Aspire Technology
Aspire specialises in providing IT support to all sizes of business and has grown from its North East base to offer services nationally and internationally. From its office in South Tyneside, Aspire has the expertise to offer business and technical solutions as well as IT infrastructure for companies. Nigel Begg, Managing Director, shares with us his business experiences.
When did the business begin trading?
Aspire Technology Solutions Ltd began trading in February 2007
How has the business grown/ developed since it first started?
We started as myself and co-director Chris Fraser in a small serviced office. We now employ over 30 staff and operate across 2 locations with headquarters in South Tyneside, and our London satellite office. We are constantly changing and improving the way we work and deliver service to our clients. Continuous improvement is vital if we are to continue to grow and push ourselves to the next level, which is achieving 5 million in turnover and then onto 10 million from there.
Best points about working for the company?
As much as possible Aspire should be a fun place to work, a kind of work hard and play hard culture where only the best will do for customers. The more success we achieve as a business, the more rewarding it is for the team, and a better place to work. It is all about delivering a great service to the customer. If we get that right we will win repeat business and those vital referrals which ensure we keep growing.
Our Technical Consultants get to work with the latest technology, and there is nothing more rewarding than designing a solution with the latest technology, and saving the customer money and time, and helping them to grow their business.
Where do you see the business two years time?
We should have achieved a 5 million turnover by then, and will hopefully be planning to push on and achieve 10 million. We should have more staff and hopefully more fun. As much as possible we need to maintain our current culture and values.
A highlight from your experiences?
Winning the STEP Business Award last year, has been a tremendous achievement for all of the team at Aspire, to be acknowledged as a business doing a great job and providing an excellent service.
Watching the people around me develop from 1st line support, through to IT Consultants has been really rewarding, and our business is all about having the best people.
A piece of advice for those thinking about growing their business?
Plan, Plan and Plan again - a business development plan is a must, you don't have to follow it as things will happen that will take you off course, and maybe off course in a good way! but it is important to start out with a plan of what you want to achieve, and how you are going to achieve it!
As long as you have a plan so at the end of the period you can look back and review what worked for you and what didn't, you can then learn from that experience.
Have you received any funding, from whom, what value?
I received some assistance from South Tyneside Council when we made the commitment to set up our offices in Monkton. This really helped me to make the transition from a serviced office into real bricks and mortar, which is where the business needed to be. Without this assistance I might have delayed another year and the business would not have grown as fast as it has.
The main assistance we received was not the financial incentive, but the business support from South Tyneside Council and other groups such as the South Tyneside Manufacturing Forum, and other business support groups. The community spirit and business support is more important to help people like myself to grow our businesses.
South Tyneside Council helped us to find the right building and location for us and really wanted to help, like Aspire the difference was the people!
