanding?
“the new definitions of ‘innovation’ and ‘growth’ are broader in order to better target high growth potential. the new ‘innovation’ definition doesn’t just cover high technology products but also new ways of doing things. for example, amazon developed a new business model that is enabled by technology to sell consumer goods. anita roddick, founder of body shop, came up with the concept of developing ethical cosmetics and selling them through a high street retail chain. these are both examples of business innovation. the aim is to generate greater revenue from new or significantly improved products and services. this will come from new business models, going into new markets and developing new processes. the new definition of ‘innovation’ is from the Government’s Innovation strategy: ‘Innovation nation’ (march 2008).”
Innovation is the successful exploitation of new ideas. this recognises the importance of the creative spark, new knowledge and new ways of thinking. “new” in this context can be new to the sector or the organisation, taking an idea from another context and adapting it to another. Improvements in products, services and quality often come from innovations in business processes, models, marketing and enabling technologies. Innovation happens in all service and manufacturing sectors and in the public and third sectors.
The new Innovation & Growth Teams will be formed by sub-regional partnerships. But what’s a sub-regional partnership?
“sub-regional partnerships are local organisations, from both the public and private sector, that come together to support local high growth businesses in order to build a strong local economy. they will be lead by a business champion but will involve the knowledge base (universities, research centres etc), business link, local authorities
INNOVATION & GROWTH TEAmS INNOVATION & GROWTH TEAmS. THE FUTURE SUPPORT FOR INNOVATIVE COmPANIES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH EAST
and economic partnerships. they will all share a vision and common interest in developing the economy through targeted support of high growth businesses.”
What will the new Innovation & Growth Teams strive to achieve?
“first and foremost, Innovation & Growth teams will build local communities of innovation, peer groups of innovative businesses connected into the knowledge base, industry sectors and market specialists. each team will work with 250 businesses, connecting a community of 2000 businesses across the region. their overall target is to increase the revenue generated by new or significantly improved products and services. they will be charged with engaging with businesses that possess the characteristics to grow dramatically. their performance will be assessed on the amount of funding that the supported companies are able to raise in order to drive innovation and growth. consequently, Innovation & Growth teams will measure the effects of the investment of time, specialist knowledge, funds and connections by calculating Increase in Gross value add, which is the public sector way of showing increase in economic activity and incorporates revenue generation and number of employees.”
How will Innovation & Growth Teams deliver against these goals?
“a dedicated set of experienced people will identify companies with growth potential where there is some perceived barrier or challenge that is holding them back (i.e. they are not steaming ahead on their own). referrals will come from a multitude of sources: business link, local partners, through local networking events, seminars, local authorities and any organisation that has contact with local businesses. Innovation & Growth teams will provide a tailored package of support to get the businesses over or around their barrier (often applying an innovative solution) in order to accelerate their growth and embed new ways of thinking and sound business growth principles. this is highly targeted support facilitated by a number of extremely credible people with huge experience in creating and growing businesses or successfully developing and launching new products. In addition, businesses will benefit hugely from networking and peer group interaction.”
Businesses within the Innovation & Growth teams will benefit from ‘communities of innovation’. What, in this context, is a community?
“Innovation & Growth teams will see communities as a local network that brings innovative businesses, the knowledge base and business support practitioners together. the activity will focus on knowledge transfer, developing commercial opportunities, collaboration to deliver commercial outcomes, identifying new business opportunities, developing business leadership and innovation skills, developing innovative solutions to address local economic issues.”
Business link will play a new and more active role under the new, streamlined structure of business support. How will this change the way entrepreneurs and growth businesses access support?
“the government’s business support simplification programme (bssp) is a national redeployment of publicly funded business support that was launched two years ago. the aim is to rationalise the number of different products and services in order to make the support structure less confusing. It’ll also allow funding of this activity to be more targeted and cost effective. the department of business enterprise & regulatory reform (berr) and the department of Innovation, universities & skills (dIus) working with the regional development agencies have 30 products/services that will be rolled out over the next 12 months under the rationalisation. business link will be the primary access point so all marketing material around this simplified portfolio of products/services will have business link as the initial contact point. their role is then to provide information, diagnose and determine what the key issue is and then broker the businesses to the most appropriate support whether this is publicly funded or from the private sector. for high growth potential businesses in the seeda region, business link will direct companies to Innovation & Growth teams.”
What are the benefits of the change to Innovation & Growth Teams for a business currently receiving support from their local Enterprise Hub?
“most companies will still fit the criteria around high growth potential and will continue to receive support such as mentoring, coaching, specialist advice and the opportunity to network with businesses further along the development and growth path. the local Innovation & Growth team will have more capacity and expertise in house than the current enterprise hubs, so an even richer vein of support for businesses to access.
