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Meet the Customers: The UK Foodhall Ltd

June 18th, 2010

Karen's website shows off all those awards!

The HSBC Start-Up Star Awards are coming soon, with lots of small businesses and entrepreneurs vying for the top spot.

At the same time, we’ve introduced a new segment – Meet the Customers, where we profile companies and business owners, passing their valuable advice and experience on to you.

But a funny thing happened when we contacted Karen McQuade of the UK Foodhall Ltd.

It turns out that Karen is the HSBC Start-Up Star of 2009!

As well as the UK Foodhall Ltd collecting awards as a supplier, a start-up and a local business, Karen has also won an award for her achievements as a businesswoman.

We thought that she’d be the perfect customer to speak to about her experiences running a company – and now we can also find out what tips she could pass on to us about the HSBC Start-Up Star Awards (and how to win it!).

The UK Foodhall Ltd help connect Local Authorities with British farmers, so that kids get fresh, locally sourced food in their schools. You can contact them on 0845 301 1182 to get more information.

What does your company do?

Our strapline is ‘Great British Food for Great British Kids’ we support British farmers and British manufacturers by providing an assured product range for use in school dinners.

What inspired you to start this business?

I wanted to provide a route to market for the British farmers, and provide Local Authorities with what they wanted, locally procured food.

What made you nominate The UK Foodhall for the Start-Up Star Award?

I am so proud of what we have done and how we have changed our market that I wanted to tell the world! So I nominated us for the HSBC Start-up Star award so that we might gain publicly, we would gain experience in being involved in such a prestigious award, and I hoped we may get to the Semi Finals, so that it would motivate our stakeholders.

What has the experience done for your company?

Winning the HSBC Start-up Star award was wonderful. It was such a brilliant surprise on the night, and has done wonders for our motivation, our brand, our stakeholders and our turnover.

What characteristics do you have that have helped to make your business a success?

Myself and my Business Partner, Robert Clark, are both passionate about our market and making a difference in it. We want to provide clean, healthy, locally produced food to children.

How are you funding your business?

We are funding the company through sales. We do not owe any money to anyone.

What are you most keen to learn that will help you grow your business further?

I am keen to learn more about marketing and PR, we know food, and catering, but perhaps struggle for creative ideas.

Are there any brands, companies or personalities that you most admire or aspire to?

I love the marketing of the brand ‘Innocent’ I love that you can hear their very distinctive voice in every word.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your company?

The biggest challenge is to manage our growth effectively, not to grow too big and not to take on too much.

What is your main goal for your company?

To never let down our customers.

Do you have any advice for people thinking of starting their own business?

Get a good accountant and recruit mentors, everyday’s a schoolday, and people to hold your hand are priceless.

Could you tell us about the other awards that you’ve won?

2008 LACA Outstanding Supplier of the Year

2009 Powys Small Business of the Year

2009 NatWest Everywoman Award

And of course 2009 HSBC Start-up Star!

Where there any stand-out areas that you feel helped you win the awards (any of them!)?

Our turnover is very high for a new company with just 3 staff (6 million pounds) and our business model is very unique, one goes hand in hand with the other. I think this combined with our enthusiasm made us the winners.

Do you have any advice for companies thinking of nominating themselves for awards?

I would advise anyone who is thinking of nominating themselves to just put pen to paper and do it! We have been on an incredible journey as the HSBC Start-up Star, and I know that it’s been a big factor in our growth this year. The judging panel are such a scary prospect, but once you get over your nerves and face them, being interviewed by them makes for a fantastic experience. It’s a chance in a lifetime to have the opportunity to meet such influential businesspeople, and the whole experience is both challenging and fun, but if you win, hold on tight, its one heck of a ride!

Is being a business owner how you expected it to be, or have you had any surprises along the way?

I was not surprised at the hard work, as everyone warned me about that, but I was surprised at what an amazing and exciting journey it would be.

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Meet the Customers: Display Media Solutions Ltd

by: Hannah

June 11th, 2010

www.dmsol.co.uk

Today’s profiled client is Liam Butchers from Display Media Solutions Ltd.

Display Media Solutions are a print and display company which specialises in products for retail, trade and exhibitions.

We asked Liam some questions about his company and experiences of being a business owner, and here’s what he had to say.

You can find Display Media Solutions at www.dmsol.co.uk, or call them on 0845 116 2700.

What does your company do?

Large format print, exhibition materials, display equipment, conference set up, trade shows, supplier of pop-ups and banners.

What makes your business different?

Display Media Solutions was formed because the market has become saturated with foreign ‘knock-offs’. I realised that quality at a good price is what the market doesn’t currently have. In layman’s terms, we offer the very best quality products and prints at the most competitive price in market.

What inspired you to start this business?

It may sound a little cheesy but I genuinely love the industry. When I randomly come across my prints being used it’s a great feeling. I get an amazing buzz out of that.

"My most important bit of advice: know your market"

Have you previously run any other businesses?

