'We are helping ourselves while helping the local community'

Having owned CX since leading a management buyout in 2017, he would like one day to pass the business on to a next generation of owner.

What is your business called?

CX Services Limited

Where is it based?

We have four sites. Our warehouse teams are based in Dunoon, where our contact centre and mailing house is also located and Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, which services two large healthcare clients.

We have just opened a satellite contact centre in Rothesay where we knew there was a shortage of jobs there that we could help with. So, in effect, we are helping ourselves while also helping the local community since there are a number of people on Bute with extensive experience in the tele-marketing sector and we are keen to harness their talents.

We are excited to be expanding and, following our recent fifth anniversary, delighted to be offering employment opportunities to another rural area in Scotland where the community is pleased that there are new opportunities for employment on the island, especially from a Real Living Wage employer whose head office is also based in Argyll and Bute.

What does it produce/do?

We are a direct marketing services provider, specialising in three areas. Our inbound contact centre deals with customer service work, order processing, donation handling, live chat, and social media response. Our mail and fulfilment centre, covers transactional mail, advertising mail, and everything to do with fulfilment including pick and pack. The data side of the business provides data cleansing, data rental, and build bespoke CRM systems.

CX Services’ other services include data management, digital printing and website development. One of our most recent developments was the roll-out of new ‘omnichannel’ telephony software, which would allow agents to manage customer phone calls, web chat, email and instant messaging from a single platform.

To whom does it sell?

We have customers in the retail, financial, medical, travel, and charity sectors, including Scottish country clothing specialists the House of Bruar, life insurance and investments firm Scottish Friendly, membership organisation The Scotch Malt Whisky Society and Highland Broadband, which is delivering ultrafast full-fibre broadband across rural Scotland.

One of our highest growth services is direct mail, which has grown around 20% since before the pandemic. With more people working from home, companies have seen printed mail delivered by post really helping to drive orders and online sales. One of our customers, a young fashion brand, saw a 10% increase in sales from their mail campaign.

Because they were delivering something physical, they were reminding people it wasn't an email. One thing about mail is that it hangs around the house. And multiple people might look at that catalogue or postcard while it’s sitting there. So, it’s not like an email that disappears into your private inbox and is instantly forgotten.

What is its turnover?

£1.7 million. Over the next five years I hope to grow turnover further to £2.5m, with significant jobs growth in the next two years.

How many employees?

Twenty permanent employees split between four sites. We have a number of seasonal workers come on board during busy periods from August to January.

Why did you take the plunge?

Having worked for the previous incarnation of the company, Database Direct, for over 20 years, I worked from the shop floor, initially as a data inputter, up to technical services director. In 2017 the then directors were planning their exit strategy, and the opportunity presented for a management buyout. Having been with the company most of my working life it felt like the natural thing to take the company on and shape it the way I wanted.

What do you least enjoy?

I still get involved in data work, which involves looking at horrendous address details and making the addresses usable for Royal Mail to deliver to the correct house. That is the least favourite part of my job.

What are your ambitions for the firm?

I want to grow the business and leave a legacy. I arrived at this stage in the business by being mentored by previous management and being given the opportunity to buy the business. I would like to do the same for my partners, who are younger than me. I would like to help them to build this business up, with a view for them to do the same and carry on the business.

What single thing would most help?

More clients.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned?

Nothing is impossible in business. There are always opportunities to fix things or make them better. People can give up in business and it can become very hard, but there is always a way. I’ve been on the edge of the precipice and have come away from it. Now when people come to me with a problem there is always a solution. It’s very rare that there isn’t a solution to keep a business going.

Where do you find yourself most at ease?

I enjoy listening to other business stories and connecting other businesses, which comes from my own business experience and sharing with others. ‘Share your gold’ - I feel that more and more. If asked a question, I don't feel like I’m protecting anything or keeping my secrets, I always want to help people and that’s what I like. I received help and want to do the same for others.

If you weren’t in your current role, what job would you most fancy?

A drummer in a band. That was one thing I was most passionate about.

What phrase or quotation has inspired you the most?

‘Nothing is impossible in business’ and ‘Share your gold’.

What is the best book you have ever read? Why is it the best?

The Jelly Effect, by Andy Bounds. A networking book and a cool story. Andy Bound’s mum was blind, and he had to describe the world to her. A great book about sales, leadership, and communication.

What has been your most challenging moment in life or business?

The loss of a big client right at the start of my management buyout. I spent a Christmas thinking I'd lost everything and couldn’t tell anyone. That was the hardest part. I’m keen to create the new roles in the Argyll & Bute area. I was born in Dunoon and Dunoon and Argyll & Bute are a massive part of my life. I grew up when Americans were at the US Navy base on the Holy Loch, and saw the area decline when they left. My focus has always been employee centric and I would rather employ people all year round in permanent jobs, than bring them in on six-month contracts when we're busy.

What do you now know that you wish you had known when starting out in your career?

Knowing there is support out there for any type of business if you just ask. Previously I was reluctant to ask people for help, thinking I could do it all on my own. That’s not the case. If you have a problem there’s a good chance if you ask people about it they will have experienced being in that situation. Having a business network is important; without a business network you will get isolated. If you have a substantial network, asking for help is a lot easier. If you put your problem out to your network, the chances are they will help you with it.