Monthly Blog
April 2013.
'How and when to expand?'
Many of our clients are small businesses, some may have been running for several years and others just starting out. For many their dream much likes our is to continue to develop and grow although some are content to remain at their current size and continue from there. This is fine and they are often the most satisfied as they're not always chasing the next step as it where. However for those who are intent on growing their business the difficulty comes in firstly how but also when they are going to do so.
We have spoke about managing growth previously which eludes more to the when aspect, but an interesting point is once you've decided 'OK, we're ready to grow' is how you go about it. If you're a retail store or a physical customer facing business it may be simply you want to open another store in a different location, for those who maybe trade on-line only it could be to increase your web presence, take on more staff or add to your range of products/services.
The key here is to ensure when you decide how you are going to do so that you undertake the same amount of in depth market research and planning that you did for when you first started out which led to the success which means you are in a position to expand your organisation. Also key to this process is clearly the customer, do they require the extra products you're going to offer or is there a demand your services in this new location?
For us as we looked to expand our services it was clear our clients required a design and print service as well as the distribution which we had always offered. We also know these elements are integral to a campaigns success, therefore we thought it much better for this to be in our control so we can ensure we are working with only the best in the business to ensure our clients see great results. It's of great excitement for us as a team when we see our clients expanding and going on to prosper, so whenever you decide to go for it we're behind you all the way!
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
March 2013.
'How do you quantify success?'
We have discussed this topic previously in relation to our companies social impact, but we mean this in more generic terms this time around. As some of you will know Post Runner was awarded with the 2013 Business of the Year Award last month at the Leeds Enterprise Network Event, this was a great achievement and one we are very proud of although it got us thinking is that a sign of success?
Other than awards measures for success can be financial, staff numbers, client retention and the list goes on for businesses. But what are the ones that really matter, and if anyone says one or the other do they matter to everyone or just some of us. Now this is getting a little cryptic however I just though it would be interesting to explore what it is that makes us feel like we are succeeding in what we do. There is no doubt the social impact we make is one of our main priorities, but also the satisfaction of both our staff and our clients has to be right up there too.
For if your workforce are satisfied and productive which then leads to satisfied clients then all other measure of success should fall into place. It is perhaps not as simple as this but it's certainly a good starting point. For others it may purely be the figures, or the how they feel coming into the workplace in the morning but whatever it is, it seems good to understand your measure for success otherwise how will you know if you're on your way to achieving it?
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
February 2013.
'An insiders view.' (this month we have asked for a guest blog from one of our team who has progressed through the company, so please enjoy our Distribution Team Leaders thoughts)
My job role through Post Runner requires me to make several decisions for the distribution team, I plan the weekly rota including the areas staff will be going to; of course doing this requires me to make sure that I am aware about all staff’s availabilities and the distance their limited to, it’s something which is important to do considering that some of our staff are in part-time/full-time education. This is something which I would know about as I used to be part of the distribution team previously, I make sure that all staff are kept updated so they're aware of what’s going on and assigning each one of them a delivery job is an important role which keeps the business operating smoothly.
Working in a small business has its responsibilities especially with specific staff needs this can bring some pressure to the planning of the job details, so part of my responsibility is to be able to work in this sort of pressure and make sure that each job is thought about carefully and assigned to the correct delivery staff who are available to do it. This opportunity will benefit my career because of the experience I have been able to gain working as part of a small business for e.g. my organisation/team working skills have improved since I started as I have been able to work through everything I do efficiently (time management), this is obviously important because being a leader requires attendance, without this then staffs role’s get rearranged which causes disorganisation on how the everything operates. Being professional sets a good impression to our clients and sets a good example for the rest of the staff who work in the business.
Being given the opportunity to work in a small successful business has made me believe that young people have a lot to offer small businesses in the UK seeing as they are the future of our economy, businesses are always looking for new opportunities and something that they can at least try out is to give young professionals who are passionate about something a chance that could possibly change not only help the business move forward but the professional themselves also.
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
January 2013.
'Hopes for the year ahead.'
January is always an interesting month, an exciting one as it signifies a new start for many through the act of new years resolutions but also a difficult one as it comes after a busy festive season and business can be quiet in these difficult economic times. So I think it is apt to discuss the medium to long-term benefit of short terms acts. For example perhaps this January during the more slow periods shall we say it will give you the opportunity to spend more time planning and working 'on' rather than 'in' your business/organisation.
By doing this and putting the correct processes in place eventually they will lead the outcome you desire whether that may take months or even years however without the foresight of the planning stage it may never occur at all. No better example for us is with regards to the changes we began planning early last year such as the GPS tracking systems, updated supervisor responsibilities and delivery locations. Those decisions were all taken over time with a strong rationale behind them and it is exactly what we're doing this January for our developments in 2013.
So even though this can be a difficult and trying time you can be content in the knowledge that the decisions and strategies you come up with now are for long-term gain and you will reap the benefits in time. I wish you all a healthy and prosperous 2013 and look forward to connecting and working alongside you all throughout the year.
We have some really interesting topics for our short blogs this year, including; the recruitment process, young people in the workplace, NEETs, as well as some guest blogs from members within our team.
