Background
Born out of a passion for quality coffee and protecting the planet, Leodis Coffee was set up by Wayne Richardson from his kitchen table in 2015. The Leeds-based company is a B2B supplier of coffee, cups, machines and consumables, and also offers services such as maintenance and repairs, as well as barista training.
The challenge
Having worked incredibly hard to get his business to a certain stage, Wayne was still heavily involved in day-to-day operations and starting to feel burned out. Looking to take Leodis Coffee to the next level, he turned to West Yorkshire Business Boost for support.
The solution
Our funded Innovation programme was designed to help SME owners like Wayne take a step back, reassess their business and overcome barriers to growth. Wayne worked with our Innovation & Leadership Manager, Andrew Beaston, to achieve just this.
As part of the programme, there is grant-match funding available for businesses to use to implement their improvement plans. Wayne used the grant-match funding to work with an expert mentor, Rachel Stirling, from Zest Business Support who dissected the business and identified that profit margins weren’t as healthy as they could be. From there, she helped Wayne implement a strategy to boost profits through better pricing and renegotiated supplier contracts.
Together, they also looked at organisational structure, putting in formal job descriptions, standard operating procedures and KPIs. This helped Wayne realise that he needed to step back from being so hands on and build a senior leadership team to which he could delegate.
Wayne also utilised our Leadership programme run by the Leadership Centre at Leeds Beckett University. The course of three in-person workshops, an EQi assessment, and leadership coaching was developed to support West Yorkshire leaders to embed innovation within their organization. The programme brings together other senior leaders to identify their individual leadership styles to develop and improve their capabilities.
The impact
Better financial planning has resulted in more sustainable pricing and immediate savings worth tens of thousands of pounds a year, with more savings to come.
The more formal organisational structure has given the company’s employees a clearer understanding of their goals and more accountability, which has seen productivity – and morale – skyrocket.
An increase in profits has meant more money to invest in the business. Existing jobs have been safeguarded, and Wayne has now recruited a senior sales director who won £35,000 worth of new business in their first three weeks. Two new sales staff have also been added, as has a new service manager. The latter role is vital as it frees up Wayne’s time from being involved in the servicing and repairs side of the business.
In particular, Wayne found the Leadership programme invaluable. It helped him identify his leadership personality, strengths and weaknesses and as a result he’s put processes in place for making more considered decisions.
Running a business can be lonely, so Wayne found it incredibly beneficial to be part of and learn from a cohort of other leaders facing similar challenges.
Overall, the support from West Yorkshire Business Boost has helped breathe new life into Leodis Coffee, giving Wayne the tools, structure and confidence to take his business to the next level. Most notably, this year Leodis Coffee is on target to double both its turnover to £1.2m and its profits.
“The support we’ve had has been a gamechanger. It’s easy to get caught up in daily operational demands and lose sight of long-term goals and strategy. But now I’ve been able to step back, re-evaluate all aspects of the business and set a clear path to success. In just a few months we’re more profitable, we have a clearer vision and values, staff are energised and we’ve taken on new people. There’s a renewed passion, and I’m so appreciative of all the help I’ve received.” Wayne Richardson, Director, Leodis Coffee