Given the size of Innovation & Growth teams and the expertise available, support for businesses will be more intensive than previously under the enterprise hub network. targeted businesses will possess the greatest growth and value potential. consequently, a community of success and progression will percolate throughout Innovation & Growth teams, fostering cross-fertilisation of ideas and best business practice. raising the levels of collaboration and knowledge transfer within industries and across market sectors will also better support the use of open innovation throughout the south east’s business community, and further enhance growth. the teams will represent a new, publicly funded service that will provide an integrated platform of support to a wide range of businesses seeking to access new markets, to introduce new products and services and to grow their operations within the sub-region.”
Where will businesses with high growth potential go to find an Innovation & Growth Team?
“there will be eight teams strategically located across the region. they will be focused on places where the key drivers of innovation, like business clusters and the knowledge hubs, come together. any business that fits the high growth criteria will either be in one of these locations or will be close enough to for them to actively engage in the networks and receive relevant support. when the teams are in place they will all have local contact points but it will also be possible to reach them via business link, in their role as the primary access channel for publicly funded business support.”
Where can business leaders throughout the South East find further information about the changes?
“your local enterprise hub director will be able to keep you up to date on progress towards the formation of Innovation & Growth teams. they’ll also be able to explain in more detail what the added benefits to the high growth business community will be.
To find the contact details for your nearest Enterprise Hub visit: www.enterprisehubnetwork.co.uk
22
ASK THE EXPERTTHE ImPORTaNCE Of maRKETINg.
marketing is widely aCknowledged as a key part of business suCCess. without it, efforts to attraCt Customers, Create demand and enhanCe relationships with existing Customers are likely to be ChaotiC and ineffiCient. marketing, however, is rarely part of an entrepreneur’s Cv. moreover, the perCeived Cost is often prohibitive. in the first of a regular series, we plaCe hub direCtors, their knowledge and expertise under the miCrosCope and examine their talents in a partiCular field. first up, marketing.
KenmovedtotheUKfromCanadatostudyattheUniversityofSussex.SubsequentopportunitiestostayandworkintheUKledto17yearsinmarketingcommunications,mostlyatleadingadvertisinganddirectmarketingagenciessuchasogilvy&MatherandTBWA.In1998,KenjoinedSyzygyLondon,asmallInternetdevelopmentcompanywhere,asCommercialDirector,hehelpedgrowtheLondonbusinessfrom£1mto£6mturnover.
kEN DUECkhub dIrector Isle of wIGht
What exactly is a marketing plan and why is it so important to a business?
“a marketing plan is a unique tool as it forces a business to understand their potential customer base: who they are, what they want, how many there might be, what they’ll pay and how to reach them. the work that goes into a marketing plan is essential for understanding how valuable a business might become, what the best routes to market are and what investment is required to reach this market.”
What role does a marketing strategy play within a marketing plan?
“a marketing strategy is essential for prioritising how a particular business will seek to compete on the grounds of its particular competitive advantages within its marketplace.”
What is the difference between marketing and advertising?
“advertising is about communicating a business’s product or service benefits to the target market and generating enquiries and sales. marketing covers a much wider range of activities that are relevant to identifying the target market, understanding what they need and will pay, who the competition are and how to reach, influence and interact with that target market.”
How can customers and their needs be identified?
“to find your customers, find out who’s buying something similar to what you offer. understand your competitors and their customers. there are many research routes to identifying potential markets. some involve fairly straightforward desk research but you can also undertake face-to-face research with potential customers. If you’re already in business with a customer base, get everyone in the business to listen to customer complaints or frustrations to find out where you might be able offer solutions. you can never know enough about your customers and their behaviour.”
Is a USP still relevant?
“a unique selling proposition or usp is still relevant today but it may not be a single feature/benefit of a product or service. It may be a combination of features and benefits. It could be, for example, a combination of quality and service, or functionality and design. every business needs to understand what its competitive advantage or advantages are and then capitalise on them.”
What parts of the marketing mix should be employed?
“as a rule, a business should use the routes and methods that provide the most cost-effective return on investment. bear in mind, however, that the most cost-effective approach overall will almost always be a combination of routes and methods that reinforce each other.”
What should an advertising, design or PR agency deliver?
“a good agency should deliver commitment to your business, understanding of your business and your target markets/stakeholders and creativity that helps your business to stand out from your competitors.”
What is the importance of a brand?
“a brand is the recognisable character of a product, service or business. to compete effectively, this ought to be a positive, attractive character, based on verifiable product or service experiences. without actively projecting this character, you will not stand out in the market place, nor will you give prospective customers the confidence to trial your products or services. an attractive brand also needs to be based on coherent values and qualities otherwise customers, prospective customers and commentators will doubt your trustworthiness. finally, you can’t escape having a perceived character so make sure it’s a character you want to be associated with!”
How important is an effective website?
