Key Stage Teacher Supply

Background

Jane Scott and Claire Gibson are both highly experienced recruitment specialists, with many years experience operating in commercial and industrial sectors. Having known each other for some time, they also share a very similar working ethos and a highly ethical approach to serving the needs of their customers. In 2001 they identified a market opportunity for a high quality recruitment agency to specifically serve the needs of the education sector and quickly set up Key Stage Teacher Supply.

Working from their first office in Blackburn, they quickly established themselves with local schools and developed their reputation across East Lancashire. From the outset, Jane and Claire recognised that they were not just providing schools with teachers and teacher’s assistants - they worked on the basis of having four types of customers, the employers within the schools, the teachers, the schools (as organisations) and (perhaps most importantly) the pupils! Their success is based on clearly understanding the needs of each customer, which enables them to deliver a solution that meets everyone’s needs. Constant communication with all their customers has been at the heart of their success and is something that Jane and Claire are extremely passionate about – as a result they are able to ‘live in the customers world’ and continue to provide an excellent service.

Organic growth saw the Directors establish further offices in Chorley and Lancaster (and a move to a larger one in Blackburn), which enabled them to develop the business across Lancashire and the North West, and build their client and teacher databases. As the business grew, further opportunities were presenting themselves that clearly had the potential to take the business to the next level. The challenge for the Directors was to maximise these opportunities and significantly grow the business whilst maintaining their ethos and company values. They recognised that an external view of the company and some assistance with developing their marketing strategy would be extremely useful at this stage of their development and came across the High Growth Programme following a recommendation from a business contact.

Support

Jane signed up to the High Growth Programme in October 2009 to receive 10 days of coaching support, specifically focused on strategic business planning and marketing.  The support received from the High Growth business coach included;

• Giving the Directors an opportunity to re-evaluate what they wanted from the business
• Developing a strategic plan for the business using the Vision Orbit and Single Page Plan
• Establish areas of product and geographical development
• Redefining the marketing strategy and tactical approach to develop new business
• Coaching key members of staff

Outcomes

• The Directors now view themselves much more as a ‘Board’ - the coaching has helped to focus their efforts
• Director’s roles more clearly defined
• A well defined business strategy and plan
• Clear marketing strategy and plan, which is constantly being developed
• Jane is now focusing more on business development
• At the suggestion of their High Growth coach, Key Stage entered the NWDA Women in Business awards – and WON the North West Business of the Year for 2010!
• The company now employs 10 staff and 3 Directors