Director of the Year Urges SMEs to Think Big

Current Institute of Directors Award winner Anna Bastek, Marketing Director at Wolfestone, is urging other small and medium firms to aim high after winning a series of major contracts. The language services company has recently signed major deals with AXA, Coca Cola and General Electric, supplying services ranging from voiceovers and translation to subtitling. The UK Director of the Year is urging other SME companies to go out of their comfort zone and create new opportunities with potentially huge companies. Anna Bastek says the digital age has created a level playing field for smaller suppliers, and now is the time for smaller firms to take advantage. “Many of our new bigger customers have come to us because they’re looking for more value for money. Whereas they might have gone with an approved supplier before, a lot of them review their supplier lists and see that smaller firms often provide better customer service. That’s a big opportunity for SMEs right now” Wolfestone has grown from a start-up to a multi-million pound business in just seven years, and the sixth fastest growing company in Wales shows no signs of slowing down its growth. The company has gradually added new services, and now offers all language services under one roof. The key to the success has been focusing on service, quality and efficiency in every new service, says Bastek. “Trying to convince a big supplier like AXA to go with a small company isn’t always easy. Because we are focused on offering quality and we’re willing to go the extra mile, the added value is what makes them switch to us. The only down side of working for the big boys is often extended payment terms which we try to negotiate” The company recently expanded its sales force by developing a network of sales agents across the UK and Europe, and is investing in staff, technology and processes to drive the next phase of growth.