Engineering success

 As overall UK engineering production has shrank, Higham-based electronics and design firm Winter & Smith found its market bucking the trend and expanding.

A relatively small family business employing six staff, Winter & Smith which is a former Dartford & Gravesham Business Awards finalist, has been trading for 40 years and due to its  recent trading success has now moved to larger premises at Gad's Hill Farm. Clients include Varian Medical Systems, Clement Clarke Medical, Virgin Media, the BBC and Zeneca

Renowned for putting its hand to tackling unusual requests and in particular where an elderly lady wanted her television to come on when she entered the room, the engineers applied a bit of logic and successfully got the television to activate. So approachable is this firm to 'one off' jobs that some customers have even admitted trying up to 30 other firms who didn't appear to understand their requests before reaching this Higham company.

The company which sees itself as part of the community recently gave a work experience place to a young disabled person which, according to his mother enhanced his quality of life.

Of his success, director James Winter said:" We've had the best two years of our 40 year history and made the decision to relocate to new premises better suited to our needs. We've invested in a new surface mount production line which has more than tripled our manufacturing capacity.

"Investing in our staff, by funding a part time BTEC level 3 electronics course and allowing day release attendance has paid dividends and we have a negligible staff turnover. One member has even been with us for over 25 years".

 Self sufficient contractor

Meopham based  building contractors, Benning Brothers Ltd is very proud of its work renovating Gravesend Town Pier and helping turned a derelict area into a popular community and tourist destination.

The company offers a wide range of services as property developers, building and specialist insurance contractors. Started in 1997 as a small Gravesend carpentry firm, family run Benning Brothers now with 19 employees, expanded three years ago by acquiring Meopham Fencing which is now its head office.

Nowadays the company's key focus is on insurance reinstatements and new building development.  Additionally, Benning Brothers Ltd. provides a full range of construction services and are not afraid to take on tricky building work such a new bungalow development near Pembury which had sloping ground and drain issues to get around. This was completed successfully in 15 months.

Although Kent based, the company travels all over the UK and now finds a large part of its business is with insurance companies where damaged property has to be restructured. The firm undertakes work for an array of the UK's leading loss adjusters including Crawford & Company, Cunningham Lindsey, GAB Robins and Davies.

Financial Director Harry Benning said:" We are an experienced and self sufficient building contractor and pride ourselves on delivering a high quality service whether this is responding a complicated insurance project or designing and delivering a new build.

"We supply ongoing training and development programmes for all our staff and take a great interest in our community. We have donated to the Prince's Trust and Kent Air Ambulance and also sponsor two local junior sports' clubs.

"We have undertaken various projects in the local community one being the National Autistic Society at various local centres to provide assistance for childern with disablities."

 Fancy dressing up?  

There's not many shops you could walk into and find two nearly naked men prancing about. Oblivious to other customers, the pair from a naturist colony were  looking for some  fancy dress outfits, but for family run Bustles & Breeches, based in Wellington Street, Gravesend semi naked torsos are not unusual.. 

 Bustles & Breeches is a business where the staff are its best asset with a good knowledge base fpr customer requirements, when they want it and the fitting of course. With 35 years trade experience, owner Maureen Hilland and her three staff have been running Bustles & Breeched for six years now and put the company's success down to its friendly service. This is borne out by the high volume of customer testimonials.

 It was around 25 years ago that Maureen found herself with two young daughters who loved dancing. This progressed to amateur productions and it wasn't long before she found herself backstage as wardrobe mistress.  This prompted her to buy costume dress shop Fancy in Tonbridge which ran 15 years.

However in October 2005 the chance came up to buy Bustles & Breeches followed by expansion to the current premises in 2009 offering an additional service offering theatrical makeup.

The company hires out, fancy dress,, production costumes which are used at Woodville Halls pantos, dancewear which have been supplied to some top name studios, balloons for every occasion and wedding stationary.

 A unique service

 A unique marriage of recruitment and governance services has given Internal Audit Group an edge over its competitors.  It has opened up a large market for this Meopham -based firm not just nationally, but overseas as well.