“a website has become an essential item of corporate credibility. a company doesn’t have to have every fashionable web application going but think carefully about how your customers/enquirers/trialists would expect to be able to interact with your business online. then execute the appropriate level of technology with good design, high levels of usability and robustness.”
Assuming a business has never run a marketing campaign, how and where should it start?
“It really depends on where you need to get to! have you done your marketing plan and agreed your strategy? use experts to help you with high quality execution in the areas of sales, advertising, pr, websites etc. If your funding is really tight, find friends or relations with expertise to test out your ideas first.”
Is there free advice on and funding for marketing that a start up or SmE can apply for?
“there is free advice available from enterprise hub directors, many have extensive marketing backgrounds, and online from business link and other sources. In recent years, quite a few web sites were launched in both the us and the uK to promote entrepreneurship and business start-ups and these often have some basic guidance and tools. the commercialisation loan fund managed by finance south east is one source of funding that can help businesses pay for the launch of new products or services.”
For further information on the worlds of advertising, design and marketing, why not visit the industries’ governing body’s own websites:
Institute of Practitioners in Advertising: www.ipa.co.uk Design Business Association: www.dba.org.uk Chartered Institute of marketing: www.cim.co.uk Direct marketing Association: www.dma.org.uk
24 25Hub magaZine winteR 2008/09 www.enteRpRiseHubnetwoRk.co.uk
“virtually all firms start out as what I would call artisan businesses. by that, I mean companies are set-up by someone who has a particular skill, profession or trade. In their early days, artisan entrepreneurs spend most of their time producing their product or delivering their service. I used to fall asleep in my clothes, wake in the middle of the night, brew a fresh pot of tea and continue working. like all artisans, I loved what I was doing.
however, artisan businesses don’t tend to grow very large because the management skills are generally weak and little time is devoted to planning. In short, us artisans need support. but this nation is appalling when it comes to looking after its artisan.
since 1945, over half of all successful inventions originated from britain, only a fifth from the usa and just a twentieth from Japan. but look at who benefits. approximately 56% of all Japan’s exports are based on british inventions. the ideas of artisans.
take my own experience. the clockwork radio is manufactured in south africa because many british firms rejected my idea. and the situation is only going to get worse as first china then India and emerging nations such as brazil and mexico master the act of low-cost manufacturing.
If uK plc is to stop losing its entitlement to the innovations of its entrepreneurs its got to stand by us more. the first thing it should do is make it easier to protect ideas. entrepreneurs should have the same automatic rights to copyright as songwriters and authors. It would also help if the government made ndas (non disclosure agreements) de rigueur, so that an entrepreneur could refuse to reveal his or her invention to a corporate without one. that’s what I offer through trevor baylis brands. and I know the enterprise hub network does a lot of work in this area with its companies.
making it easier to protect ideas is only part of the improvements, though. If we’re really going to benefit from our innovations as a nation and ensure that ideas conceived in britain are developed here and generate jobs and benefits for the economy, we have to create a love
of invention: an academy of Invention. pupils would be taught the rise of britain as a great trading and manufacturing nation. It would place an emphasis on woodwork, metalwork, engineering and design, and look at the history and development of historically important inventions such as the clock, the steam engine and the internal combustion engine, and require students to actually make them. It would also plot the development of taking a good idea and proceeding to prototype, patent and manufacturing. If you don’t agree with me, consider this. of the world’s ten largest corporations by revenue, nine make big, heavy things. like cars or ships’ turbines or computer hardware or consumer electronics. these companies rely on their engineering and their technology for their wealth. only one, wal-mart, is a service company. look at the most profitable companies and again the facts speak for themselves. In the top ten, only three are service companies.
It is starting to happen. britain is becoming a nation of inventors and the number of people submitting ideas for patents in the uK has never been higher. but we’ve got to do more. we must get invention into our schools, colleges and universities and teach ‘invention’ as part of their curriculum. there are those who say you cannot teach invention, but I say to them, but then surely you cannot teach art! you can teach: history of invention; inventors and what happened to them; intellectual property; the importance of patents; and business plans and prototypes. If you can have bachelors of art why not bachelors of invention? they say art is pleasure and invention is treasure and this country has to recognise that. If a small fortune can be spent on dead sheep in formaldehyde then a little more can be spent on inventors.
Inventors have the most extraordinary ability to change all our lives both socially and commercially. If the uK is to survive, then it must pay tribute to those ordinary guys and girls with their great ideas.
LAST WORDSBAYLISOUR gUEST EDITOR COmmENTS ON ISSUES affECTINg BUSINESS NETWORKS THIS aUTUmN.
TEACHERS ARE THE mOTHERS OF INVENTION!
