Tollman

to the rest of the world means time, and that’s where our business is at its prime, we are Johnny On the Spot,” Dodson exclaims. M arketing So whilst there’s the continual prod- uct development strategies for the business, the company’s marketing strategy remains simple (yet still effec- tive). Word of mouth and Google Ad- words. “Google Adwords has been great for our online visibility, though the word- of-mouth marketing for Tollman is es- pecially strong. We have a good repu- tation so we get a lot of referrals. We work 365 days a year, we deliver sat- isfaction to customers, and in the 15 years we’ve been operation, we’ve nev- er, ever missed or had a late order that was our fault,” states Dodson proud- ly. Being a small company has helped Dodson keep it exceedingly efficient, more so than a larger company might have been able to. With regards to the internal market- ing, and by that we mean the internal culture that keeps its works happy and productive Tollman, Dodson is confi- dent in the satisfaction level of his em- ployees. The evidence is in the one sin- gle person that has left in the space of two to three years, and the low level of absenteeism: “The team gets along pretty well, we all know our role and I think people can see there’s a future with Tollman.” Employees see that Dodson, as Man- aging Director, is highly driven to keep the business going. They are confident in his ambition and his ability in con- tinuing to make something of Tollman. This is especially since many of these workers have come from similar roles where they’ve seen these companies shut down, leaving them disconcert- ingly out of work. “It’s nice for them to see prospects and possibilities.” End roads Dodson is clear in his distaste of gov- ernment bureaucracies that can hold up a lot of progress for his business and businesses like his. Nevertheless, he strives to jump these hurdles with persistence and tenacity. He hopes that the regime will change, and that the powers that be will connect with manufacturers more closely to under- stand them better and to help nurture this fading commerce. Nevertheless, Tollman is recognised by the local council as a growing enter- prise, and the company has won a few local business awards in years gone by. Like a plant growing through con- crete, the business prospers in an oth- erwise challenging landscape.