Financial services firm enjoys rapid growth with the help of Business Wales AGP.

“We would not be as successful as we are today without the support of Business Wales AGP.”

A flow of finance is crucial to a functioning economy, where investment can be made, and deals are done. Borrowing and lending, and access to funds – these things require a great deal of knowledge and experience.

Pure Commercial Finance was founded by banking professional Ben Lloyd. His vision was to establish a business which could access and structure funding perceived to be “too difficult” for mainstream lenders. It’s already been a big success story.

Here Ben shares his experience as an entrepreneur, reveals his tips for others and outlines just how big a help Business Wales AGP has been to his company’s growth.

Tell us about Pure Commercial Finance.
Sometimes turning a great business idea into something that works is all about timing. I think that worked in my favour when I started Pure Commercial Finance (PCF). I had a successful career in banking, but I identified a gap in the market and realised I could make a success by going it alone.

I started PCF in June 2013, with an alternative approach to lending. I built a team of people around me, using the contacts I’d grown as a bank employee. The business grew rapidly and has won awards for being both innovative and tenacious in securing the right funding packages for our clients.

Initially, we concentrated on property-backed deals, which remains our core, but we’ve expanded into wealth management and other funding lines. My team now comprises 26 staff based mainly in Cardiff, with representation in London too.

Early on, we realised that to get deals done, more time per deal was required so it could be understood and packaged for lenders who could then make an informed decision to lend. My team has built a reputation of leaving no stone unturned before presenting a potential deal to a funder. 

Lenders have confidence in us to put the right deals in front of them, and this gives us credibility in the market. It’s a virtuous circle and one which reinforces our expertise, experience and knowledge as our greatest assets.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
We’ve won plenty of financial sector awards. But our proudest distinction would have been our first national industry award at the Bridging and Commercial Awards.

Recognition from colleagues in your sector is such a boost and has really spurred us on. 

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
The business grew very quickly, which I would not change! In the early days, the infrastructure and administration behind the hungry sales force were stretched. There were process inefficiencies as the sales team were dealing with administration rather than sales.

Ideally, we would have grown the backroom functions at the same rate as the sales force. Building the ideal support team would have been an interesting cash balancing act. Of course, we will never know!

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
We’ve been part of the Business Wales AGP for four years. And we’ve had a range of consultants help with sales growth and team structure as well as our business strategy. But the most significant positive difference to the business has been the support of our relationship manager.

I’ve used my relationship manager as a mentor, sounding board, confidante and someone to challenge my decisions. We would not be as successful as it is today if without the support of Business Wales AGP.

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

● Don’t be afraid to make decisions. The worst decision is not to make one.

● When you have to make tough decisions, do them with the knowledge you have researched them so you can justify them to both yourself and others.

● Get a trusted advisor who is entirely independent and really listens.

● Invest in your staff. Never underestimate how crucial they are to your business.

For more information on Pure Commercial Finance, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme​.

Dairy supplier Totally Welsh on expansion and success during the COVID-19 crisis.

"The support from Business Wales AGP in a range of areas has been exceptional."

Wales has a wealth of excellent farm produce, famed around the world for its quality.

Dairy is a critical component of the nation's agricultural landscape. One brand well-positioned to take advantage of that, offering dairy products to a range of customers, is Totally Welsh. The brainchild of Mark Hunter, who founded his business in 1990, the brand has been built on the standard of its products and excellence of its service.

Here, John Horsman, of Totally Welsh, tells us all about the business and offers some tips to other business leaders wanting to pursue ambitious growth.

Tell us about Totally Welsh.
I think the best place to start is with our product because fundamentally that's what we're all about. Our dairy is sourced directly from the farm. It's Welsh milk from Welsh cows, and it's bottled here in Wales too. We're proud of that, and it's a key selling point for us.

As much as possible we use farms within a 40-mile radius of our bottling plant in Haverfordwest, using farmers in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthen. These lush pastures provide a high-quality product and we are well placed in West Wales to capitalise on this with our bottling facilities and recognised brand name.

By keeping things local and reducing food miles, we offer milk that is fresher for our consumers and better for the environment too. We supply public sector clients like hospitals and schools, as well as independent retailers.

About 18 months ago we acquired the Welsh doorstep delivery arm of global brand Milk and More (Muller) – which is now known as Totally Welsh Direct and sells a range of other products. We're keen for as many of those products as possible to be Welsh. In these difficult and uncertain times, this service has been a lifeline to many – especially those who haven't been able to get out of their homes very much.

The success we've had means we've expanded production. For example, we have just installed a state-of-the-art bottling line which has increased our capacity to produce hundreds of thousands of extra litres of milk every week. It's all geared us up for growth, and we've won some big supply contracts under the Totally Welsh brand.

