Managing director of Nottingham-based Bunches.co.uk, one of the UK’s largest independent online flower retailers, has accelerated her company’s turnover to more than £5 million with assistance from Vistage International, the world’s leading chief executives’ organisation.
Dani Hoving took over the family firm, founded by her parents Erik and Sandra, in 2006. Since then, the 28-year-old has powered the business to 35 staff and record profits. Bunches has doubled the size of its production facilities and now dispatches 320,000 bouquets a year from its Newstead Village headquarters.
Hoving joined Vistage International with a view to improving her leadership skills and using her fellow members, who are all from non-competing sectors, as a confidential sounding board. Vistage, which has 15,000 members globally, brings together groups of business leaders who meet for intensive and challenging monthly development sessions where they act as one another’s non-executive directors.
After taking fellow members’ advice, Hoving has succeeded in increasing the company’s competitive advantage during current economic turbulence, by emphasising the quality of her company’s products and service. At a time when household budgets have been tightened, Bunches’ lowest-priced offering - a boxed bunch of carnations for £9.99 - is being heavily promoted and has helped to boost the company’s online conversion rate.
Hoving has also relaunched the company’s website, overhauled the company’s five-year plan, and introduced a staff reward system that has improved recruitment and retention rates.
She said: “These days even supermarkets deliver flowers, so it’s more important than ever that we play to our strengths here at Bunches. Our flowers are all packaged and dispatched from one unique location - unlike services such as Interflora - so our staff are able to maintain high levels of quality control. We don’t outsource at all: we are passionate about quality and excellent service, and all our flowers receive the Bunches stamp before they are sent out in Bunches-branded boxes.
“This is a family-run business and in response to customer feedback we are working hard to maintain our company’s friendly ‘feel’.
“I am delighted that despite these difficult economic times, Bunches continues to go from strength to strength, and I am grateful for my fellow Vistage members, who have held my feet to the fire over the past two years. The results have been positive and far-reaching - and I haven’t looked back.”
Vistage chair John Williams, who facilitates the monthly meetings and conducts one-to-one sessions with members, said: “In a volatile business environment, the market can shrink and become elusive - not to mention fiercely competitive. To outsmart other companies in your sector, you must learn what it is that customers value about doing business with you and your rivals.
Today’s chief executives and managing directors like Dani are required to be more sophisticated and capable, demonstrating higher levels of business acumen while seeking to attract, retain and motivate the best people.
“Vistage develops business leaders who are seeking to outperform, make better decisions and achieve better results. In the current economic climate, the advantages of Vistage membership are more evident than ever.”
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