Jane Vincent, director of Fortem People Limited, shares with BQ how getting involved in Digital Enterprise has helped her strengthen the foundations of her business so they can grow quickly.
What is it the company does? Recruitment agency supplying permanent and temporary staff to businesses.
Describe your role in no more than 100 words In a nutshell I play SNAP! I match the right candidate to the right company and job. I love my role as it involves lots of people contact and relationship building. I tend to look after the running of the company, business development, people and business strategy. I am always looking at new innovative ways to set us apart from our competitors. It can be a roller coaster in our industry, but that’s what keeps me jumping out of bed in a morning!
How did you come to do the work that you do?
I totally fell into it by accident! I was going to do a media studies degree as I wanted to be a camera woman! I changed my mind, did a crash typing course in between being a dancer in musicals. I walked into a recruitment agency being able to type at the grand old speed of 35wpm and they offered me a job working for them on the spot and the rest is history.
What has been your biggest challenge in your current position?
We started the business from scratch with no funding or investment. All our growth has been organic. This is healthy but at the same time, a big challenge and frustrating as growth can be slow.
Where do you see the company in five years’ time?
We are currently working from a large barn in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales with plenty of room for expansion. We are growing our own talent and expanding into vertical markets. We have aggressive growth plans and intend to continue to increase turnover and profits year on year.
We have this year invested in technology and improved process, so have the foundations to grow quickly.
Why did you take part in Digital Enterprise or Digital Knowledge Exchange?
We took part because with the help of the digital enterprise fund we have taken our business to the next level with firm foundations in place. We wanted to show people that any size of business can benefit from digitally enhancing its business. We can now focus on our people development and growth.
What has the Digital Enterprise or Digital Knowledge Exchange done for your business?
It has helped us invest in technology, software and systems that has had a great impact on our process delivery and procedures. It has allowed us to streamline everything and now it's allowing us to focus on business development knowing we have the peace of mind we can deliver successfully in a timely manner.
What advice would you give to an aspiring business leader?
Be passionate about what you are doing. Work hard, be resilient and learn from your mistakes. Look after your people and your people will look after you. Employ people who potentially are better than you. Invest in technology. Have a mentor who you can learn from and bounce ideas around with. Enjoy what you do and come to work with a smile and a spring in your step!
Oh, and don’t take yourself too seriously!
What do you wish someone had told you when you started out?
Cross the Ts and Dot the Is from day one.
Why would you recommend Digital Enterprise or the Digital Knowledge Exchange?
The Digital Enterprise does what it says on the tin, enables you to invest in technology to allow you to be more entrepreneurial and grow your business. It has benefited our business massively.
It is a no brainer!
If you liked this post, please share with your friends and followers. If you are interested in digital, why not check out the Digital Enterprise Top 100, a major initiative to identify those companies that are setting an example for others to follow within the world of digital transformation.