Schoolcomms - Case Study

Schoolcomms was established by Dave Gove, a business solution specialist and Frances Perkin, an accountant and experienced business manager, in 2004. The electronic messaging systems use text or email to: chase up absent children; reduce truancy; update parents on unexpected changes such as delayed school trips or school closures; and even to congratulate pupils on good results and inform parents of their child’s achievements using the innovative eCards product.

How Schoolcomms found out about the Coaching for High Growth programme

Managing Director of Schoolcomms, Frances Perkin, heard about Grow Cornwall through a personal contact and attended the Wonderland Launch event to discover more about it.  Schoolcomms had decided to base its business in Cornwall and one of its objectives was to grow and be able to provide employment in the area.   The business was beginning to take off and, with the prospect of rapid growth, the team needed all the help it could get with the expansion.

The Growth Challenge

At the point at which contact was first made with Oxford Innovation’s Grow Cornwall team, in the autumn of 2009, the business had two and a half employees and was operating on a virtual basis with no office base.  This was the turning point.  Roots had to be put down and it was decided that Bude was the right location. The directors set themselves the challenge of turning over £1million by the end of 2010, having increased turnover 100% year-on-year for the previous 3 years.
Aware that this continued growth would bring its own set of challenges, the team were looking for help to anticipate and plan for these so that their reputation for reliable delivery and great technical support was not jeopardised.
With their market sector becoming much more competitive the business needed to work smarter to remain at the forefront. The underdeveloped marketing skills within the business were a threat to the planned growth and needed to be addressed.

How has Oxford Innovation’s Grow Cornwall Coaching Team Helped?

Coach, Candida Whitmill, helped in supporting Schoolcomms appointed marketing consultant with branding and market awareness, providing the business with some insightful input to the launch of its eCards product in May 2010. The Brand training and follow-up workshop Candida ran for the whole team helped to sharpen-up the proposition to differentiate Schoolcomms from its competitors.  She has also been the experienced, listening ear to the team. Frances comments:“Growing so fast has presented problems and it is very helpful to be able to talk through the issues. We sometimes find it hard to lift our attention out of the day-to-day and having an ‘outsider’ to refocus us on the strategic issues is very useful. The dynamic combination of our in house team expertise, passion and commitment and Grow Cornwall’s’ specialist support resulted in us hitting the £1million turnover ahead of target”.

What is happening now?

Schoolcomms is planning for more new developments and growth in 2011, and two new employees started this month, growing the team to 12, mostly highly skilled, staff. Frances comments:”Our coach continues to help us with our strategic growth planning and acts as a ‘critical friend’. She has provided useful assistance with contacting various local specialists in diverse fields such as human resources, search engine optimisation, branding, website design and other training. We now feel much more confident about having the skills, business processes and plans in place to support our future growth.”

CONTACT DETAILS:

Lead Coach/Mentor:   Candida Whitmill    
                 
Entrepreneur:   Frances Perkin

Website:   www.schoolcomms.com