Case Study
TM Facilities Services - H&S Specialists Expand Business
Ask Adrian Hollister and his colleagues what the driving force was behind the birth of Berkshire-based TM Facilities Services Ltd and their forthright answer is likely to strike a chord with many disenchanted 'suits'.
"We had become frustrated and unsatisfied with corporate life and the seemingly endless commuting into the capital. It was beginning to take its toll and we all wanted to create a better lifestyle both from a monetary and quality point of view," he says.
With backgrounds in Management Consultancy, Marketing, and Health & Safety, they felt well-equipped to develop a business.
Adrian comments: "Right from the outset we wanted to find a 'niche' in the Health & Safety marketplace and utilise this to build a successful business.
In the course of their research they found that whilst there were thousands of consultancies able to make recommendations about Health & Safety issues, managers needed to source testing from many different trade suppliers. "A company capable of providing a single source for testing would be a winner," says Adrian.
TM Facilities Services Ltd was founded just over four years ago and today operates from countryside premises in Hurst. Together Adrian and his colleagues have already created a £2 million turnover business specialising in Health & Safety testing services. These now include electrical testing, water quality, asbestos surveys, air quality, noise and lighting assessments.
Clients include blue-chip organisations from a variety of areas, including the retail, commercial, public, education and industrial sectors.
The growth of the business has been achieved with the help of an invoice discounting service provided by Close Invoice Finance, which is backed by one of the UK's finest merchant banks. Close is independent of any clearing banks and its ability to provide quick decisions - for both routine and irregular situations - is not to be found anywhere else in the industry.
Comments Adrian Hollister: "From the outset we dreaded the thought of having to keep approaching the Bank for funding as the business grew.
"Therefore we approached three factoring companies to provide an invoice discounting service, and selected Close Invoice Finance because of their professionalism and the 'personal', as opposed to 'impersonal', service they would provide compared to some of the factoring companies affiliated to the commercial banks.
"We have been very pleased with the service that Close has given us and get on so well with Toni Allen, the credit controller working on our account, that we feel she is part of our business team.
"When we initially started the business the fees we were paying to Close were no more than an 'in-house' credit controller would cost to employ. With the growth of the business the Close fees are now greater than it would cost to bring in our own credit controller, but we place a high value on Toni's contribution and the lack of management time on such issues as arranging bank facilities and collecting debts.
"Close provide us with 80 percent funding on our sales invoices ensuring that our cashflow grows in line with our success," Adrian says. "It means we can focus on client relationships and business development, rather than worry about bank relationships and working capital!
TM Facilities Website:
www.tmfac.com
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