From one laptop and one desk to 13 employees - how one ambitious IT firm is reaping growth rewards

“Our fantastic growth can be attributed to the support we've received from Business Wales AGP.”

When Mike Parfitt started his business in 2003, he hardly imagined it would one day turn into a company employing 13 people with ambitions for further expansion. But the entrepreneur has grown Team Metalogic from something he ran on his own from his laptop into an enterprise with serious plans for growth. And Mike attributes the company's recent success to the support provided to the Caerphilly-based firm by Business Wales AGP. 

Here, Mike tells how much that help has been worth, how he went from sole trader to business success story and offers tips for others wanting to follow a similar path.

Tell us about Team Metalogic.
I started the company in 2003, and for four years it was just me and my laptop, providing IT support services to small and micro-businesses.

I don't think I could have predicted that 17 years later I would have 13 employees and be expanding my business into a range of new areas, but that's precisely what's happened. It's been amazing.

I took on my first employee in 2007, and that was when things took off. Perhaps counter-intuitively, the 2008 financial crash gave us a massive opportunity for new business. The credit crunch made companies look at how they could save on costs. Lots of SMEs were looking at how they could outsource services. Meanwhile, larger companies were understanding the value of working with service providers. An external company with real expertise can provide the support of an internal IT team without the costs, commitments and rigmarole of employing staff. We were able to step in and capitalise on this trend.

We enjoyed rapid growth after this, and in 2018 I expanded the firm's offering so we could provide telecoms solutions, meaning we could offer customers a full support package.

 What are your proudest moments in business so far?
We've won plenty of awards – business and industry ones and recognition for our brilliant customer service, too. We were also the only Welsh business named in a list of the top 50 managed IT service providers in the UK.

Awards are great, as of course, it's wonderful to win recognition from your peers. But there's something I'm more proud of.

The source of that pride, and something which continues to drive my ambition, is the fact that I started with one laptop and one desk. Now I employ 13 people, and I want to grow the company further. At the core of that success story is an ethos of personal customer service, and a team that continually strives for best practice.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
Learning through experience is one of the most vital facets of an entrepreneurial journey. But if I were to start all over again, I think I'd be less risk-averse and more willing to try new things. If I'd taken more chances earlier in the business, I think I'd have enjoyed the same rapid growth through expansion, but a few years earlier.

You need the right kind of advice to be able to manage that aversion to risk, though. And I think that's something which can be difficult to find when you're starting alone. You don't necessarily know what support is out there for you.

But talking plans through with someone who's been there and done it can give you the reassurance you might need to take risks – and reap the rewards afterwards.
 

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
We joined the Business Wales AGP programme in 2018, ahead of our expansion into telecommunications. It was a crucial turning point for us.

We were given access to mentors, advisers and benefited from training workshops for our staff. Business Wales AGP also gave us guidance on planning for growth and an introduction to new networks of potential partners and customers.

After working with Business Wales AGP, we grew our staff from six to 13 and boosted our turnover by 72%. These fantastic growth figures can be attributed to the help Business Wales AGP gave us.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Don't be afraid of what you don't know.

● Find someone with more experience and learn as much from them as possible.

● Embrace the idea that you will never be 'finished', and that there will always be something new to learn.

● Don't be afraid to ask for help.

For more information on Team Metalogic, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme​.

Family-run healthcare company wins new business and enjoys growth

“We've enjoyed growth as a direct result of Business Wales AGP support.”

Family businesses remain vital cogs in the Welsh economic machine. Many are among the most innovative and forward-thinking firms in their sectors.

Healthcare Matters is one such company. It provides quality products and services to the NHS and the care sector. The award-winning Wrexham-based firm, which has grown to be a crucial employer in the area, has a family ethos at its heart. 

Here, sales director Adam Spiby shares the Healthcare Matters story and advises other business leaders wanting to expand and grow.

Tell us about Healthcare Matters.
Our story began with my dad, Phil, in 2005. It's strange to think the company wouldn't be here, employing 42 people, without a life-changing event which happened to him 15 years ago.

That year Phil suffered a heart attack and had to have a triple heart bypass. Not only did this save his life, but it also gave him pause for reflection – and he began to map out a new future. As he recovered from the op, he decided he wanted to work for himself. He set up Healthcare Matters, after doing some research, later that year. He hoped to be able to employ my sister and me eventually.