Internal Audit People, which is the recruitment side has 1800 skilled candidates on its database providing staff experienced in iinternal audit, risk management and compliance as well as risk management.  For employers in the private and government sectors the agency has been a godsend as finding these skills are not easy.

Started in 1977 working as an internal auditor, chartered accountant Geoffrey Clark didn't waste time seeing the potential for setting up a cost effective one stop service and by 2001 began bringing all the areas together as a group. Like many other businesses it suffered the sting of the recession and lost three major clients at the same time, but recovered successfully.

Risk management, ensuring your company can continue trading given a catastrophe, is often overlooked and that one fire or flood could turn a company to ashes. Internal Audit Group's governance division includes advising on risk management, due diligence and compliance charging on a daily or hourly basis.

Mr. Clarke said:" We are probably unique in combining consultancy with recruitment and whilst not being a firm of chartered accountants, are run by one. We are very customer friendly borne out by the client feedback."

The group has a number of high profile clients including banks and an oil company. The next development will be to export even more of its services by adding new products.

 Keeping on top of things

One of the bugbears of running a small business is the amount of administration and keeping on top of invoices, essential for cash flow.

 Having an electronic system that can remind you about slow payers, create invoices in two minutes and keep office printing costs down is a big bonus. Andrew Hubbard saw this market need and decided to set up an invoice creation and management services company Invoice My Work.com 18 months ago and it's paid off.

 Mr Hubbard said:" For some time I had been receiving small business invoices and quite a few were hand written, calculated incorrectly or have the wrong details and dates on them. Not a professional picture.

 "I looked at other systems in the market and found they were either too complicated for the basic computer user or expensive. Invoice My Work.com offers a good service at a reasonable subscription with no contractual tie in. I designed the system so know it works and it has opened up an international market with clients as far away as Australia."

 The easy setup allows you to get going without filling in lengthy forms. All you need is your email address, name and a password which you create. Importantly your customer list is exactly that; it will remember and place all the customer details into an invoice which you will never need to look up again and guarantees no mistyping.

You also have the tools to chase slow payers and a reminder to bank that cheque you put aside till you're at the bank.

 Skilled chefs

 The past couple of years have been the most competitive in the past 11 for Longfield Tandoori manager Shahidur Rahman, but he now feels the tide has turned in his favour. He's even considering expansion as the restaurant is often so full he has to turn people away.

 Shahidur's business experience began when he was only 20 and he finds a lot of pleasure serving his customers with a wide menu choice.  The eight strong staff undergo regular food hygiene and customer care training.  The menu is a mixture of Bangladesh with its spices with added herbs and Indian made up of mainly herbs with added spices.

 It may be surprising to learn that there is a shortage of skilled Indian chefs and the restaurant has had to work hard to find top class people who know the trade and are able to create exciting new dishes. It's worked out well though and celebrities can occasionally be seen there.

 Mr Rahman sees the company as a vital part of the Longfield community and is a keen fundraiser donating event prizes for charities.  

 Providing top training

Quay Assessment Training Ltd is an award winning private company based in Dartford that started out specialising in the care sector over 11 years ago with 55 learners. It is now the local leading training provider with over 900 students and was awarded a Grade 2 by Ofsted in July 2009  Based at Hawley Road, Dartford, the company now offers a one day bespoke training consultancy and NVQ's to over 40 organisations. 

With 16 employees, Quay actively encourages people with disabilities to apply for vacancies and wherever possible ensures that any employee who becomes disabled can continue in employment

The specialist team offers qualifications in Health and Social Care (HSC) awards in care levels 2-4 in both adults and children, RMA level 4, customer services, business and administration, management 2-5, community transport, information advice and guidance, health and safety, skills for life qualifications and assessor awards the A1/A2 and V1.

The company has been a lead on Train to Gain and in November 2010 gained a contract to deliver apprenticeships in the 16 to18 and 19 to 24 year old age groups.

Quay is about to become the London and Home Counties sole private training delivery partner for AGE UK  and managing director Lynn James says this is a massive step forward and will show how effective  the company is  as a training provider.

