Member Article

Family firm has room to grow

The mother and daughter behind Northumberland-based luxury holiday letting agency Coquet Cottages are looking to add to their property portfolio after completing a business growth support programme.

Julie and Stephanie Ringland already manage 55 holiday homes in the county but after receiving specialist coaching under the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme the pair are well set for expansion.

Northumberland-born Julie, who established Coquet Cottages in 1998, said: “Demand for our properties has never been greater so it was important we prepare ourselves and the business for expansion, that’s why I turned to the Business Northumberland High Growth programme for support.

“Thanks to the programme we’ve attended free courses to improve our understanding of social media and to develop our sales and marketing techniques and we’ve had the support of a dedicated business coach who has positively challenged our entire approach to how we run the business.”

The programme forms part of Business Northumberland, which offers established and start-up businesses in the county fully-funded support to maximise their growth potential. Oxford Innovation, the UK’s leading coaching company, is delivering the high growth programme on behalf of Arch, The Northumberland Development Company and Northumberland County Council. The £1.35m programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Oxford Innovation business coach Matt Hindhaugh worked alongside Julie and Stephanie and he is confident about the future of their business: “Coquet Cottages is set to take its place at the forefront of the Northumberland tourism sector with its portfolio of stunning holiday homes and by supporting the employment of so many people in the service, hospitality and retail sectors.

“Julie and Stephanie really embraced the concept of coaching so my role wasn’t to tell them how to manage what was already a successful property portfolio, it was to support them in introducing innovative techniques to owning and running a high growth business.”

As Coquet Cottages are available throughout the year, the company provides work to more than 60 local cleaners, housekeepers, builders and other support staff. Northumberland’s shops, restaurants and bars also benefit from the firm’s all-year-round traffic of high-spending guests, over half of whom are repeat visitors.

All Coquet Cottages’ properties that have been assessed by the national tourism authority, VisitEngland, have been awarded four or five stars and the firm has the highest proportion of Gold Award-winning cottages of any holiday letting agency in the country.

Julie is delighted with the support she has received from the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme, commenting: “We’re very much a family business that enjoys excellent relationships with our clients. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get to where we are but Matt has shown us how we can grow the business while retaining our core values and niche offering.”

Since the launch of the Northumberland programme in April 2013, 55 client companies have been supported by Oxford Innovation’s team of expert coaches, recording between them a £5.3m increase in turnover and more than 60 jobs created or protected.

Mike Jobson leads the programme on behalf of Oxford Innovation. He said: “Coquet Cottages is the latest in a line of Northumberland businesses to see the benefits of coaching. Our programme is provided to clients at no charge and I would urge any firm with growth potential in the county to contact us for an initial chat about their business and about how coaching could potentially support their growth strategy.”

Oxford Innovation’s methods have also proved successful elsewhere in the UK, where the organisation has worked with over 2,500 high growth businesses. And despite the challenging economic circumstances of recent years, Oxford Innovation has helped its clients across the UK access over £100 million of funding, creating or safeguarding more than 2,000 jobs.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the Business Northumberland High Growth Programme and how Oxford Innovation can potentially support their business should call 01670 528403, email northumberland@oxin.co.uk or visit www.businessnorthumberland.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Round Table Solutions Ltd .