GOING FOR GROWTH
Barnes Coaches
Another company which has had a challenging couple of years is Barnes Coaches which has been operating in the county for more than 150 years . Today it has 40 coaches and provides hire throughout the UK and Europe , as well as offering packaged trips , experiences and holidays . For this year , the company hopes to get more coaches on the road .
Director , Matt Barnes , said , “ We hope to see confidence in travelling and visiting places to continue to grow . This will increase numbers on our trips and lead to more coaches being hired . So far things look positive despite Omicron .
“ We didn ’ t purchase any new coaches in 2021 due to the pandemic . We have two new coaches arriving soon and hope to get back to the four or five we purchased per year pre-pandemic .
“ We have kept our apprentice training going where possible , as new , good drivers are so important to us . We have two who started in September taking their final tests soon and two new apprentices starting next month .”
Furniturebox
Mere-based Furniturebox is another local business planning for growth this year .
Launched in 2015 by friends Monty George and Dan Beckles , Furniturebox sells furniture online with modern designs and aims for exceptional customer service . The founders believe furniture should make a statement in the home and getting that “ wow-factor ” should be achievable for all budgets .
The pair have plans for growing the brand through technology and services to ensure every customer has an incredible experience which they will rave about . The company ’ s 3,500 + Trustpilot reviews and an average rate of 4.9 / 5 is testament to the hard work of the entire team .
Monty said , “ After several years of considerable growth we ’ re looking forward to more of the same in 2022 . By the summer we ’ ll be in our new home in a new , purpose built warehouse in Chippenham just off the M4 .
“ This will increase our capacity five-fold enabling us to really expand our product range . We ’ re excited to design more exclusive products . We also will expand our operations across the pond and into the US to reach a new audience who love furnishing their homes as much as we do . It ’ s a big and exciting opportunity for us .”
The Chippenham warehouse will allow the company to improve speed of delivery . The team are working towards extending their ordering cut off time for next day delivery to 8pm .
How to achieve growth
Paul Holmes , of PCH Business Consultants , believes there is a process to success which can be considered this year , especially for businesses looking to grow and scale up . The advice includes :
• Be clear about what you want from the business , and design to deliver it . Use rightto-left thinking ; plan the desired outcome and work backwards from it .
• Design the business to run without you . Who is in charge when you are not there ? Have you defined how the company works ?
• Design and build the team for success : who should you hire first and who next ?
• Understand what will change as you grow . Plan for it , consider what could go wrong , plan for it and keep moving forward .
• Create thinking , planning and strategic time in your diary . Book it in as a permanent fixture . It ’ s a vital business task .
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2022 9