Redweb Celebrates 10 Years in the Industry

Redweb is 10 years old this month. Rachel Ambrose asks Managing Director Andrew Henning to sum up his thoughts on how he has built a multi million pound agency from scratch, his ongoing aspirations and how he maintains the motivation to continue.

So 10 years old - how does this feel?

In truth it seems odd as the business today is so different from what I started with and hence it's hard to appreciate the time span. Coming from an owner who did all the work to being responsible for 40 staff has taken me through such a transition that I rarely have time to look back and today my effort is generally focused on the future.

I consider myself fortunate that I have achieved the old adage of being now able to work on the business, not just in it but I guess surviving 10 years is testament to my dedication and the considerable contribution of all the people who have assisted me along the way.

What do you think has differentiated Redweb from its competitors?

We have, as far as I am aware always been the biggest and best agency in the area and I am very proud that we have kept this status.

Just look in the Yellow Pages and see the number of potential competitors we have! As a service orientated business our £2 Million plus turnover is predominantly made up of billing against the output of our team of web designers and developers, so we have to be on the ball to maintain such a high throughput of work.

This has been greatly helped by our attitude to the types of clients we work for. We now have the luxury to choose who we work with - mainly large corporate and government organisations. We are never complacent, no matter what the job, we give excellent service, are always user focussed and produce great work. In truth, only clients of the stature of Sky, Identity and Passport Service, Norwich Union, Center Parcs etc and more locally Honeywell Analytics, Hamworthy and Castle Cover can provide us the ongoing opportunity for repeat work in large quantities.

Once the relationship is made it is then down to us to provide the ongoing customer service, breadth of disciplines and return on investment they require. Looking at the local competition I think there is generally a lack of infrastructure to provide this level of service and so perhaps they can't generate the income per client that we can. In addition, we have a strong portfolio and for more diligent clients the reassurance of the certifications we hold, namely ISO9001, ISO27001, ISO14001 and Investor in People.

Has being based in Poole been advantageous?

Being based outside London in this industry is always a challenge, but I think it has made us work harder to prove ourselves against our principle London based competitors. When the majority of your clients have a head office in London they would not out of choice choose a company based in Poole, so we have to be better than the rest, not just comparable (although we did open a London office to take no chances!).

We have all enjoyed our offices in Poole, but have out grown this site and we will be moving to Bournemouth shortly. This is a decision based on a shorter rail distance to the capital and a greater availability of office premises at the current time.

However, Dorset as a County does have many advantages, especially the work life balance and this is reflected in our retention rates which are far higher than the industry standards.

What support have you enjoyed?

Business Link has always been a good resource and I remain a member of my Plato group (an owner/manager club set up by Business Link some 4 years ago) which I find very rewarding and stops one becoming complacent.

Another tip is to just network, read business books, watch the TV and continually fish for ideas. I am very competitive, so if I see someone else has done something, I have to do it better.

Good staff are vital, so treat them well once you have them. It is not all about pay but little things like showing a genuine interest in what's happening and what they want to do. We have a real buzz and excitement at Redweb and I believe we are all sharing in the current success.

I also now leave the recruitment of staff to the people who will work with them, which has improved our intake fantastically!

Finally my family has been extremely supportive. Only people who run their own businesses and their wife/husband will really know the hours you need to put in.

What does the future hold?

I would say that as a business we really have only just started! In last 24 months we have really began to focus on growth and the future looks very promising.

We have an excellent base to grow from formed by our attitude and a policy of recruitment from the bottom up. In addition, I have entrusted all day-to-day responsibility to a wider team which has allowed greater support for the new people we have brought in. We are now planning as stated to move to larger premises and aim to have a staff of around 70 by late 2009, although I think we might get there sooner. It certainly is watch this space.