Jarrang is an email marketing agency which is based in Falmouth, Cornwall. Formed in 2003 by Stafford Sumner, the company currently employs 10 staff, with clients across the UK and Europe.
Although the agency has an office base in Falmouth Business Park in January 2011, the use of superfast broadband has enabled the company to retain flexible working practices at the heart of their operations.
Stafford says: “Superfast broadband and flexible working have enhanced our business model by helping us to improve productivity and increase profitability. Superfast broadband enables us to communicate with our customers in a more efficient manner. For example, it allows us to undertake regular meetings without needing to travel, working remotely wherever we are. We frequently use video conferencing and screen sharing to conduct sales meetings, client reviews and training sessions. By employing this technology, we can provide the exceptional service we strive for to all of our clients, regardless of geographical location.
“All of our staff are set up so that they can work from home if required. This helps to make the company more agile and responsive. For example, when the country was hit by blizzards in March 2018, we were all able to work from home, so the business kept operating normally and without disruption. Superfast broadband has enabled us to set up a Virtual Private Network, so our staff can access all our systems remotely. This means we can all work when we are traveling or away from the business, radically improving productivity and effectiveness. We make use of Google Hangouts or Skype so we can have face to face meetings online.
“With a number of our staff working remotely at any one time and with two members of staff based permanently in London, it is important to underpin flexible working with strategies to consolidate team working. So in order to ensure that we are all operating as one team and build team spirit, we hold regular online weekly team meetings. We preface each weekly meeting with a fun 15 minute quiz, purely to help build the team dynamic and strengthen the working relationships. Then at least twice a year, we hold offline team events, so that everyone can get together. All this helps to build a strong team culture.
“Overall, these flexible working practices help to reduce our operating costs and improve our productivity.
“My advice to other businesses is to be aware of the advantages of flexible working, think about how you can make it work best for your business, and regularly review it with your team, so that you make sure you are using it to its full potential.”