St Columb Financial Services

St Columb Financial Services, a financial services company specialising in mortgages and insurance, was set up in 2000 and now employs 7 staff.

The principal, Andy Hannan, says 'We connected to broadband as soon as it became available in St Columb in 2003 and it is integral to our business operations, together with the flexible working arrangements it has enabled. For example, we make online applications for our clients and we update our various product research tools via broadband. Of course, much of out contact is by email although the personal touch is still crucial in the financial services industry.'

St Columb Finance has joined actnow flex to help the company introduce a new culture of flexible working.and teleworking, using remote web access and reducing business travel.

Andy says 'We plan to recruit another two members of staff this year and we have ambitious growth plans for the business over time. However, we have no further desk space in the office. Flexible working arrangements represent a way to overcome that barrier and means we can continue to grow through remote working and telecommuting without facing the additional costs of relocation to larger premises.'

In addition, Andy has identified that flexible working will bring further benefits to the business.

'The staff appreciate the additional freedom that flexible working and mobile working allow. Teleworking advantages include the fact that they can work from home at a time that suits them best and work around any other commitments, improving work life balance. It may help us with staff retention and it is also likely to mean that we have a wider choice of applicants when we recruit.'

'Now that the staff all have laptops, they can connect to our network and work wherever they are - whether they are in the office, visiting a client, working on the move or at their home office. This means we are seeing increasing productivity and means that we can provide a better, swifter service to clients as well as improving their own work-life balance.

It is also likely that flexible working and teleecommuting will mean that we can provide an even better service to clients at evenings and weekends, if this is what the client would like.'

Andy concludes 'Flexible working is the key to our being able to grow the business without incurring additional costs. It also allows us to improve business productivity, reduce travel and provide a better service to clients as well as improve the work life balance of our staff. Flexible working is the future for our business.'