ITWales.com

CPL: Business benchmarking at your fingertips

Competitive Positioning Ltd was established in 1989 providing consultancy services to small businesses in the North West. Contact with the small business community led to the recognition that training in the areas of finance, marketing and management could be well received, but companies had to believe that they needed it themselves before they would take it up.

This led to the development of two key products for the company: a training course in the key elements of management, marketing and finance/information systems and a business benchmarking system which analyses a company's performance against that of their competitors.

In 2000, CPL moved to Abersoch in North Wales to concentrate on the development of the business benchmarking product, culminating in the launch of the online product this year, in both Welsh and English. Recently, the thrust of the business has been to develop an online business benchmarking product aimed at the owner managed business sector.

Lesley JamisonLesley Jamison, company founder, comments, "The business benchmarking system was the forerunner to the new online system and was used as a paper based system for six years by Chamber Business Enterprises Ltd in Manchester. Outside of London, Manchester has the largest number of registered businesses within its boundaries. They used the process as their initial approach to businesses in order to help them identify and supply support services focused on customers needs. During the last three years the early product has been licenced to several organisations engaged in the support services sector."

"Our new web site containing this product was launched at Tomorrow's Wales and it received an encouraging response for being easy to use and beneficial in the reports it produces. These help business owners to look at ways in which they can improve their business performance when comparing themselves to their competitors in the same industry sector."


ITW: What's unique/outstanding about the services you provide?

LJ: Our research clearly shows that there is no other business benchmarking product available which:

a) Is so quick to use and provides immediate online response and reports.
b) Does not require external advisors or consultants to interpret.
c) Is so easy to understand in that the report looks at the user's own data and relates the industry comparative data directly to it.
d) Is totally private and confidential.
e) Uses standard business information reported by all businesses.
f) Benchmarks against industry sector specific data across 1.8 million UK businesses.
g) Explains, instructs and trains the participant throughout the process.


ITW: What one piece of technology has benefited your company the most?

LJ: Clearly, the growth in the use of the Internet and the speed of access has meant that our product can be accessed by the majority of the business population. In addition increased use of computers by small owner managed businesses expands our potential target market. The early paper based product restricted our coverage to small area around our office base.


ITW: What's been the key to your success?

LJ: Continuing to listen to our customers and hearing what they mean as well as what they say. Understanding the difference between their wants and needs and (cliche!!) hard work!


ITW: What one piece of advice would you give to start up companies in your field?

LJ: Research your target market thoroughly, listen to what they say and understand their needs and wants. Prepare and plan with care. Seek advice and support in areas where you don't have the experience and expertise. Understand that you are planning to manage and control all aspects of a business, not just the parts that you have particular expertise in.


ITW: Where do you see your company going in the future?

LJ: CPL wants to continue to develop the online business benchmarking system by making it accessible worldwide - firstly in the US and then pan-Europe.

Contact

Competitive Positioning Ltd
E-mail: information@competitive-positioning.co.uk

Unit 1
Creigir Wen Workshops
Engan Road
Abersoch
Gwynedd
LL53 7LB


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