Despatches March-April 2015
Breaking the mould How do you differentiate yourself in life or business, when there is so much noise, so much competition? How can you get noticed? It’s all about being different. Be it classy, loud, cheap, or on the cutting edge of innovation you have to have something that makes you unique. And the people that focus on and develop their differences create a brand loyalty tailored by the people that those qualities appeal to. It’s all about your target market. Finding your niche. And to make yourself or your company very desirable for that niche to hang out with. Here at Diamond we are the champions of small business. Our target market is the businesses who really need our services and can’t get that quality or breadth they need elsewhere, nor the tailored and personal service their businesses needs. It’s all about the quality delivery of services at a local level. That’s why we have locally owned and managed depots, not a centralised call centre – because it’s very relationship based. And that’s rare in our kind of logistics.
Know your market, drill into what that market particularly desires, and pitch your focus on fulfilling those specific desires. The great news is the better you tailor your message the more passionate an advocate for your business will be – because it ticks so many boxes. And it also means that there is plenty of room for competition – because this specific niching down, tailoring of services, appealing to a very specific audience, means there are plenty of niches for businesses to target regardless of their industry. Whether a grocer, be it Aldi or Waitrose, a car manufacturer, be it Bugatti or Kia, or a hotel, Premier Inn versus The Ritz, there is a market – as long as you define it well enough – for everyone.
Whether you need to be the crème de la crème in your industry (like Burberry) or the cheap and cheerful (like Poundland) it is the successful tailoring of your message to match the desire of your prospective clients that makes it so very important. Where it starts to go wrong is when your message gets diluted. If a luxury car producer starts making a small, cheap version of their luxury marque doesn’t that potentially endanger the perception of the brand by their core audience? It’s dangerous waters I think.
INSIDE: Nominate YOUR company in the Business Champion Awards.
Are you a
Diamond Champion?
Diamonds supports thousands of SME’s around the UK providing them with the backbone of their business by delivering their promises and profits with one stop logistics solutions. We work with many amazing companies and felt that it’s time we gave a little back.
Categories...
This is the launch of the Diamond Business Champion Awards. It’s free to enter, the criteria is straightforward, and you and your business may be nominated for an award and all the publicity that comes with it.
Retail
It will be judged by Marin Norbury of Advocate, Aynsley Damery of Tayabali Tomlin and our CEO, Kate Lester who judged last year’s National Entrepreneurial Awards at the ICC, Birmingham.
Medical
It’s completely FREE – there’s no award ceremony this year, but you’ll receive a jolly nice award, a nice photo and a press release to tell your region all about your SUCCESS. Go to diamondlogistics.co.uk/business-champions and register today. Closing date for entries 20th April 2015. It’s great for your team moral, great for your company and great for your profile.
Business Champions – Diamond salutes you!
Manufacturing
Business Services Online Retail
Trade
Rising Star
The Diamond Champion
Franchise Focus... Leicester
Jason Dacres T 01162 986953 E leicester@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Why logistics?
We have been in Logistics for over 10 years originally with Fastway couriers and then XDP. Everyday is a new challenge but we love the industry. We believe the industry is growing day by day and creating more opportunities all the time.
Why did you choose Diamond?
We chose Diamond Logistics because we wanted to be rewarded for our efforts. This was perfect for us. The MCS system gives us new strings to our bow that we’ve never had before. We are able to get greater spends per customer.
What can you offer businesses in Leicester?
We can now offer our local customers an overall solution for all their Logistics giving us greater revenue and margin.
What learnings have you achieved being part of the network?
We have got a greater understanding of the industry and the way Diamond works. We’ve had fantastic support so far from everyone involved in the team. Everyone has been approachable and understanding.
How have you managed such a good start?
We have planned and targeted certain customers in small areas building up regular consignments.
What are your goals for 2015?
We aim to have 3 vehicles collecting by the end of the year. We would like to hit 300 consignments per day by the end of our first year.
Bournemouth
Hon Leung T 01202 069460 E bournemouth@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Why logistics?
I came into logistics quite by accident really. I was working in Investment Banking, but left that industry after the July 7th bombings as I did not want to risk my life just by going to work! I relocated to Dorset and got involved in importing goods, utilising my extended family out in China. We were distributing jewellery, clothing and pet supplies. The service that I got from my courier company, Business Post, was very poor at the time. The driver sometimes didn’t turn up, or he would turn up late, and I was constantly getting complaints about my parcels arriving damaged. I telephoned the depot manager to make a complaint and he apologised, saying that he was struggling to get a good driver for my area. I asked him if it were possible for me to provide a driver to him on a sub-contractor basis so that I could control the forwarding of my goods, and that’s how we started off in logistics!
Why did you choose Diamond?
I looked at many different franchises in the logistics industry and Diamond suited me best. The most valuable resource to any company in the logistics industry is the drivers. Given that I had 30+ drivers working for me, I had the most valuable resources already, I just needed a platform for them to perform on! That’s where I realised that the Diamond model was the perfect fit for my company.