Fourteen years later, my father is managing director of a successful business – and he employs not only me and my sister, Leigh but also his grandson, Liam. When he was starting, our dad had looked at various markets to go into – but he opted for healthcare. He could see it had lots of potential for considerable future growth.

Today we have won awards, multiplied our staffing levels, and brought a new approach to a sector which needed the dynamism, clarity and customer service we offer. And we remain, principally, a family business. I think that's fundamentally how we've been able to build such a strong business which has such an excellent track record in customer satisfaction, and which has ambitions for further growth. 

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
We've had so many proud moments at Healthcare Matters, such as winning Excellence in Supply Awards, retaining contracts and winning tenders. But the things that make me most proud are the day-to-day things. 

The culture in the business is and always has been about going the extra mile to satisfy customers. This means our direct customers have an excellent experience, as do the clients, patients or service users of our customers. We're always getting fantastic feedback from our customers.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
We would have adopted technological solutions earlier. 

We've brought in an automated management system, and we now use cloud-based accounts. These things mean we can put our focus on the customer experience. Efficiencies made elsewhere in the company mean we can do what matters in making us a success.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
We've enjoyed direct growth thanks to the support from Business Wales AGP, which gave us a fresh perspective on the things we were doing, while also helping us find growth in new markets.

We've had a rebrand, received business support and assistance on trade missions, all of which have helped us increase revenue and expand our workforce.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Understand you cannot get every decision right. 

● Try to get it right, but when you get it wrong, learn from it and move on. 

● Don't dwell on mistakes.

For more information on Healthcare Matters, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme​.

How luxury brand, Goodwash Company is making a difference

“Business Wales AGP has been so supportive as we grow and do social good at the same time.”

Sustainable brands are transforming the skincare market. Innovation and ingredient provenance, not to mention their environmental and ethical impact, are making them increasingly attractive as a consumer choice.

Leading the way is Barry-based social enterprise Goodwash Company. This firm says its products look good "in the finest washrooms from Port Talbot to New York" and it's also committed to improving the lives of people and animals through its work as well.

Co-founder Mandy Powell shares Goodwash Company's story and offers some words of advice to others wanting to embark on a similar journey.

Tell us about Goodwash Company.
We're still a young company, but we're proud of the difference we've already made.

A bit about the stuff we make first of all – our products include soap, sanitiser and a range of lotions for use by retail and commercial clients. These are cruelty-free, vegan, natural and leave you feeling and smelling great. 

Our stated aim as a business is to "change the world, one wash at a time" and we mean it. All of our profits go into local causes. Since 2017, when we started the company, we've helped reduce waste in the hospitality industry, donated thousands to charities, helped volunteers and provided support to dozens of adults with learning difficulties. 

I'm a former Wales hockey and touch rugby player and Kelly Davies, who founded the business with me, is a Welsh football international. The brand is not just luxury and sustainable – it is very much Welsh.

We started the business with the intent to help change society for the better. We've been able to do that in these extraordinary times – for example, throughout the COVID-19 crisis we've donated thousands of emergency wash products to every NHS trust in Wales. 

We want to make the world a better place. We're a luxury brand, but we're driven by an ambition to do good through our success and manufacture products using natural ingredients which are sustainable and cruelty-free. 

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
We've won awards including a Wales Startup Awards – and were finalists at the Cardiff Life Awards in 2020. It always feels great to earn that kind of recognition.

But we're most proud of making a difference. When we started the company, that's what we wanted to do. We are ambitious for Goodwash Company to make environmental and social changes for the better, and that's what we've done so far. But it doesn't stop here! We want to continue that good work and ensure our legacy is about, for example, giving our employees a living wage and giving back to our community through the charity work we do. These are the things we are genuinely proud of.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
I think we'd have been more ambitious about raising investment. That would have given us a bit more of a head start when we were getting things off the ground. And then we could have moved into our own premises sooner as a serious social enterprise.

(L-R Mandy Powell and Kelly Davies)

 How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
Business Wales AGP has given us massive support as we have grown the company. We've benefited from assistance with marketing as well as strategic planning. This has helped us develop a clear plan of where we want to go and how we want to expand. Online sales support has also been a positive factor in our growth.

What advice and guidance would you give other businesses starting out?

● Go for your dream.

● Be confident enough to move quickly.

● Have no fear!

For more information on Goodwash Company, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme​.