Good customer service is key to the success of any business, but for Office Machine Services (OMS) it is absolutely vital.
Gary Baker set up the business in Barrow in 1992. Since 2000 it has been based in Askam-in-Furness, making it easier to access South Cumbria.
OMS supplies and installs new and used office machines, including copiers and printers, and provides ongoing service, maintenance and repairs.
Gary said: “We’ve continued to acquire more customers as the years have gone by, with almost all of them content and staying with us.
“We have a highly respected reputation for local customer service, and we always give our customers unique personal, professional customer care.
“Our unique selling point is that we are local and we are here for customers when they need support.
“Our competitors aren’t local and don’t like sending an engineer all the way to Barrow, so they can rely too much on telephone support.
“When something goes wrong with a machine, they will try to fix it over the phone while we will quickly send an engineer.”
Gary, from Portsmouth, spent 13 years in the RAF as a radar technician. On leaving, he moved to Cumbria because his wife is from Coniston.
He worked as a service engineer for Office Equipment (North West) in Barrow but seized the opportunity to set up his own business when he was made redundant, and Office Machine Services was born.
He said: “I could have got a job with another firm but I’d have had to go further afield and I decided I could do it myself. A lot of customers came with me.”
The website we had wasn’t really delivering new customers for us and it wasn’t getting found in Google searches results. We decided to replace it and the Growth Hub helped us do that. The Subsidy Scheme was very beneficial for us.
It’s a family business in every sense – his wife helps with the admin and their son Tim is employed as an engineer.
They have witnessed huge changes in technology since the business started in 1992.
Gary said: “We were still dealing with typewriters back then, first word processors and then computers and printers soon replaced them”.
“In the early days photocopiers were analogue, black and white machines, now we have digital colour copiers and printers, and these have evolved into multi-function machines that can be networked to copy, print, scan, email and fax documents.
“The technology has advanced in leaps and bounds over the last 30 years, when I first started as an engineer in this sector”.
Office Machine Services is a Ricoh Alliance Dealer, but can also supply, service and repair many other manufacturers’ equipment.
Customers range from local businesses to schools, GP practices, hospitals, health centres, charities, churches, and private individuals.
The business recently took advantage of the Subsidy Scheme, available from the Chamber’s Cumbria Business Growth Hub.
This enables ERDF-eligible businesses to access a 40% contribution, up to a maximum of £2,000, towards consultancy to support their growth plans.
Office Machine Services received a £2,000 grant towards the £4,895 cost of developing a new website, http://www.officemachineservices.co.uk/
Gary said: “The website we had wasn’t really delivering new customers for us and it wasn’t getting found in Google searches results.
“We decided to replace it and the Growth Hub helped us do that. The Subsidy Scheme was very beneficial for us.
“After going through a tendering process we chose MYWEBCARE, based in Edinburgh, and they designed the site for us.
“It went live at the beginning of the year and has made a difference. We’ve noticed an upturn in enquiries.”
For more information on the Subsidy Scheme click here, call Cumbria Business Growth Hub on 0844 257 8450 or email info@cumbriagrowthhub.co.uk
Family businesses like Office Machine Supplies are also eligible to join the Growth Hub’s Family Business Network, offering access to great opportunities such as InSight events through which family businesses share insights and talk candidly about the business and family business challenges, often with a company tour. They’re also a great opportunity to network outside the family with others facing similar challenges. InSight events to date have included contributors such as Lakeland, Warburtons, Holker Group, McLures and SN Group.
Click here to visit the Cumbria Family Business Network section of the Growth Hub web site, call 0844 257 8450 or contact Sue Coulson of The Family Business Network Ltd on 07866 536050 – email sue@fambiznet.co.uk
The funding that supports the Growth Hub comes from a range of sources including Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, the European Regional Development Fund, Allerdale Borough Council (Sellafield Ltd’s Allerdale SIIF, distributed by Allerdale Borough Council), Barrow Borough Council (FEDF Coastal Communities Fund Supply Chain Initiative, the Coastal Communities Fund is funded by the Government with income from the Crown Estates marine assets; it is delivered by the Big Lottery Fund on behalf of UK Government), Carlisle City Council, Eden District Council, South Lakeland District Council and Cumbria LEP.
The Growth Hub is receiving up to £2,528,767 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information click here.