business focus
Revolutionise how you look at your business
“The Berkshire Business Accelerator worked wonders for me,” said Phillip Halpin, founder of Countrywide Pest Control
“After many successful years of growing the business I felt I didn’t know how to take it forward. As a result of tailored business coaching by the Business Growth Hub and attendance at the Berkshire Business Accelerator course I now have a focused route to take my business forward.”
Newbury-based Countrywide has provided services within the region for over 10 years, dealing with all types of pests from rats and mice to wasps and pigeons. But Halpin felt the business had reached a plateau and didn’t know whether to take on new people, go down the franchising route or look for funding. He contacted the Growth Hub and received an
intensive period of coaching before attending the three-day Accelerator course, which is delivered by the experienced team at VitalSix in partnership with Henley Business School. The course is for the leaders of ambitious businesses with high growth potential.
Halpin has now introduced new financial systems into his business and refined his strategy. He consults the business frameworks he learned on the Accelerator course on a daily basis and is full of confidence for the months ahead.
“As a result of the Growth Hub’s input I am now looking to take on a full-time technician,” said
Halpin, “and I know the changes will have a positive impact on turnover. The course was absolutely fantastic for me.”
MAXX Design, a Newbury-based design and marketing company, is celebrating two decades of success this year and is also reaping the benefits of working with the Growth Hub team.
Cathy Jenkins, business development director at Maxx Design, said: “We had put in place a five-year plan but were struggling to achieve a level of turnover that we wanted in the timescales we had set. We needed to increase profitability.”
Another factor was the approaching retirement of MAXX Design’s managing director, Dermot de Courcy Robinson. Part of the five-year plan was ensuring that a robust management team was in place, as well as developing a strong junior management team to take over some of the director’s workload.
Jenkins and her fellow directors attended the Accelerator
course. “It was absolutely fantastic,” said Jenkins. “It has revolutionised the way we look at our business. It was three days of complete focus on every aspect of our business – an opportunity to really talk about what we were trying to achieve and how we were doing it. We made some quite big business decisions. The Growth Hub has opened our eyes to different ways to approach business situations and challenges which will help us to achieve our objectives.”
Susan Elliott
Berkshire Business Growth Hub
0118 9357115 info@berkshirebusinesshub.
co.uk www.berkshirebusinesshub.
co.uk
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businessmag.co.uk
15/08/2016 18:20 THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2016
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