What can you offer businesses in Dorset?
In short, we are here to take the headache away from your logistical problems. Between our large network of drivers, we cover every inch of Dorset. Therefore anyone who is experiencing problems getting carriers to collect from them in the more remote parts of Dorset will not have the same problems with Diamond Logistics Bournemouth. Furthermore, all of my drivers are trained to be polite, courteous and helpful to a customer. Our Customer Network Team will track and follow up on every parcel until it is delivered to your customers hands. This is a service other carriers just can’t accomplish.
How have you managed such a good start?
1) My network of drivers. Because they have all been providing a top quality service to customers all over Dorset, it has been very easy for me to get customer leads. 2) My Customer Network Team. It’s one thing getting customers on, but without Greg, Craig and Scott helping me to look after the customers, I would not be able to keep them all happy.
What are your goals for 2015?
Our team ambition is to become the carrier of choice in Dorset. Once you try the services of Diamond Logistics in Bournemouth, you will not need to look elsewhere.
Our Mission Statement Work in mutual benefit, delivering time-critical delivery solutions to our clients. Provide great career opportunities to our team and subcontractors. Contribute positively to society on local, regional and global levels. Be a really good company to trust, work for and to belong to.
Feed your brain and the charity of your choice This month’s charitable caper is inspired by the success of Kate’s latest books that are receiving 5 star reviews on Amazon. Due to popular demand she’s had a few printed but as the books are selling so well on Kindle, she is donating 100% of the proceeds of the sale of the books to charity. But not the charity of her choice – to the charity of YOUR choice. To receive your copies of Stop Reading Self Help Books and JFDI simply send a screenshot of proof of donation of £10 to the charity of your choice and Kate will send the book out by return. A double whammy of self-improvement! Email Kate at kate@diamondlogistics.co.uk and get your copies today.
Keep in Touch Surrey
Unit 9, The Pines Business Park, Broad Street, Guildford Surrey GU3 3BH T 0845 591 7334 E info@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Basildon
1 Noble Square, Courtauld Road, Basildon, Essex SS13 1LS T 01268 857 854 E basildon@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Birmingham
Unit 31, Evans Easy Space, Middlemore Road, West Bromwich B21 0AL T 0121 667 8283 E birmingham@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Bolton
Unit 2, Moses Gate Workshops, Manchester Road, Bolton BL3 2QG T 01204 896 359 E bolton@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Bournemouth
Unit D2 Cirrus Court, Aviation Park West, Bournemouth Airport, Dorset, BH23 6NW T 01202 069460 E bournemouth@diamondlogistics
Bristol
Unit B 7A4 Victoria Road, Avonmouth Industrial Estate, Avonmouth, Bristol BS11 9DP T 01179 119664 E bristol@diamondlogistics
Central Scotland
Unit 9/10 Biggar Road Industrial Estate, Cleland, Motherwell ML1 5PB T 01698 442 336 E cscotland@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Coventry
Norwich
Croydon
Nottingham
Unit 14 Stampings Blue Ribbon Industrial Estate, Foleshill CV6 5RB T 0247 6666 240 E coventry@diamondlogistics.co.uk 7a Beddington Gardens, Wallington SM6 0HU T 020 8003 4668 E croydon@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Derby
Unit 5C Sinfin Industrial Estate, Sinfin Lane, Derby, Derbyshire DE24 9GL T 01332 897 674 E derby@diamondlogistics.co.uk
East London
Unit 27 Walthamstow Business Centre, Clifford Road, London E17 4SX T 0203 603 9458 E eastlondon@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Leicester
420D, Thurmston Boulevard, Leicester, LE4 9LE T 01162 986953 E leicester@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Lichfield
Unit 33 Britannia Enterprise Park, Britannia Way, Lichfield, West Midlands WS14 9UY T 01543 889601 E lichfield@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Northampton
Brixworth Coldstore, Old Harborough Road, Northampton NN6 9BX T 01604 806314 E northampton@diamondlogistics.co.uk
The True Centre, 31 Caister Road, Great Yarmouth NR30 4DA T 01603 859401 E norwich@diamondlogistics.co.uk 131 Town Street, Nottingham NG10 5DS T 0115 871 5235 E nottingham@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Plymouth
Unit 13 Faraday Mill Business Park, Prince Rock, Plymouth PL4 0ST T 01752 547992 E plymouth@diamondlogistics
Sheffield
Unit 10, Carbook Industrial Estate, Dunlop Street, Sheffield S9 2HR T 0114 299 4844 E sheffield@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Slough
914 Yeovil Road, Slough Trading Estate, Slough SL1 4JA T 01753 257 299 E slough@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Southampton
Unit 30, Claylands Road, Bishops Waltham, Hampshire SO32 1BH T 02380 988919 E southampton@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Sussex
7b Durban Road, South Bersted Industrial Estate, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO22 9QT T 01243 885729 E chichester@diamondlogistics.co.uk
Coming soon:
Exeter, Mid Wales and much, much more!