When you’re a small independent business leader, you don’t get a great amount of time to look up and survey.  But it’s something we should all do regularly to acknowledge our achievements and to remind ourselves of the value of the small independent in our market places.

I started Pipekit in 2011 when I recognised there was a gap for an independent online pipe distributor that could offer high levels of customer service and technical expertise. Eight years later we have become a successful local business with national and international outreach, without altering the core values of our family based proposition.

Being a small independent allows us to be flexible and offer a strong personal service.  We can adapt to changing needs and react quickly, without the overburden of bureaucracy, as is the case for some of our multinational competitors. It provides us with a robust business model, even in these challenging and uncertain times, and ensures we continue to stand out from the crowd.

On setting up Pipekit I knew I wanted a business where people, staff and customers, were at the heart of it.  To compete against the big national distributors and online discount businesses, it was always going to be about how we interacted with our customers and developed strong working relationships.  Human capital, even in our e-commerce world, is still essential and it is how the small independents can really make a difference. We can own and manage customer relationships much more simply and efficiently, even in a product focused business like ours, and should be every independents main focus.

Any distributor can discount product but it takes a good one to play an integral role in its customers requirements. As a small independent we work hard for each other to offer a personal, wrap around service: from product specification; technical support; delivery and after care provision to ensure the right product for the job in hand. This approach is certainly key in helping us to secure high customer retentions and repeat business.

Being small, there are no hiding places and hence why it is imperative for staff investment to be a priority. I have always been a big advocate of apprenticeships and invest heavily in our staff development, from technical training with our manufacturers to mentoring and buddying internally, to foster knowledge, good working practices and a strong team ethos.

On top of that is the simple fact that many of our customers like dealing with us because we are a small independent. They like the fact that they are supporting a UK family business.  They like it that we’re not ‘one size fits all’. We specialise in innovative, branded pipe and valve solutions to offer a more expert and tailored service to our customers and it highlights how valuable this independent offering still remains today.

At a networking event recently someone asked me what my advice to others, thinking of setting up their own independent business, would be? Be tenacious and never give up definitely. But also never forget the value a small independent business can offer, in a sea of similar, faceless companies, and always build a strong team of people around you. It’s your second family. Enjoy and reap the rewards of the investment.