Sowing the seeds of future success

WNJ has advised a Lancashire based wholesale florist on its successful sale to a growing business based in the Netherlands.

Peter H Smith supplies flowers and plants to florists and supermarkets in the North of England. The company, based in Ashton-on-Ribble, is one of the largest independent wholesalers of its kind in the UK.

It now has been acquired for an undisclosed amount by Hoek Group, a family business, headquartered in Rijnsburg in the Netherlands.

Peter H Smith was advised by WNJ throughout the sales process and the WNJ team, led by partner Paul Woodburn advised on all aspects of the transaction.

The new owner has more than 40 years of experience in the worldwide purchase and sales of flowers and plants. It has a strong history of expansion through acquisition on the continent.

Peter H Smith is a family business that can trace its history back almost 90 years. Led by husband-and-wife team Nick and Diane, the third-generation family company successfully overcame the recent challenges of Brexit and the pandemic.

Both Nick and Diane celebrate their 60th birthdays this year and felt this was the right time to make an exit.

Nick said: “The sale happened very quickly. We had a number of interested parties, but the Hoek Group was the best fit.

“The new owners are also a family business and we believe they will take the business onto the next level. It was also important to us that they kept on the current staff.”

Peter H Smith can trace its origins back to a market garden in Tarleton. Nick’s grandfather started the current business back on the original Preston Market and it has grown and expanded into state-of-the-art premises in Ashton-on-Ribble.

Today the wholesaler supplies flowers and plants from across the world, as well as nearer home in the UK. Every day it receives colourful blooms from places as far away at East Africa, the Middle East and South America.

A team of workers creates bouquets destined for sale in well-known supermarkets and stores and the business operates its own fleet of delivery vehicles. Peter H Smith is based on Chain Caul Way, near Preston’s docklands.

Nick said: “WNJ’s advice and support was invaluable throughout the process. We’ve a long and extremely strong relationship with Paul Woodburn and the WNJ team and it is great to have someone with you who you can totally trust as you go through the sale process.

“WNJ were on hand throughout to help, whatever time of day, with a strong network of people to draw on. If they didn’t know the answer to something they always knew someone who did.

“As well as their valuable advice every step of the way, when needed they were also a friendly ear on the end of the phone.”

• To discuss how WNJ can support your business please call 01772 430000

Balancing profits with sustainability

As ESG becomes increasingly important for every business a Lancaster based company is working with organisations across the globe to help them balance profits with environmental and social responsibility.

TBL Services, which has been a client of WNJ since 2019, exists to make sustainability work for businesses.

The company’s mantra is that it is no longer enough for businesses just to be profitable – they also need to contribute to society and help to protect the planet.

To that end its expert team helps organisations work more sustainably using the United Nations’ ‘global goals’ as a guide and framework.

Managing director Colin Curtis says: “Those goals help keep things simple and focused. The company’s name TBL means the ‘Triple Bottom Line’: people, planet profit.

“We are passionate about creating a better world and those UN goals, there are 17 of them all interlinked, particularly when it comes to reducing inequalities, achieving net-zero and creating sustainable economic growth.

“We really believe in the goals and their capacity to create a better world. But we also know that you have to bring the real world into the equation, and we try and make it as simple as we can in words that people can understand.

“Basically, we help businesses of all sizes develop their strategy. We measure an organisation’s carbon footprint and look at how it can work to get to net zero.

“We help them with their ESG compliance, which it has to be said also brings with it commercial advantages. It’s not just the legal requirements, there is increasing customer and investor pressure.

“And we also help businesses work with their suppliers on this. It is important to get the whole supply chain involved, that’s what creates real sustainability. And we do all this in an affordable and low-cost way for the business.”

Colin adds: “Most companies are doing good things but they don’t know how to bring it all together. That’s where the strategy comes in. We’ll help build a strategy that people can be accountable for and that can be measured.”

TBL has a 17-strong team and a client base that stretches from Lancashire to Silicon Valley in North America. They have experience across the globe in industries from food and drink to finance, technology to energy

Colin says: “If you get ESG right it will improve your business performance. If we can make things simpler and more straightforward, more people will get involved and will succeed.”

And he adds: “It really is ok to mention profit and sustainability in the same sentence.”

• To find out more about TBL and its services visit www.tbl-services.com or call 01524 593741

Another route to business growth?

Looking to grow your business but concerned about the financial risk in these uncertain times?

Franchising could be the answer, according to David Nelson, director and co-founder of The Business Clinic, which specialises in supporting companies on their franchising journey.

He says: “In these uncertain times successful businesses are still looking to grow. Franchising the business can offer them an alternative, lower risk route without significant investment in property or people.

“One of the big benefits of taking the franchising route is that it reduces the financial risk involved in funding growth. It’s a factor that we’re seeing more and more with our clients.

“It also increases the value of your business, while taking it to that next level and making it more attractive to potential funders, investors or purchasers. Franchising is a way to boost revenue and profits.”

He adds: “The appetite is also there from potential franchisees. The sector in the UK is going from strength-to-strength, with increasing numbers of people with money to invest looking at it as a way to successful business ownership.

“One of the main reasons individuals opt to buy a franchise rather than starting their own business is because they have a better track record of success.

