Page 9 - BOSS Today Issue 15

BOSS Award Cecilia Phillips is particularly Cecilia Phillips
winner Phillips proud of. This, she says, helps her receiving her
award
customers gain a much closer
Business insight into just what they are
spending on essential business
Solutions shows services.
“I have had our own software
how small developed to get better
companies can management information out for
still widen our customers,” she says. “We give
the customer the information
their focus they need, in the format they
need. The information we are
successfully able to provide is also bespoke:
every customer’s information is
different.”
hillips Business Solutions The office supplies business, the company in 1990. She says were the best office furniture
Pmay have won the Dealer however, remains the core of she initially thought she would company they had ever used,”
Excellence Award in the under what the company does. “We only be “helping out” for a few she says. “I know we can’t be
£5m turnover category, but still lead on office supplies,” says months, but soon got heavily really, because that is not really
the range of services that this Phillips. involved in growing the business our core product. But it does
company provides belies its size. with her new husband. show what a quality service we
Based in Blackburn in Customer size It has certainly grown provide.”
Lancashire, but operating right Providing such a wide range considerably from then, when its Less typically, the culture has
across the UK, and with a current of services clearly involves turnover was just over £200,000. also rubbed off on how staff
turnover of £3.6m and a staff considerable overheads, so But Phillips is keen to stress that view the company as well. Many
headcount of 28, the company the company also tends to she does not want the company employers can tell you about
doesn’t just supply office be selective about the size of to get too big, because then the great staff retention and
products. company it will take on as a client. she feels, it will lose its niche for low turnover rates they enjoy.
It also provides print “We do have to make sure we customer service. Few can tell you about staff still
management services, which only operate with customers This, she says, is one of its core remembering them ten years
includes holding customer’s who are over a certain size in values, and it was values, along later, as Phillips can. There are
printed stock for easy re- terms of employee numbers,” says with the company’s diversity many occasions, she says, when
ordering. It can offer logo and Phillips, “because that is the only in offering so many different staff who have left have come
company name embroidering way we can make our business services, that won it the award. back again. “This has happened
as an add-on to the workwear it cost effective. That said, we have “Our values are incredibly four or five times,” she says,
supplies. And it also has an office been in business since 1958 and important,” she says, “whether “most recently last week, when
interiors division. This has been we have never closed down an they are with each other, or with someone who worked for us
pulling in significant business in account, so there may be some customers or with suppliers.” 10 years ago said he wanted to
recent months, with contracts SMEs that we have still hung on Such a culture of respecting come back.”
worth up to £250,000 with many to from the early days.” the customer, and going that It all adds up to a business
household name companies and The business was founded by little bit further for them, pays services company that really
organisations. Cecilia’s father-in-law, who died in dividends in promoting the knows where it is going and is
The company also offers a 1982, leaving her husband Roger company, she says. getting there fast and efficiently,
cost management service for its to take over the reins when he “I had a large corporate with customers very much on
clients which managing director was only 21. She herself joined client recently tell us that we board.

December 2012/January 2013 | BOSS TODAY 9

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