BENEFITS OF KEEPING IT LOCAL

In many walks of life, you can buy products and some services from anywhere around the globe. But when it comes to service with a difference, Ian and Jamie from WBS Copiers and Printers like to keep it nice and local.

Setting up over 9 years ago, WBS copiers and Printers have grown to become a very well-respected business in the Kent area and beyond. WBS now service lots of machines across Kent and with a staggering firsttime fix rate of over 90% because they care about their customers and how they would cope if they were unable to print.

From unethical contracts to fair prices, WBS wants to be an open book when it comes to customer service and interaction.

"As someone who has used WBS for a few years now I can honestly say Ian and Jamie are wonderful people who have always made sure I am always up and running, so much so that one time I was in an online networking meeting with Ian and said my printer was not working and before the meeting had ended he had jumped in his van, popped over to my office fixed the printer and finished the networking meeting sitting next to me." J.T.

07557 029 115 or 07525 259 746

WBS Copiers and Printers

Rowes Yard, Manston Business Park, Manston, Kent CT12 5FA

So what are the benefits to you and your business of using a local printer service company?

There are several benefits to having a printer service company located locally to your business in Kent. Here are the top five benefits:

Faster Response Times: With a local printer service company, you can expect faster response times for repairs, maintenance, and support. This means less downtime for your business and more productivity.

WBS are currently averaging around 30-minute callout times from the point that they are made aware of an issue either from the monitoring agent or a phone call from the client right through to getting an engineer to their door.

Knowledge of the Local Market: A local printer service company will have a better understanding of the needs and challenges of businesses in Kent. They can provide tailored solutions that meet the specific requirements of your business.

There are times when Ian and his team have been to an install and things might not have been as advised or something might have changed. A lot of service companies would not bend to these changes they would refuse to adapt and get the sales / contract guy in to re-negotiate to allow for the change. Knowing the local area means WBS can adapt quickly and either get back to their unit to pick up more parts if needed or go to a local supplier who can give them what is needed to get the job done, first time, without fuss.

Easy Access to Supplies:

Local printer service companies are typically well-connected to suppliers and manufacturers of printer supplies. This means you can easily get access to replacement parts, toners, and other consumables.

WBS always try its best to make sure a client is not without consumables but there are times when they are faulty or there is an issue and so when this happens, WBS make sure they have stock of all the toners we supply and make sure to get it out to you within our average call out time of just 30 minutes

Cost Savings:

A local printer service company may offer cost savings compared to a national or international service provider. This is because they have lower overheads and can pass on these savings to their customers.

WBS is ethical in everything from the contract right through to the callouts they will try to keep costs to a minimum where possible, such as if a machine is coming to the end of its life, Ian would suggest changing machines and based on your needs a new machine might not be the right way forward, he might be able to suggest a refurbished machine that will do you just as well.

Personalized Service:

With a local printer service company, you can expect personalized service that is tailored to your business needs. You can develop a relationship with the technicians who service your printers, and they can provide advice and support on how to get the most out of your printing equipment.

Knowing each and every one of your customers is really important especially when it comes to being able to offer help and support.

"We keep lots of parts on the van and we try to diagnose the issue before attending site so we can turn up prepared to get the machine back up and running within no time."

On the odd occasion it cannot be fixed first time, WBS keep a range of extra parts at their new unit in Manston, to which they have easy access and so can get in and out quickly and back to your office meaning low down time for your printer.

By demonstrating a commitment to ethical behaviour and social and environmental concerns an organisation can build trust and credibility with stakeholders, including customers, employees, and investors. Their reputation will be enhanced, helping to create a competitive advantage.

CSR also benefits companies by reducing legal and reputational risks. It can promote innovation and efficiency, for example through sustainable production methods or developing new products or services that address social or environmental challenges. It fosters inclusivity and loyalty among employees and customers.

While every business is different and has a unique set of demands and constraints, every business can incorporate some actions under a CSR heading. Small businesses often do so without labelling them as CSR. Here are some common examples.

Examples of small business CSR practices

1. Giving back to the community. Small businesses are often firmly rooted in the community where they operate, and so they support local organisations and causes that align with their values. This may be through donations, sponsorships, discounts on products or services, or volunteer work.

2. Reduce environmental impact. Small businesses frequently adopt sustainable practices such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and using eco-friendly products. They are often run on tighter budgeting and control than larger organisations, and these measures not only benefit the environment but also save money on operating costs.

3. Support ethical sourcing. Small businesses tend to work very closely with their suppliers, often within close geographic proximity. They can ensure they partner with companies who adhere to fair labour practices or use sustainable production methods.

4. Work-life balance. Small businesses often provide their employees with options such as flexible schedules and family-friendly workplaces. The business owners may be the only employees, but if there are other members of staff, the owners will know them personally, and be likely to support them on an individual basis.