But our growth hasn't been all about headline-grabbing contracts, as we've made a massive success of our doorstep deliveries service at the same time. We're keen to ensure that our environmental footprint shrinks, so we use glass bottles in our home deliveries. Recycling and reusing is an ethos which is now at the centre of our operation.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
That's difficult for a business like ours, with so much in our history to celebrate. But in recent years, keeping production going during the installation of our automation system was a massive success and a tribute to the work of our team here.

When we acquired what is now Totally Welsh Direct, we knew it wasn't the brand that it could be. It's benefited from our knowledge of Wales and the customers we serve, and I think it's grown (and keeps growing!) into the business we always knew it could be.

We had to pivot our business quickly when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and we've benefited from being agile and dynamic and have managed to see growth during a time when not all companies can say that.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
Another difficult one! I think we've made decisions which have been challenging but which have ultimately been beneficial to the business. 

Taking on a new business in Totally Welsh Direct has been an enormous undertaking but one of which we're rightly proud, and which we know will benefit the company as we move forward.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
We've had massive support from Business Wales’ Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP) since we joined the programme. We've received support in a range of areas, like branding, marketing and publicity through our new newsletter. That was especially beneficial when we launched Totally Welsh Direct.

We also accessed the expertise at Business Wales AGP to help us in the design and layout of our cold store, which has improved efficiency here. 

We have also been supported with our recruitment strategy and succession planning for senior staff.

It's been an invaluable resource and proves that all businesses – big, small, new or well-established – can really benefit from expertise brought in from the outside.

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

● Recruit well and ensure your staff are kept enthused and a part of your project through continuous assessment and appraising.

● Totally Welsh has become a trusted brand, don't underestimate how powerful your brand can be if you build it well.

● Whatever you do, whether it's in a more traditional sector like ours or a newer one, try to build flexibility and dynamism into the DNA of your company because you never know when you might need that ability to change or move in a different direction.

For more information on Totally Welsh visit here.
 

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme​.

Training firm sets itself a goal of further global expansion.

“I’m grateful for the expertise and support on offer through Business Wales AGP - it’s such a valuable resource.”

Professional development is crucial for companies wanting to upskill their workforce as well as individuals keen to make themselves better adapted to the needs of employers.

Cognitia, based in Porth in the Rhondda, is a firm which aims at delivering new skills for the learners who enrol on its courses. Established by Nigel Lewis in 2015, it has gone on to become one of the UK’s fastest-growing specialist training providers.

Here, Nigel Lewis tells the Cognitia story, detailing its development as a respected training provider and his growth plans.

Tell us about Cognitia.
Well, Cognitia began with my own professional interest and area of expertise: health and safety training. It’s my specialism and an area I care about, so I guess it was a natural move for me to plot my journey in business with a training agency.

Cognitia was founded in 2015. I think it helps if you’re passionate about the sector you’re working in as an entrepreneur, and that’s spurred me on. I know that we’re offering quality training, improving the skills base and adding value to the economy. It’s work which is not just enjoyable but provides everyone in the Cognitia team with a great sense of professional satisfaction when we see the results – people gaining new skills, knowledge and newly able to further their careers.

When I started the company, I did so with an eye on a gap in the market for experienced training providers offering a more comprehensive learning resource, rather than one-off qualifications. With NVQ-style qualifications still growing and gaining traction globally, there was scope to form what I’d call a career-building company offering expertise in training around the world.

We’re now a fast-growing specialist competency-based health and safety training and skills provider. We’ve supported hundreds of NVQ learners with almost half of those progressing through to management qualifications. As a team, we have decades of experience in the planning and delivery of risk management training between us. We operate as a consultancy across three continents, and we’ll soon be entering Australasia. So there are exciting times ahead for us.

What are your proudest moments in business so far?
We became one of the first training providers in the UK to qualify for safety, health and environment technician apprenticeships (SHE-TEC) – only missing out on being the first by a single day!

I’m enormously proud of the overseas partnerships we’ve formed, which have meant we’ve been able to grow as a global company.

But what I’m most proud of is the development of my team of dedicated staff. Their hard work has been invaluable in the growth of the business, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see them develop as professionals as Cognitia has developed.

If you were starting again, what would you do differently?
I’d have recruited earlier. I spent a lot of time trying to manage and run all aspects of the business, which meant I was spreading myself too thinly, and it led to burnout. 

By recruiting good people earlier, I think the company would have enjoyed the success it’s having now much sooner.

How has support from Business Wales AGP helped your business?
We found the support of the Business Wales AGP through the Town Square Accelerator Programme. It’s been an enriching experience. 

Through the programme, I recruited the business’ commercial and corporate director, and I’ve been introduced to several professional advisers who are all operating at the top of their field.

I’m grateful to have accessed the expertise and support on offer through Business Wales AGP; it’s such a valuable resource.

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

● Recruit well, and make sure you bring in people that you can trust to take work off your hands.

● Be sure and confident in your goal, as this will drive you forward and help keep you going when times are tough

● Talk to people! Share and listen to peers and colleagues and take everything as an opportunity to learn and grow.

For more information on Cognitia, visit here.

Further information on the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme