We were at a place in the business where we really didn’t know the next step to take; when you are in it 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year its really easy to lose sight of what you want to achieve and how best to do this!
Elliot at Business Think was incredible; someone we felt we could really work with from day one, who not only understood the business but also got us. As a small business you are not just required to do one job but adapt and do whatever is required. Business Think helped us put structure in place that enabled us to take back control, to stay focused on the work we wanted to do and how best to achieve this. There have been tricky times, but Elliot has helped with whatever we have thrown at him in meetings; nothing phased him (well, it appeared not to)! He has made a massive difference to our business and is definitely a reason why we are here today with a great business and great clients.
Kim and Matt at 2detail
Our work with 2detail
I first met Kim and Matt at to discuss business direction. Their work is the highest standard in the industry, but pressures at the time were having an impact. Our first sessions together focused on purpose, why they had started 2detail in the first place, defining what kind of life they wanted to have, in and out of the business. These types of discussion are a mixture of personal and business goals (emotional and practical). At the end of those sessions, they had a clear direction for 2detail.
A number of key changes resulted from those sessions. While the business produces the highest quality of bespoke furniture, these contracts can be demanding and stressful. When one-off bespoke projects begin, new designs must be created, products must be tested, and people trained. As a result, these products can be high risk. To manage that risk, 2detail approached customers who required volume batch production, where the simple repeat designs could be produced without the ongoing complexity of bespoke projects. Kim and Matt soon won a large contract, which continues to create security and lower risk in the business.
The business also implemented a targeted marketing strategy to ensure high value prospects were aware of the full range of services and added value at 2detail. A new WordPress website was built to showcase those strengths and support this communication. Monthly updates were created and issued to those important people, again and again. 2detail bespoke workmanship speaks for itself, all that was required was a system that could regularly create marketing messages to tell people.
I have met Kim and Matt every month for the past seven years, always looking at the next marketing opportunity, but also being willing to go off page and talk about the stresses and challenges of running a business, which we all experience. I have got to know Kim and Matt over that time, to hear news about their family, not just the business, and to be a listening ear if they ever want to get another perspective or share a problem. If there is a challenge moment in business, I always remind Kim and Matt of those first sessions together, and how far 2detail has come since then, all the progress that they have been responsible for – it is so easy to forget that when you are close to a business.
My favourite 2detail marketing is their unique Christmas ‘cards’, which existed before I met Kim and Matt, it is something they just like to do for customers. My children loved to see what the postman was going to deliver; a reindeer, a snowman, or whatever the design might be that year. That is marketing genius – you produce a simple piece of CNC work, that is tactile and represents the quality of your work as a timber manufacturer, while still managing to put a smile on a child’s face (big kids too).
I should have said that was my idea!
2detail work for global brands and are recognised as producing the highest quality workmanship in the sector. Our work was simply to help them tell the right people, while ensuring the customers still understood they remain an authentic family business, one with a heart.
Thank you Kim and Matt for asking Business Think to work with you.
Elliot Forte at Business Think
