Pictured: Glenn Harrison
Answer-4u, the Nottingham based call answering business, handled
over a million calls on behalf of its clients last year.
The company, which is based on Talbot Street, Nottingham
achieved a 16% increase in turnover to the end of its last
financial year, to record sales of £2.3 million, and
forecasts that it will hit almost £3 million by the end of
this financial year in June 2012.
Answer-4u was established in 2004 by Glenn Harrison, who, along
with his business partners,set up in a dining room with just a
couple of laptops and phones. "Those early days were very tough,"
said Glenn. "I sold my apartment, my car and went months without
any salary to get the business off the ground, but I was confident
that eventually the business would be successful, and looking at
where we are today, it proves that the risk was worth it."
The company has come a long way since those days and currently
employs over 130 people, with new positions coming available all
the time as the business continues to expand. A further 13 people
have started at the business since the beginning of 2012.
Glenn puts the success of Answer-4u down to the way in which the
company has managed to capitalise on the growing trend for
businesses to keep costs down by outsourcing their call answering
service. In addition, they have also seen a marked increase in the
number of small businesses which are using their service.
"Answer-4u has over 1,700 clients and more and more small
businesses, in particular, are realising that it is more cost
effective for them to let someone else handle their calls so that
they can focus on their work and bringing in new business."
Answer-4u offers a pay-as-you-go service for small businesses,
which means that they only pay for any calls they receive.
Businesses also receive an email message or can choose to have a
text. Glenn believes it is the flexibility of the service which
gives them the competitive edge.
"Some of our customers might only spend £10 a month with
us, whereas others might be paying several thousand pounds," said
Glenn. "They aren't tied in to contracts and so can opt in or out
whenever they want to and they appreciate that freedom.
"I am very proud of the fact that we have not only managed to
survive, but have expanded and increased our staff numbers year on
year, even through the recent recession," added Glenn. "We have a
very loyal customer base consisting of some very large, blue chip
businesses, right down to sole traders, and our Answer-4u service
is still continuing to grow rapidly."
Answer-4u handles more than 7,000 calls a day during its busiest
times, for a diverse range of clients, including building
societies, solicitors, IT companies, medical equipment suppliers
and even a hat maker.
Looking ahead to the future, Glenn adds: "Our plan now is to
expand Answer-4u at a controlled but accelerated pace. We have the
right mix of people, systems and experience and we've repeatedly
shown that we are innovative and determined to succeed.
"Businesses of all sizes recognise that it is vitally important
that customers are dealt with professionally and courteously and
that they don't miss any phone calls. After all, in business, you
never know when a customer might phone to place a major order with
you. The telephone is still the first and most important point of
contact with any business, so I am confident that Answer-4u is here
to stay for the long-term."