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
December 2012.
'Christmas Break.'
This is the one time of the year when most business will take a break and give us all an opportunity to take stock and enjoy a well earned rest. Saying that the build up to Christmas is one of our busiest periods with lots of businesses looking to promote their products and services to the festive shoppers. Most other periods of holiday will always be when the rest of the world is still in work mode so you know you can't truly relax will the thought of the mound of work you will return to. That's the nice thing about Christmas it's a great chance to recharge the batteries when most people are also so the inbox won't be too full on your return!
So I suppose it's a good opportunity to reflect on an interesting year for Post Runner and social enterprise a sector also, we've seen many changes and I believe positive movements are happening for social entrepreneurs also. With more support and events than ever it's a great time to start a social venture and even in a difficult climate with the right building blocks in place also a good time to make a success of it.
As we close 2012 it's important to thank everyone who has helped us reach this point and to have enjoyed a prosperous year, all the support we've received from our partner organisations, advice from business advisors/mentors, the accolades from Leeds Metropolitan University, our amazing array of loyal clients and last but not least are excellent team of young and hungry to succeed staff. So thanks, it means a lot!
We at Post Runner wish you all a wonderful break and remember try to have some rest as we will be so we can all come back roaring in 2013 to make it the best year yet! Merry Christmas!
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
November 2012.
'Social Responsibility.'
Earlier this month we were at one of many networking and business events that are based within West Yorkshire and the conversation of Social Enterprise and what it actually means or does arose. It got us thinking about how we quantify what we do in terms of our social impact what the terms 'social enterprise' actually means for the company, it's clients and ultimately the people or community it aims to support.
It's a very interesting and in some ways vague topic, there are a huge range of social enterprises spanning various sectors with a growing rate of registrations; unofficial figures estimating there may be up to 250,000 based in the UK alone. So what does it all mean? Well from our point of view it's quite a simple process of running a profitable business first and foremost which then allows us to invest in helping offer real life work experience for 16-24 year old NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
Government figures from 2010 claim that there are approximately 1,200 16-18 year old NEETs within Leeds. Now as a small business we feel this is a number we can make a considerable impact upon. It isn't easy and it won't be done overnight but with good systems and processes in place and an environment where learning and development is actively encouraged we might have half a chance of making a positive impact upon youth unemployment figures.
Further than this it got us discussing the social responsibility of companies and organisations which aren't social enterprises, we believe all of these should be helping in any way they can to positively impact the communities local to them. After all it's often these communities which will provide the majority of their workforce and quite likely a fair amount of their customers and clients also. It could be a charitable donation or an environmental programme to reduce waste in the office but perhaps it's something which is going to be a purchasing factor in the decision making of consumers going forward.
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
October 2012.
'The Power of People.'
As I'm sure you're already aware we are a social enterprise with the aim of helping solve youth unemployment in the local community and as such a considerable part of our team is comprised from 16-24 year old NEETs, we work with partners organisations and receive direct applications to help offer these young people an opportunity to get back into work or perhaps into employment for the first time. As we have now been working with this group of young people for several months we are beginning to see the fruits of our labour and further developing our programme as we go.
Anyone who works with this group will know it is a challenging and constantly trying task, however you will also be aware of what a rewarding and on occasion surprising process it can be. We have unearthed some real 'rough diamonds' for want of a better phrase, by giving these people a chance to prove their worth some have gone on to become an integral part of our team. We have a policy to promote from within and have already seen three of our distribution team move into office and supervisory roles.
There is no doubt for most companies staff will be the biggest investment but ultimately they can big your biggest asset also. It begins at a very early stage and our policy is to understand a staff members motivation and development needs from the outset. Once these have been highlighted it allows us to plan a programme suitable to his/her needs and help them grow within the business. No two people have been the same in our experience and each staff member has to be managed in very different ways to get the best out of them.
So if you're an organisation or business looking to take on new staff, apprentices or work experience roles you could do a lot worse than looking at the youth in our country to fulfil these positions. If nurtured and managed in the correct way there is a whole array of talents out there just waiting for their chance to show the world what they can do.
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
September 2012.
'Managing Growth.'
We're coming up to our first years trading and it made us spend some time thinking how our systems and processes have changed in line with our growth over the past 12 months. Growth sounds like a good word and something that is surely positive, right? Well in fact I suppose it's good only if it's well managed. Growing too quick or without the correct planning can be a negative for your business or worse potentially catastrophic. The reason I think this is relevant as a blog is we have seen start-ups and SME's grow with us as clients.
We've seen our workload double almost every month for the past year and expanded from a team of 5 to now over 20, we have also moved office space twice and as such had to adapt with this growth. We've also had the introduction of our Community Interest Company registration and social enterprise responsibilities to manage in this period. However throughout this time we've always tried to ensure we were ready to expand and certainly wouldn't run before we could walk. At times this has meant turning work down or politely declining certain clients because the last thing we want to do is let anyone down. This has set us in good stead with over 50% of our business coming from repeat customers.
