Blades Food
Blades Food UK Ltd is all about locally sourced fresh food, delivered to customers’ homes and businesses across Yorkshire and Humber. Fish, poultry, vegetables, meat – all top quality.
SCY services helped Blades Food UK to:
- Implement short-term and long-term growth strategies
- Identify new markets for products
- Establish new routes to market
When David Tutcher, Owner and Sales Manager, heard about the mentoring service from SCY, he jumped at the offer. He had taken over the company six years previously, the business was growing steadily and he felt that with help, it could grow considerably more.
David Tutcher says, “Running a business can be long hours and a lot of fire-fighting. It is hard to get time to step back from the day to day. When I was introduced to my mentor, I couldn’t believe I was getting someone of this calibre and experience for free.”
David has been mentored in a number of areas, with a particular focus on sales and marketing. Support includes advising on short-term, practical steps to increase sales, through to developing strategies for the long term future. Mentor/Client meetings are held every few weeks, depending on how much support David needs on projects.
Increased business
There are numerous examples already of how SCY’s support has converted into more business. David explains: “My mentor suggested we package and price our products more like the supermarkets so customers understand our offers better – and can easily work out that we are actually cheaper. This approach has increased business and the customers love it. Everyone is a winner.”
David received help on the wider business as well. He says, “Support has ranged from help to develop a day and week planner so I can get jobs done without interruption, to identifying new markets for our products.
New ways of doing business
One of the benefits of working with a mentor is that they have the time to research. “I’d wanted to introduce online ordering, but didn’t have the time or money to sort a new website,” says David. “My mentor found a really great website product that you can design yourself and just pay a small monthly fee to operate.
“Another really practical suggestion was to introduce text alerts to customers before we call them. I thought it would cost a fortune but found a service where you get 5,000 calls a month for £5. Now our customers prepare a list before we call and on average spend twice as much.”
Like most businesses, the economy has affected Blades Food UK. Their mentor has been able to advise on how to communicate to staff through difficult times and consult when the business had to make cuts.
David Tutcher sums up the help his business has had as ‘phenomenal’: “I can’t put into words the unbelievable difference my mentor has made. Its obvious they are passionate about the business and the quality of advice is extraordinary.
“We have been affected by the economy, but we are still really strong as a business. Our mentor has been looking at all the areas that we need sorted for the long term – our systems and processes, documentation, delegation skills – so that when the economy picks up, we will absolutely be able to capitalise on growth.
“The mentoring has turned this business from a ‘don’t know if I can do this’ into a ‘yes, we can’ and given us the confidence to turn our ideas into reality.”