Where small businesses sometimes miss out on some of the benefits of these actions is by not talking about them. Large corporates often have webpages dedicated to showcasing their CSR, and small businesses could benefit from similar visibility, positioning themselves as a great company to do business with.

MP Environmental Pest Control offering commercial and domestic solutions to pests

MP Environmental is owned and managed by Michelle Pope. Michelle, has over 15 years experience in the pest control world and offers a friendly, reliable & honest local pest control service.

We believe Michelle is the owner of the first and possibly only woman owned pest control company in Kent.

Michelle is passionate about constantly improving and evolving to meet customers needs and offers tailor made contracts.

MP Environmental is proud to serve Kent with its Pest Control needs offering help and support to both the commercial and domestic sectors with contracts for businesses such as restaurants who need to have a pest management plan in place by law and any pest related ad hoc emergencies.

We also offer services to the domestic market so if you find bed bugs or have a wasps nest or issues with moles or any other pest related issue then we can help you to become pest FREE.

Have you ever attended a business networking event, either online or in person? If yes, what did you think; if no, why not?

It is my honest opinion that business networking is the best use of your marketing budget and a great use of your time, when it is done correctly.

When I say correctly, I mean, do not think that attending a group will automatically get you business, sadly it won't often work out like that.

Attend meetings, be present and engage with the other attendees within the meetings either online or in person and then after the meetings have finished book 1-2-1s with the people you have met. You might think, but I am not interested in what they do, what if they are interested in what you do, what if they want to tell people about what you do. I remember being asked in a large group what is your

Marketing for your business

golden nugget referral? Someone shouted out I would like an audience with Richard Branson, some laughter, as if that can happen. Then an amazing thing happened, someone replied and said I am good friends with his PA, let me see what I can do.

Now, I have no idea if that opportunity came off but the fact is no one knew they were one step away from Richard Branson, you never know who knows who.

Look at each 1-2-1 as an opportunity to get to know the person, you never know what might come of that relationship.

Another form of networking is a business trade show, lots of businesses exhibiting, showing off their business brand and giving away merchandise such as pens, pads and mugs. This year we have also seen other items such as bluelight blocking glasses and even clapper boards "action".

Trade shows are a great way to start a conversation with businesses both from the point of view of being the buyer and the seller. We all need things in our business, we all need an accountant, we all need printed things like flyers, we all need a website. Speak to the people offering those things, start a conversation and see how they can help you and your needs and don't forget to get a nice new pen.

Simply Business Club is attending Business Vision Live at Detling Showground near Maidstone in Kent on the 10th October and also will be attending other events in the coming months, at BVL23 we have been asked to give a talk at the breakfast in the morning and run some speed networking throughout the day, we are very excited to working with the show and hope to be able to offer similar types of networking opportunities throughout the year at other events across the UK.

So, what next for you, as we asked you at the start of this article, have you been along to a networking event? did you attend BNI or BoB, perhaps it was an FSB or Chamber event or even, have you been lucky enough to attend an SBC event? Each of the listed meetings offers a slightly different take on how to do it, not every type will work for each and every person which is why we always say you should try as many different types of meetings as possible so that you make the right choices.

If you haven't attended a networking meeting then I urge you to do so, it will help you take steps to another level, it will also be helpful to know a plumber or a virtual assistant at a time when you have a boiler issue or your admn is getting too much for you to handle.

At Simply Business Club we offer 3 online meetings per week at different times to suit the different needs

Monday 11am - 12.30pm Brunch / Elevensies

Thursday 12.30pm - 2pm Lunchtime

Friday 7.30am - 9am Breakfast

Our members choose to attend one or more per week some choose a set day some choose to fit it around their schedule, both ways work.

Why not come along and see how Networking happens at Simply Business Club, we offer every new person 4 FREE visits within a one month period.

Book on via the QR code below

Joining Simply Business Club has given us a great opportunity to meet other business within Kent and hear about the various industries of other members. Its quite a relaxed atmosphere too so you feel like your making friends as well as business contacts and meetings are flexible to your work schedule. All in all its been great for our business not only broaden our client base but also utilise services from others too. We would highly recommend coming along and trying it out!

David Meares Virtec IT Solutions

Since Covid interrupted our lives many of us were also introduced to online networking, a stay at home alternative via Zoom or Teams, lots of people have gone back to face to face meetings and whilst this is understandable as people crave the physical interaction with other people, have you considered a hybrid approach? The benefits of online networking such as;

1, Meeting people from anywhere in the world

2, Save on time travelling to and from meetings

3, Save on cost of travelling to and from meetings

Book a meeting now by scanning this QR code don't forget to use the promocode NEWVISITOR for your first 4 visits