Member Article

Whitfield celebrates second anniversary with client surge

Wirral-based Whitfield Business Support is reporting a surge in new business after more than doubling its client base on its second-year anniversary.

The Heswall firm delivers a range of business support services predominantly to SMEs across the Wirral, Cheshire and North Wales regions.

Led by directors Justine McLaughlin and Nik Ellis it has grown rapidly since setting up in April 2014 expanding its customer base from 60 to 150 clients in the last 12 months.

Nik said two recent appointments have been made to manage the growth taking total staff numbers to nine. Meanwhile, the operation has also been streamlined to focus delivery in four key areas – social media, graphic design, website design and email marketing.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating our second anniversary,” said Nik. “We have seen a consistent rise in turnover, sales, staff and clients and in the last few days have become VAT registered. This year we have worked with more than 150 clients which is almost three times the amount we had on our books after the first year of trading. Our team is also expanding to manage the larger volume of work having recently taken on Georgia Catherall and Susie Roberts in marketing roles. We expect to be employing more staff in the coming months.

“This growth is highly encouraging, although one of the things we are most proud of is the culture and ethos we have created at Whitfield. The brand is developing a strong identity in the marketplace for delivering fast, proactive and innovative services. We place great emphasis on creating a stimulating and enjoyable work environment for our team. This is because we believe people are considerably more productive if they’re having fun while working. We pack out the year with lots of staff activities outside of work, including skiing trips and outdoor adventures. This gives the team energy and vibrancy. It also enables us to bond and develop stronger working relationships.”

When Whitfield Business Support initially set up it offered a broad range of business support. But due to such high demand for specific services it has changed strategy. Nik said the firm is now focussing on four key areas which are all closely related to branding, marketing and online business profile.

“Our model is designed to ensure brands achieve consistency with their outward communication including web and social media presence,” he said. “This is becoming increasingly important in the digital age but requires specialist skill and knowledge to be well executed. Fundamentally, we are here to help time-poor business owners so they concentrate on ‘doing the doing’ and delivering their own core service.”

In 2016 Whitfield Business Support took on the chairing role at Heswall District Business Association (HDBA) in a bid to reach out into the local community and better connect local businesses.

Membership levels have grown under its direction. It has also created, organised and managed major new Wirral events including Heswall ICE Christmas Festival, attracting thousands of customers.

Justine, who has been nominated for Cheshire Business Woman of the Year, led by the Chester Chronicle, said Whitfield’s involvement in HDBA shows its firm commitment to the local community.

“Whitfield is an outward looking firm,” she said. “We are always looking for new ways to engage and collaborate with other local businesses for mutual benefit. We believe the local business community is more stable, vibrant and successful if we work together in partnership. Our work within HDBA ensures we uphold our corporate social responsibility. We also believe the organisation can evolve to become even more effective and we have many other exciting developments and projects planned for the coming year.

“At Whitfield, our passion revolves around helping businesses grow. While we take pride in our technical ability, we are also crucially able to provide added value through business mentoring. This is due to the expertise within our team. Our senior management includes entrepreneurs who have a firm understanding of what is required to be successful in business. They have experience of the pitfalls and opportunities in business which is essential when advising people how to navigate their own journey.”

As well as business support, Whitfield also provides a hub for SMEs with full-time tenants, virtual offices and postal address services. However, firms don’t need to be office-based tenants, or even part of the hub, to access business support services.

For more information of Whitfield Business Support visit the website: to www.whitfieldbusiness.co.uk or call 0151 342 0679.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Pinnington .