Previously, Andrew worked as a sales manager for a manufacturer in the industry. He was travelling a lot and spending two or three nights each week away from home. With the arrival of a baby daughter, he decided a change was needed. “It kind of made sense to start up on my own,” he reminisces. “It was quite challenging, of course. But I had plenty of contacts in the industry and I know a lot of people locally. And suppliers also supported us with business leads. So, we actually got off to a great start from the very beginning.”
Shutter Spec Security has grown steadily over the years since then, with branches in Newbury and Thame servicing an extensive area across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey. “We’ve always wanted to not be too big, if that makes sense,” Andrew chuckles. “There are eight of us in the business and we can manage our current workload fine. But we’re still getting more and more enquiries every day, so the question now is: how big do we want to go?”
Through a business advisor Andrew approached MaxCap for a small injection of cash flow following the demise of a couple of builders they had supplied. “The process of working with MaxCap was pretty easy, to be honest,” Andrew explains. “As soon as they had the information they needed from us, the process was quite smooth.”
CEO of MaxCap, Alex Littner added, “Businesses like Andrew’s are an underserved segment for access to finance, so we’re really pleased that we were able to help Shutter Spec Security. At MaxCap we provide a range of flexible funding options really swiftly, because we understand that as a busy business owner you just want to focus on running your business – whether it’s to expand, buy stock, invest in new equipment, or simply to manage cash flow.”
Alex continues, “Easy access to finance can be a crucial part of operating and growing a successful business, and finding the right funding solution shouldn’t be complicated. So with MaxCap there’s minimal paperwork and a short application process. We offer hassle-free funding solutions and can provide you with unsecured finance up to £200,000 in as little as a day or two.”
Andrew would certainly consider seeking funding from MaxCap again to facilitate further growth. “For instance, if I need to get a new team of fitters in, obviously we’d have to get new vans, new tools and so on. So yes, I would definitely approach MaxCap again for further funding. They were really easy to deal with.”
Shutter Spec Security continues to thrive, installing and maintaining a huge range of garage doors and retractable awnings as well as security shutters and grilles. The team has over 30 years’ experience and rates highly for customer service, value for money and overall customer satisfaction. Looking ahead to the future, Andrew is enthusiastic. “We have quite a big marketing outlay which actually generates us a huge number of leads. But then we’ve got to cope with those leads coming in obviously! So it’s a bit of a juggling act, to be honest. But a good position to be in!”
And how is his work-life balance today? “It’s nice being your own boss and being in control of everything,” he enthuses. “It brings its own stresses but yeah, no regrets. And it’s obviously put me in a better position than I was in before. At the end of the day, that’s what we’re aiming for!”
To find out more about Shutter Spec Security please visit shutterspecsecurity.co.uk