“Building a successful franchise model also helps others to achieve their dream of running a business. You will have motivated partners sharing your vision and growing with you.”

There are around 48,000 franchise businesses in the UK and the sector contributes around £17bn to the economy.

Based in Chorley, The Business Clinic team has worked with companies in sectors ranging from home cleaning to school sports provision, to support them as they embark on their franchising journey.

At the very start of the process, The Business Clinic will produce a detailed feasibility study to uncover if franchising is the right route for a company.

If it is, its experts will work with the business to make sure it has got the right financial structure in place to make franchising a success.

David adds: “We also work with business on their franchise model and help them to put the right support systems and structures in place for their franchisees to be successful. And we will help them recruit the right people to succeed.”

Franchising checklist

Here are some of the opening questions The Business Clinic says owners looking to franchise should be asking themselves.

David says: “These questions can help you initially to decide if franchising is the right route for your business growth. If you are interested and want to understand more, we are happy to discuss things with you at a no-obligation meeting.”

  1. Is my business profitable?

Franchising is a business model replicating something that already exists. A successful core operation is vital. The business must be working and working well.

  1. Could my business serve its customers through a network of local branches and operations?

We want you to be thinking about the benefits a multi-business operation can bring from your brand. How might this be of benefit to the industry?

  1. Do I have something that is different that I can bring to the marketplace?

Here we want you to think about whether your business has a unique USP and/or way of working that will separate from others in the current marketplace.

  1. Can I document in detail the way that my business operates so that it can be taught easily to others?

Here we want you to ask yourself and be honest about the systems and processes you have in place. Are they streamlined and laid out, so instructions are easy to follow?

  1. Is the way that I work and operate easily transferable? Or is my business based on my personality rather than processes?

With this question, we want you to consider how reliant your business is on you being involved and hands-on within it. What would happen if you started to take more of a back seat to regular operations?

  1. Have I got the financial and physical resources to invest in successful franchise development?

This question isn’t designed to put you off but rather ensure you know what kind of investment you will need to put in to achieve an established and successful franchise brand.

  1. Am I ready for my business role to change from business operator to franchisor?

This is something only you, the business founder/director can answer and needs to be a decision you are ready for as they couldn’t be more different from one another.

  1. How do I feel about fully sharing the way my business operates and giving other people the tools to run it at a local level?

If your business model is something truly unique and something no other business is doing, we can understand why some people want to keep certain aspects hidden but if you truly want your company to grow in this way it is essential to be open and honest with the inner workings so your franchisees have the best chance of success and equally for you franchise brand.

  1. Am I excited about the thought of other people being successful doing what I have done? Do I want to share that route map to success with others?

Similar to question 8 above, are you ready to open your business up to the world in order to create that legacy for your brand?

To contact the Business Clinic team visit www.thebusinessclinic.org or call David on 01772 367 367

Environment consultancy receives B Corp status

MARKET leading environmental consultancy and compliance scheme Comply Direct has achieved B Corporation (B Corp) status.

It means that Comply Direct, which has been a client of WNJ since its launch 17 years ago, has joined the ranks of more than 5,000 companies across the globe who are using business as a force for good.

The B Corp was established in 2006 and is the first and only certification for businesses that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability.

To become B Corp certified, a business must complete an in-depth assessment administered by the non-profit B Lab.

Comply Direct, which is based in Skipton, North Yorkshire, met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent its commitment to goals outside of shareholder profit.

And to complete the certification, Comply Direct, which has a 50-strong workforce and clients across the UK and internationally, has legally embedded its commitment to purpose beyond profit in its company articles.

The business “supports and empowers” organisations to achieve their sustainability obligations and aspirations. It delivers offerings for mandatory and voluntary initiatives, from carbon management and environmental social and governance (ESG), to packaging sustainability, plastic packaging tax and extended producer responsibility.

It also helps to fulfil the legislative requirements of obligated companies under the waste packaging, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment recycling (WEEE) and batteries legislation.

Recent attention on the environmental and recycling industry makes Comply Direct’s B Corp certification a notable step and signals a shift towards greater accountability and transparency in the sector.

Chris Turner, executive director of B Lab UK, said: “Welcoming Comply Direct is an exciting moment because they have an opportunity to lead the way within the environmental industry.

“We and the rest of the B Corp community are really pleased to support Comply Direct in paving the way for a new way of doing things. Their commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and really help spread the idea that we can redefine success in business to be as much about people and planet as it is about profit”.

Jessica Aldersley, director of talent, culture and operations at Comply Direct, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved B Corp status following the rigorous assessment process. It has taken around 18 months of work to get to this stage.

“We’re celebrating our 17th anniversary this year and throughout that time Comply Direct has always operated in alignment with the B Corp principles, looking to do the right thing for the environment, for our people and for our stakeholders.

“We’re very proud that the B Corp assessment process highlighted to us all the great things we have already been doing to positively impact people and planet.

“We are, however, always striving to be better, and the process has also given us lots of ideas around how we can further make an impact on society and the environment by leading, inspiring, and educating to ensure a better, fairer, sustainable world for all.

“The process has opened doors and opportunities for us and there are lots of exciting things to come at Comply Direct. This is just the start of our B Corp journey.”

• For more about Comply Direct and what it can offer your organisation visit www.complydirect.com