TrevorBaylisoBEneedslittleintroduction.Inavariedandcolourfulcareer,Trevorhasachievedmuch. HehasrepresentedBritainatswimming,servedinthearmy,establishedsuccessfulbusinessesand,ofcourse,inventednumerousingeniousproductsmostprominentlyin1994whenhisClockworkRadioshottoprominence.Trevorhasalsosufferedthroughhispassiontocreatenewandmeaningfulproducts.ThedifficultpathtoprogressisafamiliaroneforTrevor.He’sbeenrejected,ignored,ripped-offandstolenfrominthepast.Today,TrevorBaylisBrandsexiststohelpevaluate,protectandcommercialiseinventors’newideas.But,asthefirstofourGuestEditors,Trevorarguesthere’splentymorethecountrycandotosupport itsentrepreneurs.
SPOTLIGHTBEAMING
well connected
by the time sonia blizzard left her role at bt she had had enough of the corporate world. “one has to be seen to be working at bt,” sonia explains. “plus, I was very ambitious. but I got to a point where I thought, why am I working so hard for shareholders I rarely see in an organisation with a philosophy that’s different to mine?”
starting beaming allowed sonia to control her work/life balance better and put into practise the ideas she valued. “I could never understand why bt never used the technology it sold. how is that a recommendation? at beaming, we only sell the technology we advocate using ourselves.” but sonia’s experience of the big company corporation has influenced more than her range of products. “our customers know our staff by name. what’s more, every employee has a voice and is free to suggest things that might change and improve the way we do business,” sonia offers. “I always felt my voice was lost at bt.”
sonia was responsible for the outsourcing of some of bt’s large contracts. she took this experience directly into the creation of beaming. Initially, sonia ran everything from her garden shed and outsourced the call centre function. her first introduction to the east sussex enterprise hub came with the need for a virtual address. “I popped in and out of the media centre collecting my mail and noticed the hub, who has its offices there, offered a free marketing clinic.” sonia continues, “I had been running some local press advertising that really wasn’t working for me, which is no surprise because I knew nothing about marketing,” confesses sonia. the marketing clinic
gave sonia some priceless advice and even managed to secure some free pr coverage in the local newspaper, activity that worked far more effectively than the advertising sonia had been paying for. “after the marketing clinic, the hub assigned a mentor to me and the business for six months. they had a marketing background and really helped me overhaul that side of the business,” sonia explains.
“Goodmentoringisnotproviding theanswers.It’screatingthespace forSonia,orwhoeveritisI’mworking with,todotheirthinking.”
paul sayers was sonia’s mentor and was immediately impressed. “nobody knows beaming better than sonia. she’s got great experience and runs a pretty tight ship. my role was always to ask questions from a third party perspective. then allow sonia the time and space to think it through.” paul adds, “Good mentoring is not providing the answers. It’s creating the space for sonia, or whoever it is I’m working with, to do their thinking.”
paul is excited about the direction sonia has taken beaming, as he explains. “when I first met sonia, beaming was very competitive on price. but then the competition dropped their prices and suddenly sonia needed to differentiate beaming again. Given the consumer market is dominated by the likes of bt and vodafone, sonia had to find an alternative strategy to price as she was never going to match them.” sonia’s response was to concentrate on another valuable connection, with
her business customers. “sonia’s solution was to provide fantastic business support. beaming, as a small, friendly, agile company, can add great value in that area of the market,” recalls paul.
the hub has played an additional, even more fundamental role for sonia. “working from my garden shed, running my own business I felt quite cut off, quite lonely. I missed the interaction I was familiar with at bt. the hub provided that. I met people from different backgrounds who had created very different businesses to mine but who faced exactly the same kind of problems as I did.” sonia continues, “I felt I could conquer the world when I started out, like every entrepreneur does. people at the hub said it’d be tough, but go for it. others I met at the hub matched my enthusiasm and excitement. It became my support network, fuelling me with ideas. the hub really had my best interests going forward.”
sonia is currently on the high Growth coaching programme funded by seeda and provided by the enterprise hub network. the programme assigns a coach to sonia for a period of intensive assistance and requires sonia to form a new and productive relationship with her coach. Given sonia’s record and the fact that the word ‘beaming’ actually refers to communication between two wireless devices, it seems she’ll be ok. connections are sonia’s thing, after all.
SoniaBlizzardrunsBeaming,anicheInternetservicesprovidersupplyinghighqualityvoiceanddataproductstobusinessesandconsumers.Soperhapsyou’dexpectSoniatobewellconnected.Butstartingandrunningyourownbusiness,regardlessofthemarketitoperatesin,canbealonelyjob.SoniahasdevelopedarelationshipwithherlocalEnterpriseHubinHastingsthatstartedbychanceandnow,likeBeaming,growseverstronger.
Formoreinformation: www.trevorbaylisbrands.com
Formoreinformation: HubDirector:JimChristy, EastSussexEnterpriseHub