The DWP has also the firm to work on and to support a recruitment led agency apprenticeship scheme which is being looked at being rolled out on a regional basis 

Quay also has a major project to work with ex drug and alcohol users to get them on a volunteer placement in that work area and whilst they are doing this they gain their NVQ L3 in HSC.  Over 210 of the hardest to reach learners have achieved an NVQ.

Managing director Lynn James said:" By including staff in aspects and having a company ethos that develops and encourages staff input and offers good rates of pay and holidays, there is a good team atmosphere at Quay.

 "Our additional subsidiaries' The Holly Belles Social Enterprise Academy and The Ladies Only Maintenance Company show a clear commitment to this and an approach to building sustainable employment for many hard to reach learners and social groups."

 A pier dining experience

Gravesend's world famous oldest surviving caste iron pier is a tourist pull and after the council purchased it with the help of external funding it was transformed into a top class restuarant.

Today Riva restaurant and bar which took on the challenge of opening up at the beginning of the recession is making steady progress and gaining a lot of local support. The management which says it has helped open the pier to tourists, also wants to help the community.

Staff are recruited locally from the unemployment register with the company investing time and training. As much fresh produce as possible is sourced from nearby farms for an exciting European menu that includes scallops with black pudding and pan fried bream. 

The restaurant also supports local artists and each month sees a new display on show. 

Director Anastasia Zinekvich said:" It has been a very difficult year for the restaurant trade as a whole as people find it harder to find more disposable income to spend on social activities.

"Supermarket prices and deals on alcohol have also driven a lot of people to drink and entertain at home. We have had to adjust our menus every four to six weeks to bring in new dishes and keep people interested. We also organise live music such as jazz which has proved popular."

Keeping people mobile

She's been threatened, by competitors, traded her business out of tight financial corners rather than borrow, but for former out of work university graduate Charmaine Kemp who decided that as the recessional job market was so bad she'd be as well starting up her own business it's been more than rewarding. 

Looking into the mobility market, Miss Kemp realised no dealers wanted to buy the used scooters which are generally thrown away. So with some family help she jumped on the idea of reconditioning and saving them from being dumped in landfill sites and two years ago started up Wheelie Good Mobility.

Miss Kemp says a mobility scooter is an essential and costly tool for the independence for many of the elderly and disabled people and with the recession coupled with an increase in the over '60s, there was a high demand for cheaper products.

In the high street, the average mobility scooter costs around £2500 from new and the only option left for a person with limited access is a finance scheme to pay for an aid that could drastically improve their quality of life.

Wheelie Good Mobility offers the same average mobility scooter (same model, same supplier) at £1200.A used mobility scooter averages £500 with a three month warranty and has undergone a full reconditioning and received new batteries.

People on benefits and low incomes are able to afford used mobility scooters and now used power chairs without the need for costly finance or inflated prices and yet retain the peace of mind they get from the checks made and the warranties offered.

The business is does not have a traditional shop front, but offers the same products through a catalogue and website, both designed in-house where the largest overhead is a workshop. The website is an online store with 300 products, soon to be raised to 2000 and the catalogue is directly sent to elderly schemes, such as sheltered housing for various councils, or to the general public.

Due to the fast growing demand and company expansion, Miss Kemp's staff now number six all taken from the under-24 unemployment register.

This has meant being able to set up a pop-up shop in four markets each week across Kent in Maidstone, Tonbridge, Whitstable and Sevenoaks. This allows staff to meet customers and gain more addresses for the mail order catalogue.  There are also alliances with Age UK, Royal British Legion and are currently in talks with Leonard Cheshire Disability.

Apprenticeships important

Thinking outside the box is how Gravesend firm Allpark Ltd has become successful.

Supplying firms ranging from the Ministry of Sound to the Ministry of Defence, this five year old company manufactures and designs car park equipment, civil works and on-line retailing for the traffic industry. It also provides street furniture such as bollards, benches and various road traffic goods such as cones and speed ramps.