I have worked in the industry a long while now, but this is my first ever business venture.

Do you have any staff or partners in your business?

I currently work with a couple of graphic designers and I also work closely with some of the world’s leading manufacturers in display and exhibition products. All my prints are produced using the very best materials available.

What characteristics do you have that will help you make your business a success?

I am a very focused and hardworking individual and have a lot of contacts and experience in my industry. I am under no illusions, I know that it will be tough, but I honestly believe that in life you get out what you put into it.

What are you most keen to learn that will help you grow your business?

I now need a couple of key accounts that I will look after very carefully and nurture and then really build upon that.

Are there any brands, companies or personalities that you most admire or aspire to?

If I am honest I really like Richard Branson and his Virgin brand. I also admire Apple – they have it all, really. Also Alan Sugar is an absolutely fantastic business role model, what he has achieved in his working life is simply incredible.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing your company?

Securing that elusive big contract, that’s it really. I feel that I have everything else in place now, and am ready to win that important client.

Display Media Solutions

Is being a business owner how you expected it to be, or have you had any surprises along the way?

If I am honest it is a lot tougher than I could have ever imagined, the accounting side of things is just mind boggling. I am learning quickly though, it’s interesting how running your own business makes you discover skills you never knew you had.

What is your main goal for your company?

To achieve a million pound turnover within 5 years.

Do you have any advice for people thinking of starting their own business?

Lots of advice and I am more than willing to discuss it with anyone who wants to listen. My most important bit of advice: know your market. That really is the key.

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Lies, damned lies and lies from marketers

by: Hannah

June 4th, 2010

Has a marketing company ever told you they can guarantee you ‘top rank in Google’?

It’s one of the most common phrases in marketing, and it’s very popular with salespeople, mostly because it’s one of those terms that isn’t technically a lie, but certainly doesn’t mean what you think it does.

What you mean by ‘top rank’ is being the first entry for a popular term that describes what you do, but what the salesperson means is being the first entry for a search term that won’t cost them very much money – regardless of whether people are actually searching for it or not.

For example, being ranked first for “inexpensive apparel” doesn’t have the impact of being ranked first for “cheap clothing”, because no-one’s going to be searching the first term anyway.

Everyone wants top ranking in search engines, but top rank for a random term that no-one ever searches isn’t going to get you more business – and that’s the whole point of paying out for marketing in the first place.

An honest online marketer won’t promise you ‘top ranking’, because it’s a meaningless phrase. What you really need from a marketer is a guarantee that they will work to find the most useful terms for your business, terms that balance the cost of the click against the business it brings you.

So beware of marketers promising you top ranking. They might not be lying, but they’re coming damned close.

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How much money is enough?

by: Hannah

May 21st, 2010

How much is enough for you?

Running a business can be damn hard work, but it also brings some pretty massive rewards. One of which is being able to control your own salary!

But entrepreneurs surveyed by Barclays seem to be very relaxed about how much they get paid.

When asked about their priorities for running a company, money was way down the list of most common responses.

It seems that most people are more interested in the autonomy and control that comes with having your own firm, than in the financial rewards. Over half of those surveyed said that having direct control was the biggest motivation in starting a company, and 42% saw it as a way to improve their work/life balance.

But as far as money was concerned, entrepreneurs have very mixed ideas about how much is enough.

Around a quarter of the respondents thought that up to £50,000 was a fair reward for their work, and another quarter considered £39,000 enough.

But 19% stated that taking home just £15,000 was enough to keep them happy.

It just goes to show that for some people, the job you’re doing is as much a reward as the wage you get for it.

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Who is the cheapest?

by: Thomas

April 7th, 2010

cheap cheap cheap cheap

In nearly all industries, there’s a big group of consumers looking for the cheapest option.

Often these consumers are:

more demanding
unappreciative of the product

As a new business owner, often your instinct may be to compete on price. It feels like the right thing to do and it’s an “easy to define” differentiator.

Some of the problem associated with competing on price are these:

You may have to compromise on quality
You may have to compromise on support
You may have to compromise on aftercare
You may have to compromise on customer satisfaction

What does this mean? It means you may have to compromise on the reputation of your brand.

Here are some more reasons not to simply compete on price:

You have to sell high volume to make money
The majority of your (unimaginative) competitors will be looking for ways to undercut you
It will be hard to attract the best staff

Here are some alternatives to being the “cheapest”

Offer the best customer experience (my favourite)
Once you get the first sale, people will start talking about you
Use the best materials
Plenty of people are willing to pay for quality
Provide your service the fastest
We are conditioned to understand that if we want a service quickly, we can expect to pay more
Be the most versatile
Could you work weekends, evenings, holidays?
Be the most ethical or environmental
Lots of socially responsible folks out there.
Be the friendliest / most respectful / courteous / best dressed
Good old fashioned values make customers feel respected and safe
Offer the most personal service
Small companies can adapt their services very quickly and easily to fit the customer
Be the safest option
Lots of people spending other peoples money out there (corporate budgets etc). Criteria number 1? Don’t make them look stupid.
Be the most expensive
There’s a reason you spend so much money on fashion, glasses, cars (or whatever your vice)…people like to show off.