There have been several changes to be made in line with our expansion, however throughout all this time we've always made sure we're still looking ahead to the next step in our progression. The reason we could cope with expanding our delivery range to over 1,000,000 business and residential properties is because we had planned for and anticipated it months in advance. Admittedly things rarely go quite to plan but it is a good guide and makes things less of a surprise when they do change.
The final point regarding growth is about risk; so far we've discussed managing and planning for growth in what may seem quite an analytical and almost pessimistic view on things. However we wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for taking a few risks along the way, they may have been calculated risks, but risks all the same. We like to be an innovative company, we do things differently and with that comes risk. Embrace it and it can become a good ally in the quest that is growing your business.
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
August 2012.
'The Olympic spirit.'
How could we write a blog this month without talking about London 2012? Well the answer is we couldn't, especially being based in Yorkshire with the massive success of our cities athletes. However rather than just reproduce what I'm sure many bloggers, journalists and reporters will be, we wanted to link it to our business and how we can learn from the Olympic's great success.
We had two of our team successfully be accepted to volunteer as 'game-makers' at this summers biggest sporting event, of course we gladly made arrangements and allowed them to take this great opportunity. It was these volunteers that have received some incredible praise and support for their efforts throughout the games that got us thinking how we can use this example to benefit ourselves and others.
The spirit shown through the 2 weeks from the athletes, fans, media and volunteers was utterly fantastic and truly awe-inspiring. It made us very proud Brits and thanks to Nicola Adams and the Brownlee brothers to name but a few very proud to be from Leeds. To put on a show like that with the world watching was very impressive indeed. The volunteers (many of them young) especially showed the hard work and determination Britain was built on, with a smile on their face through all conditions and in some rather remedial jobs.
This great British attitude is what we see everyday in the young people of our local communities who either join us through our youth employment programme or we see through our partner organisations. There is much to be said about the younger generation in this country but if the people we work with and the spirit shown in the Olympics was anything to go by, I'd say our country is in good hands for the future.
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
July 2012.
'The dream campaign...'
People often ask us to set up a campaign to give them best results, this is all good and well and something we love to do. However it is more of a joint effort to make sure you see the best results as a business owner or marketing manager. Each drop will have it's own ideal customer, demographic and target market. Therefore this needs to be discussed and managed to ensure your message is reaching the right people.
We'll certainly take the hassle out of organising a distribution yourselves but for the initial planning a good conversation can ultimately pay off in a big way, particularly with longer term campaigns. Once we've got a good understanding of your target market we can then go on to plan the ideal drop for you. It goes deeper than targeting certain postcodes because they're local or 2 car houses because they may be more affluent; the most effective campaigns really unearth the exact market they're looking to approach.
To elaborate; by campaign we mean regular drops over a period of several months and beyond. Now a key part to this process' success is analysis, we will provide you with the accurate route and areas distributed to and then somehow we need to monitor the results. This can be done in many ways from a coupon number, qr code, website traffic, telephone calls to store visits and ultimately sales. With this data you can then depict the most successful areas to target and then modify the next drop accordingly. By doing this it provides further information to highlight the ideal locations for you to target.
This is when we see the most success for our clients, a well targeted and monitored campaign can produce some really great results. After all this is why you conduct and invest in marketing to convert into sales or visitors so it may as well be done correctly.
Thanks for reading.
The Post Runner Team
June 2012 - Our First Blog.
'The marketing balance; how and why?'
We have considered writing a short blog for some time now, however we really wanted to ensure it was relevant to our company and most importantly current and interesting for you. It's clear social media is becoming ever increasingly important for small businesses and it is something we believe should be embraced and can be an excellent marketing tool. As you may have seen we have a twitter feed with highly relevant followers and some tips for planning your campaigns. So to continue in the same vain we want to provide informative blogs which help you the customer understand direct marketing and how best to approach and use it.
Direct marketing or direct mail is a great method for you to reach your end users in a cost effective and certain way. You are sure your message; whether it be a new product/service, offer or event is going to be put directly into the hands of your customers. However it's important to include direct mail as part of your whole marketing mix, the best results are when a full marketing campaign; PPC, Social Media, Press, Adverts, etc. is planned with direct mail as a key part of this. When a message is reinforced to the consumer they are much more likely to take action, whether that's visit your site or store and hopefully go on to make a purchase or commitment to you. Having a well worked out marketing strategy and budget is the key to success; as you hopefully won't have experienced, poor marketing plans can cost a lot of money for little return! Therefore to plan a great marketing strategy you really need to understand your customer; who better to know this than you. From this understanding you can select your target market or demographic and plan to appeal to them accordingly.
Execution is the final and most critical part of the marketing campaign, you may have spent many hours identifying your ideal customer, preparing the marketing material and thinking up offers or competitions amongst other things. So to get this right is the culmination of all that hard work. This is where you need to choose the correct marketing channels to promote your message, every thing you do will have an impact on your brand and consequently peoples perception of it. Therefore a professional service is key whether it's social media, a newspaper advert or direct mail the principle stays the same. Next time you plan your marketing mix or allocate a marketing budget think about these things to make sure you the see the best ROI.
Thanks for reading, we'll provide a new blog monthly going forward and value your comments.
The Post Runner Team