Adapting quickly to the recession which coincided with expanding the company, the management was forced to find alternative markets. One they invested heavily was a secure bicycle parking product which has proved very popular and bought by the High Speed 1 service to be installed at St Pancras International.

Commercial director Andrew Thomson also realised the potential of involving students in the design and production of the firm's equipment.

He said:" We have developed a strong relationship with North West Kent College where we are now working in partnership with its design and engineering department.

"We have challenged the students to improve and further develop our traffic flow range of products. This will result in their students gaining some hands on practical experience and will benefit our business by further developing our product ranges.

"We in turn, supply the college with our scrap metal off cuts at no charge so the students can practice their metal working skills on used materials."

Allpark Ltd has also signed up to the KCC student apprenticeship scheme and has an apprentice who has been with the business for nearly a year. She has been nominated for the apprentice of the year award and Mr Thomson said he is very proud of his firm's work with this apprentice who demonstrates great potential.

 Expertise to keep you afloat

Working in the mortgage and financial markets has been a tough three years and Dartford based Clark Marshall Associates has had to fight for many of their clients to keep them afloat.

Director Ian Clark says with lenders not wanting to lend and the massive slowdown in the housing market along with increased regulation and the costs associated with this plus lack of government funding for new affordable housing schemes, it's been a tough and close call.

Established 12 years ago, independent mortgage and financial advisors Clark Marshall Associates has faced the problems surrounding increasing numbers of people facing redundancy whose financial commitments don't stop rolling the day they finally leave their job.

The company is a key player in the government backed affordable housing schemes recently earmarked for millions of pounds in the last budget and also mortgage rescue assisting clients on the verge of repossession, to keep a roof over their heads.

With house prices having fallen, many clients are no longer able to renegotiate lending terms at the end of deals. Those that have equity are finding that the best rates and products are reserved for borrowers with a 40 to 50 per cent equity ratio.

Speaking of his firm Mr Clark said:" In a very difficult market place we have maintained an exceptional level of customer service, putting our clients first. We have expanded and improved turnover and profit during some of the most challenging times for our industry and increased our staff levels."

Printing Solutions

Going solo and setting up his own printing company two years ago has been the best move Mark Sharp ever made and the success of his company Sharp Prrinting Solutions can be measured in a healthy customer base.

With four talented staff offering innovative graphic design including accounts manger wife Louise, it's more a family feel emterprise. Goahead Mark takes a bold approach to everything  and the company's strapline is 'On time, or it's on us'.  Everything from business cardss to brochuress are designed and printed and whatever amount required, big or smal and usually within three daysl.

Linking up with Printing.com  which offers an even better enhanced and cost effective service has had a productive outcome when iindependent consultants Storecheckers found Sharp's Printing Solutions 76 per cent cheaper than the 152 printers surveyed across the UK and Ireland

Yet Mr Sharp does not reduce quality for price. It's the method of printing which holds the key and to date he reckons he's contributed to 60,000 more trees being planted which probably helped the firm gain its ISO 14001 environmental standard.

Clients range from the individual to large firms and organisations and sometimes just for branding. Mr Sharp reckons bad branding can not only differentiate you from your competitors but can lose you business. Branding is your personality being stamped on your product and he says a number of firms sink into a sort of apathy about changing their image.

On hindsight the only thing Mr Sharp says he wishes he'd done would have been to launch the company sooner.

Loyal customer base

Top class service and a staff team spirit is the secret of Mitchells Carpets Ltd 37 years of successful retailing

Centrally situaed in Dartford's  Hythe Street, the family run flooring specialist still with its founder at the helm and 14  longserving employees has successfully ridden two tough recessions, plus changes in the local area. The company also has a loyal customer base which values the personal touch.

Mitchells Carpets Ltd offers almost every type of flooring imaginable and has the backing of a national supplier Carpet1st. This keeps prices competitive whilst offering a wide product range which includes some unusual carpet tiles, laminates, bespoke rugs, carpets and an advisory design and fitting service.

Manager Alan Beckham is very supportive of Dartford town centre's regeneration plans feeling they can't come soon enough.