It is of course a nonsense to think you can be the “best” in all areas, but if you pick cheapest, it’s going to be pretty hard to develop your brand reputation in other ways.

My advice is this:

Look at your own strengths (i.e. personality, quality, ethics, speed, etc), and consider “will a small slice of my market sector want it this way”. If the answer is maybe…go for it. Remember, a tiny percentage of most markets will make you a millionaire.

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What makes your business great?

by: Hannah

March 19th, 2010

Free with every Rottweiler

Sometimes people start a company knowing exactly what will make them great, sometimes your greatness evolves naturally out of the sort of business you build and the people you choose to work with it.

But in the end, this is the one question that every single one of your customers wants the answer to.

So think about it.

Is your product the best? Is your service the most reliable? Are you local? Are you the cheapest? Do you provide the highest quality? The most in-depth-knowledge? Are you the friendliest? Do you offer free kittens?

There is something about your business that makes it different, makes it stand out, something it provides that no-one else can.

If you’re too modest to work it out yourself, ask your customers. They will have identified what your unique selling point is, because that’s going to be the reason they chose you.

And once you know, don’t be shy! Tell everyone exactly what makes your business great!

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Keep the cash flowing

by: Hannah

March 5th, 2010

Cash flow is the life-blood of every small business, but it can be difficult to keep the money rolling in – as everyone has clients who can’t/won’t/forget to pay.

Here’s a few ways to keep on top of your invoicing, so you can keep a healthy cash flow.

Be organised

Setting up an invoicing procedure should be one of the first things your company does. A big old spreadsheet of invoice numbers, issue dates, due dates and payment dates could be the simplest and most effective way of keeping track of invoicing. Setting reminders in your calendar for invoice due dates is also very helpful.

Be quick

Invoice promptly. Not only is that good for your business, but it’s also good for your customers. People who receive an invoice for something 2 months after the event are most likely going to have forgotten it ever existed – and no-one likes an unexpected bill!

Stay in touch

As soon as an invoice becomes overdue send out a reminder to your client, keep it relaxed and friendly and just make them aware that they now have to pay. Always include a copy of the invoice in your reminder too, so your clients know exactly what they owe and why.

Don’t be afraid!

Chasing payments isn’t a particularly fun job, but it is rarely unpleasant. Don’t be afraid of asking for the money that is owed to you. But if a customer does get upset, simply try to find out the root of the problem and work it out, offering payment in instalments can often help clients who are strapped for cash.

Use the law

In some extreme circumstances you may have a customer who simply refuses to pay. At this point you may have to use the law to ensure you don’t lose out. Often a simple Letter Before Action is enough to make people pay up.

Organisation and communication are the easiest ways to stay on top of invoicing, and to keep cash flow healthy.

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Making money out of time

by: Hannah

March 4th, 2010

Does time equal money?

John Maynard Keynes predicted that by the year 2000, the average working week would be 15 hours long. Recent studies indicate however, that working hours in the UK have actually risen over the past few years.

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) has proposed a policy for a 21 hour working week, in order to give people “more time to be better parents, better citizens, better carers and better neighbours”.

Going from a 40 hour week to a 21 hour week is a fairly big step, but the NEF’s proposal is for it to be gradually introduced by giving more time off instead of pay rises.

More time to spend with family, take up new interests or simply become active in your local community sounds idyllic, but what effects would it have on the workplace?

To an employer, this is hardly likely to be a popular proposal. Despite the fact that longer working hours doesn’t necessarily mean increased productivity, by nearly halving the length of the working week it’s unlikely that your staff would be able to get everything done. So you’d need more staff.

Good news for the unemployment figures, but more staff means much higher costs for your business. And higher costs would force people to push up prices, so we could expect the cost of living to rise even higher.

As an employee, a 3-day week sounds fantastic, but for new or younger workers being frozen on a starting salary could prevent them from being able to afford to get on the housing ladder or start a family – especially as living costs would most likely become much more expensive.

Or it could have the effect of pushing up wages for new staff, as younger workers would be aware that they wouldn’t be able to progress onto a higher salary – and that would mean another expense for employers.

For older, more established workers this could be a great scheme. Once you’ve achieved a comfortable salary to support yourself and your family, there’s no real need for extra income, so taking time off instead could be a fantastic opportunity.

To me, this scheme seems highly impractical, and one that would only bring benefit to people who are already in secure positions and on a comfortable wage.

For employers it would dampen productivity and push up costs, and workers on low and starting salaries wouldn’t get the opportunity to improve their earnings.

In an ideal world, a 3-day working week would be perfect. But in reality, this would likely be a massively expensive policy that would disproportionately hurt the lowest earners and make hiring so expensive that many business owners might choose not to bother.

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