145 / 164
145
to the rest of the world means time,
and that’s where our business is at
its prime, we are Johnny On the Spot,”
Dodson exclaims.
M
arketing
So whilst there’s the continual prod-
uct development strategies for the
business, the company’s marketing
strategy remains simple (yet still effec-
tive). Word of mouth and Google Ad-
words.
“Google Adwords has been great for
our online visibility, though the word-
of-mouth marketing for Tollman is es-
pecially strong. We have a good repu-
tation so we get a lot of referrals. We
work 365 days a year, we deliver sat-
isfaction to customers, and in the 15
years we’ve been operation, we’ve nev-
er, ever missed or had a late order that
was our fault,” states Dodson proud-
ly. Being a small company has helped
Dodson keep it exceedingly efficient,
more so than a larger company might
have been able to.
With regards to the internal market-
ing, and by that we mean the internal
culture that keeps its works happy and
productive Tollman, Dodson is confi-
dent in the satisfaction level of his em-
ployees. The evidence is in the one sin-
gle person that has left in the space of
two to three years, and the low level of
absenteeism:
“The team gets along pretty well, we
all know our role and I think people
can see there’s a future with Tollman.”
Employees see that Dodson, as Man-
aging Director, is highly driven to keep
the business going. They are confident
in his ambition and his ability in con-
tinuing to make something of Tollman.
This is especially since many of these
workers have come from similar roles
where they’ve seen these companies
shut down, leaving them disconcert-
ingly out of work. “It’s nice for them to
see prospects and possibilities.”
End roads
Dodson is clear in his distaste of gov-
ernment bureaucracies that can hold
up a lot of progress for his business
and businesses like his. Nevertheless,
he strives to jump these hurdles with
persistence and tenacity. He hopes
that the regime will change, and that
the powers that be will connect with
manufacturers more closely to under-
stand them better and to help nurture
this fading commerce.
Nevertheless, Tollman is recognised
by the local council as a growing enter-
prise, and the company has won a few
local business awards in years gone
by. Like a plant growing through con-
crete, the business prospers in an oth-
erwise challenging landscape.