How kindness and a personal touch have empowered business expansion

Taking part in Captured was life-changing for Laura Smales, who originally worked as an actor, supporting her family’s north Northumberland-based business, Smales Secure Storage on a part-time basis before coming on board full time in 2008. 

Smales Secure Storage provides the best in secure storage, scanning and shredding solutions at affordable rates, whether your requirements are short or long-term. 

Having read about the Captured Programme by Newcastle University Business School in a newsletter from the Federation of Small Businesses, Laura says the experience of being part of the wider Captured community has changed her life. 

The fact the course is delivered by a credible business school and offers participants the chance to be paired with an experienced manager from one of the North East’s big businesses was what caught Laura’s eye. 

She explained: “Having gained support from the Rural Development Programme to expand our document storage service and recently achieved ISO accreditations, we were in a period of expansion, and that can be incredibly rewarding, as well as eye opening. It felt like a good time to review where we were in our plans for growth. 

“When I read about Captured, I went on the website and found the case studies really helpful. What really appealed was the chance to connect to large business managers and make connections outside my local area, my industry, my own business acumen and my comfort zone.” 

And although Laura did her homework, speaking to previous Captured participants before applying, she still found her experience on the course to be somewhat of a surprise. 

She went on: “The potential of the course really lived up to my expectations, but not in the way I’d expected. I’d been hoping for a mentor, but actually, talking to large business managers and understanding the similarities in our learning journeys was very reassuring.” 

Laura was paired with Beth Pilcher from HSBC and said she went into their partnership with no particular assumptions.  

She said: “I was grateful that Beth was able to give up her time and had a hope that she’d help me view our business differently. 

“What I hadn’t expected was how much I had to push myself with regards to planning and accountability, and Beth definitely helped me with goal setting and my own time management.” 

Laura appreciated the chance to connect to one person, while also having the opportunity to meet other managers from larger businesses, as well as small business owners in the same boat as herself. 

She said: “There are so many opportunities with Captured. One workshop I particularly enjoyed following the course itself was on resilience. It’s been life-changing, in all aspects really, and was definitely what I needed at that time. 

“I’ve come out with a stronger focus on what we do, as well as a more realistic idea of what we can achieve. I’ve realised, that just because we’re a small business, that doesn’t mean we’re any less significant than a larger business - actually, it’s a strength. 

“I’m now kinder to myself in terms of taking the time needed to develop new sides of the business and new revenue streams. It does take time.” 

Laura said the Captured course and Beth’s advice helped her build a value proposition which gave her confidence in networking and pitching situations. But she also stressed that the course offers “no soft landing”, even if your business is doing well and in a position of growth. 

She said: “As a small business, taking the time out to look from the outside in and talking to others whose businesses were also growing was really useful to me. But don’t turn up expecting to be spoon-fed. As I was told by others before I applied to take part, you get out what you put in, so prepare. Bring what you want to each session, iron it out and take it away to work on it in your own time.  

“The main thing I’ve taken from being part of Captured is persistence. Start small, stack up your acorns, keep calm and carry on. Even though I live and breathe my business, I’m less likely to take things so personally now.” 

This attitude has helped Laura develop as a manager, empowering her team to improve even more upon the personal touch that Smales Secure Storage is known for.  

She said: “We always go out of our way to help and our clients. We’re accessible without being city centre, which allows us to provide secure, cost-effective off-site storage solutions, and having been around for almost 20 years, we really understand the market. 

“Although we’re growing, it’s been very organic, and this enables us to continue to offer a more personal and much more flexible service. We make the time to get to know our clients’ needs, so we can best adapt our service to suit you. You only pay for what you need.”  

Laura is now focusing her attention on growing her base of larger business clients, and says she’d recommend Captured to other small business owners looking to expand. 

She added: “Captured has been a really worthwhile experience for me, but before you take part , have a really deep think about what it is you want from it. Don’t just turn up expecting it to be another networking event. It’s so much more than that!” 

To enquire about taking part in Captured email captured@ncl.ac.uk or apply online here

Last modified: Wed, 09 Dec 2020 13:35:58 GMT