He said: " We have undergone an extensive internal and external refurbishment of our historic building  and hope this will be the forerunner of the much needed development to generate greater footfall in the town."

The firm has enjoyed the tread of some well known personalities as customers in the shop and also offers finanlicial assessor services as well as supplying products for major insurance companies..

Fantastic new look

Cutting a horse's mane and finishing off clients in the street after a power cut didn't faze staff at Gravesend's LookFantastic hair salon. The eight full and eight part time staff see every day as a new challenge and it's given them an edge over the 20 other competitors in the area.

Owned and managed by Simon Stanton who has 15 years' experience of which three is running the franchise Lookfantastic.  Customers come from all walks of life and training is an integral part of the salon's output.

Mr Stanton said:" I've trained at least 50 hairdressers at this salon many of whom have gone on to open their own businesses. I also take on two trainees each year and the staff are always local.

"We are proud of our hair colouring expertise and are a Redken product outlet. We have also increased our customer base by being realistic offering discounts across our service range.  It's been tough for everyone in this profession, but I think we have survived well because of our high service standards."

Clinics help youngsters

Pharmacy is one of the oldest professions stretching back to ancient Greece and Egypt where practitioners looked after the community with a deep understanding of the effects drug treatment.

Today dispensing pharmacies such as Hodgson Pharmacy in Longfield are also taking on proactive healthcare and this particular firm sees its role as offering a totally different service by looking after and educating the local population such as setting up clinics with local schools.

Started in 1983, family owned Hodgson Pharmacy which has received an award for being the best independent pharmacy in the UK, now offers a complete stop smoking service, emergency hormonal contraception (commonly known as the morning after pill), Chlamydia testing and treatment, substance misuse service for drug addicts, a minor ailments service, weight loss programme, medicine use reviews, flu vaccines, and the sale and rental of disability and mobility aids.

Managing director Amish Patel said:: "I feel we are different as our business meets all the local healthcare needs.

"We also have a great involvement with the community, working the local secondary school, local businesses, as well as supporting and donating to many local events such as primary school and church fundraising events. We also offer a free home delivery service to housebound patients ensuring all members of the community are able to gain access to our services."

The pharmacy is on course to develop more services, such as offering travel vaccines and possibly hearing clinics as well as securing a robot for the pharmacy to dispense all the medication.

Cost effective legal advice

Many people find solicitors scary and specialist family law firm Stantons of Gravesend is aware of this and makes it a priority to relax clients and try to explain that good advice is also cost effective.

Started in 1986 with legal aid cases it has spread its portfolio of services to include wills and probate and power of attorney. Now with the overhaul of the legal aid system which has enormously reduced eligibility, Stantons has had to realign its management structure. Nowadays it offers a fixed fee divorce service.

Unusually competition now comes from big companies like Tesco and the Co-op which are now targeting legal aspects including divorce. The internet too provides offers of cheap services, so practice type legal firms are kept on their toes.

Owner Jan Stanton sits as a deputy district judge in the Principal Registry of the Family Division, London and is a past president of both Kent Law Society and Medway Law Society.

Stantons is also bringing in a chartered psychologist for its clients who will offer a better picture of client circumstances. The firm is very community minded and acts as trustees of Family Matters and Gravesend Age Concern. It also offers staff a work life balance as legal offices can be highly pressurised.

Tailor-made Curriculum

Home tutoring is an expanding industry as Longfield based training company Write-Trak Ltd has experienced with its expansion programme. For many youngsters who can't cope with the rigours of a school, it's a good alternative. 
For 13 years Write-Trak tutors have been providing tailor-made educational supervision to home based pupils who have social, emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties and can give them a full educational package which takes them right through to career training.

This unique service is a labour intensive business where the 22 tutors spend up to five hours a day working in the youngsters' homes supported by weekly visits from support workers.

At times the tutor will accompany the youngster into a school to support integration. Parents too receive training to help them back up the tutorials and students are encouraged to express themselves as much as possible. A recent 'rap' competition offered a lot of insight into their current feelings.

Most of the company's clients are recommended by word of mouth and although local authorities have cut back financial support there is still a strong market.

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