Complete Commercial Finance: five keys to our business growth
For five years, Complete Commercial Finance has been proud to support businesses across East Anglia. While their focus is ordinarily locked onto their clients’ needs and success, we asked directors Karl Lanham and Michael Moore to reflect on five factors that have been key to their own growth.
Make a move: Lake Business Centre
“When Karl and I decided to set up Complete Commercial Finance, we could easily have chosen to work remotely,” says Michael, “but we wanted to have a bricks and mortar office where we could meet clients, and to provide a base to come together.
“We established the business just as the pandemic forced lockdowns and clients turned to us for advice to keep their businesses operating during extraordinary circumstances. With the government’s launch of the BBS and CBILS schemes, we were incredibly busy helping clients with applications for loans and renegotiating terms for existing finance agreements.
“Being accessible has always been a central plank of our business model, and whether it’s going out to see a client on site, meeting with them at Lake Business Centre or being at the end of the phone, many customers tell us how valuable they find speaking or sitting down with a real person who can advise and support them.
“Lake Business Centre has been a great resource for us and the team are always friendly, flexible and supportive. It’s a great location, central to town and overlooking the River Ouse, which is an important and historic part of King’s Lynn. Finding an office was one of the first steps to establishing Complete Commercial Finance and a decision we’re still delighted we made.”
Build a professional brand: CRC Marketing
“After setting up the office, the next step was to create visibility for our business,” says Karl. “Michael and I share the same ethos which is key to our business – to provide honest advice and the best possible service to help clients secure funding and achieve their goals. We knew what we stood for, but we needed to communicate that to the rest of the world!
“I’d met Daska at CRC Marketing several years before at a regular networking group and we asked them to help us create a professional brand identity and website, and subsequently to establish a regular contact programme with clients. They manage our social media channels and deliver a content-based marketing strategy which helps us to demonstrate our knowledge and expertise.
“We still work with CRC Marketing and each time we deliver a marketing event, whether it’s an article, social media post or email campaign, it generates a response. I strongly believe that our marketing strategy and consistent activity has been integral to our growth and recognition.”
Grow the numbers: Team members
“Shortly after we launched Complete Commercial Finance, we were joined by consultant Gary Webb,” says Michael. “Gary had worked in banking for over 40 years and joined us from NatWest where he was relationship director for West Norfolk. Like us, he is a local guy and understands the importance of building and maintaining strong business relationships.
“In many ways, his decision to join gave us a model for recruiting and working with established financial professionals who understand the sector and share our brand values. Since then, we’ve been fortunate to grow our team with Colin Gathercole, who also had over 40 years’ experience at NatWest and covers Essex and Suffolk, David Read who left NatWest to join us three years ago and covers Suffolk, and Wayne Rand in Lincolnshire who had his own independent business finance brokerage and previously spent 26 years at Santander.
“Collectively, we have almost 200 years’ combined experience which provides our clients with an incredible resource of knowledge, expertise and access to a wealth of lenders for almost any funding application.
“In tandem with this, we are an appointed representative of AFS Compliance, which ensures the advice we give meets the regulations laid out by the Financial Conduct Authority. This is important because it protects both our team and our customers, so they can be assured they receive the highest standard of advice and service.”
Meet and mingle: Networking in East Anglia
“Networking has always been part of my working life,” says Karl. “From the connections you make to hearing the advice of professionals and opportunities it presents, nothing beats meeting others and sharing the experience of running a business.
“We’ve always sought out networking groups and opportunities such as Norfolk’s Business Breakfast Club, which we co-sponsor, and our involvement in the Mayor’s Business Awards, which we have been proud to help judge and present for several years, as it’s a fantastic way to build connections.
“In Suffolk, David Read had previously worked with the Port of Felixstowe and several haulage companies, and as a result of this was asked to speak with Porttalk, the port community’s newsletter, about the rise of asset finance in transport and logistics. It just goes to show how powerful and valuable those connections can be to help grow a business’ reach.”
Team work: Karl Lanham and Michael Moore
“One of the best aspects of building a business together is that there is always someone to share the tough decisions and successes with,” says Michael. “In just five years, we have seen some of the most challenging trading conditions in recent history, from the pandemic to Brexit, the fuel and energy crisis, rising staffing costs and business rates. Throughout this tumultuous period, we have been proud to support other businesses and each other to grow the company.”
“It’s true, we each have strengths in different areas of the business and it’s brilliant to be able to lean on each other,” adds Karl. “We are really proud of what we’ve achieved with Complete Commercial Finance in just five years, and we’re really excited to see where the rest of the decade will take us.”
