6 August 2015
A meat supply company has increased turnover by eight per cent, taken on three new members of staff and has plans to extend its walk-in fridge to cope with extra demand – all thanks to a new software system funded through an £8,000 Velocity grant.
MeatLink, a family-run business near Market Harborough, is a nationwide supplier of fresh meat to High Street butchers, restaurants and trade outlets.
Set up 14 years ago by Mike Newing and Mel Ellis, who between them boast almost 100 years of meat trade experience, MeatLink now employs 15 members of staff and has grown significantly in recent years, expanding into new premises and managing up to 80 deliveries every day.
Mr Newing said: “As we have grown the paperwork has become a major issue for us. We were doing everything by hand, with pen and paper as I was in Smithfield market decades ago. We had mountains of paperwork and knew we needed to change.
“I was pointed in the direction of Velocity and set up a meeting with Richard Thompson, our business adviser, who helped us work on a business plan to apply for a grant to fund a new software system.”
The specialist system, called Niche, has allowed MeatLink staff to process orders and sales quickly and efficiently, freeing up valuable time and streamlining the entire operation.
Finance director Emma Politis said: “It has genuinely changed my life. Previously, it was crazy and I was spending days processing new deliveries and inputting new product codes, now it’s all done at the click of a button. It’s revolutionized the way we do business.”
The software allows the meat wholesaler to access daily or even hourly reports on stock control and sales and they are now so busy they are looking at plans to extend their walk-in cold store to cope with the extra demand.
The investment in IT has also opened MeatLink’s eyes to what’s possible with state-of-the-art technology and now all their delivery vans are fitted with GPS trackers to help plan deliveries and map out arrival times.
Mr Newing said: “We’re absolutely delighted with the impact the software has had on the business and the whole Velocity process was fantastic. I was amazed how quick and easy it was and I’ve already recommended it to others.”
Velocity Growth Hub and its qualified and experienced Business Advisers are available to help businesses in a number of ways, through one-to-one support, grants and free business workshops.
Our Advisers are widely connected to national and regional government organisations as well as the private sector, and are able to signpost businesses to sources of grant funding or make personal introductions to individuals or organisations that add value to businesses.
To find out more about how Velocity could help you, call 0300 01234 35, visit www.VelocityGrowthHub.com or follow us on Twitter @VelocityGrowth.
