www.comms-dealer.com
PROFILE
Big on small business
INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS EARLE
continue to take an active
Shunning the new comms
role in Unicom’s graduate
scheme, which the
technologies that are always
company has maintained
on the tips of our tongues, small
despite the economic
climate while other major
business comms provider Unicom
players in the industry have
has recorded significant growth
withdrawn this type of
recruitment,” he observed.
by giving small firms exactly
“Unicom strives to give
what they need, according to
all its graduate recruits a
firm understanding of all
Operations Director, Chris Earle.
aspects of the business
to best enable them to
Chris Earle
develop their careers.”
Corporate Social
U
nicom is the For the year ending April value or cost savings Earle attributes much of Responsibility is an area
trading name 2009, Unicom reported to an average small Unicom’s growth to a that Earle is developing
of Universal pre-tax profits of £11.2 business, citing Unicom’s string of differentiators as Unicom continues to
Utilities, million on a turnover of product kit bag as a win- that come together in a play an active role within
founded in 1998 as a £44.5 million (with profits up win proposition. “Our formula for success. He its operational regions.
result of a small utilities 14.3 per cent and turnover primary product is fixed points to a UK-based call He is spearheading a
sales partnership growing up seven per cent from lines and calls, following centre, calls answered Community Support
in a more substantial April 2008). According to which we sell broadband in under four seconds on Programme which will
organisation. Universal Earle, Unicom expects into the customer base,” average, no automated financially benefit local
Utilities is privately owned profits to be in excess of commented Earle. answering services, while community groups, and
and originally sold gas and £12 million on a turnover “We have focused on offering cost effectiveness Unicom remains a patron
electricity contracts to of more than £48 million becoming the best with simple tariffs and of The Outward Bound
small businesses on behalf for the current year. telecommunication prices fixed for the duration Trust, making an annual
of Enron Direct and then provider available to small of the agreement. “We donation to a local high
British Gas. Wanting to build Unicom has achieved businesses. We only want will continue to offer our school which enables all
its own customer base these impressive results by to provide products that service at a very low cost,” Year Seven students to take
rather than sell for others, a being sharply focused on the vast majority of small confirmed Earle. “In April part in an outward bounds
new telecommunications its core markets. “We target businesses already use. 2008 we launched Titan team building experience.
division of the company the small business market We do not plan to be Telecom, a wholly owned In such a spirit of outward
was formed in 2001 as it is difficult to get to involved in niche markets.” subsidiary which gains new bound adventure, Earle
to take advantage these customers. We are customers via independent revealed that Unicom is
of the emerging small business specialists, Unicom’s major competitor sales teams, rather than currently looking at two
competitive market with our customers having is BT, which supplies more utilising our existing sales more ‘exciting’ areas
due to deregulation, an average of 1.5 lines per than 50 per cent of all force. Titan Telecom has of expansion – mobile
and was subsequently address,” added Earle. small businesses in the been successful and is phones and electricity.
branded Unicom. “We target all business telecommunications providing us with a boost in
sectors within the SME market. “BT has these new customer acquisition.” “Our aim is to be able
“Over the past 10 years, market, and consider the numbers primarily because to offer customers one
across the major products market to be stable and of customer apathy in Earle is an economics easy to understand bill for
we have sold – gas, becoming more stable. Our not actively attempting graduate from Manchester the essential utilities they
electricity and telecoms direct sales to SMEs works to switch away from the University and joined require to run a successful
– Unicom has helped nearly because it is so difficult incumbent,” says Earle. Unicom in 1995, benefiting business,” he said. “It’s vital
300,000 business to save to achieve efficiently, “We are currently signing from the company’s to know your own business
a total of £500 million off which means there is up a new customer every graduate development inside out, and look at
their bills,” claimed Earle. limited competition.” three minutes due to our programme, and growing every part of it in different
“Through consistent organic competitive pricing and his experience across all ways. We make changes
expansion we now employ Significantly, Earle believes customer service. Including sectors of the business. He on a daily basis that make
approximately 500 staff that VoIP, LLU, and fixed- our subsidiary Titan has been involved in every us more efficient. Be
across 10 offices. We have mobile convergence are Telecom, our new customer major development from proactive, don’t expect
not made any acquisitions industry buzz topics that sales have increased 50 per a new start up to a £44 new business to come to
to assist with this growth.” do not deliver additional cent this calendar year.” million turnover business. “I you, go and get it.”
n
22 COMMS DEALER NOVEMBER 2009 www.comms-dealer.com
P22 -23 Freedom.indd 1 2/11/09 4:11:37 pm
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52