Member Article

KAT Communications targets national award success

A Doncaster telecommunications company is hoping to gain recognition as being one of the UK’s best family businesses after being shortlisted for a trio of national and regional awards.

KAT Communications, which is headquartered at the Apex Business Centre, has been successfully shortlisted in three categories at the Family Business of the Year Awards, which is organised by Family Business United, an organisation that celebrates and showcases the achievements of Britain’s best family firms.

Taking place in a virtual ceremony on 24th June, KAT Communications has been shortlisted in two regional categories and is also in the running to receive the highly coveted title of UK Family Business of the Year, where they will compete with businesses chosen from eight different regions across the UK.

The two regional awards will see KAT Communications go head-to-head with 14 businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber in a bid to be crowned Yorkshire’s Family Business of the Year, as well as being named as a finalist for the People’s Choice Award, which was voted upon by fellow family business owners from across the region.

Specialising in a customer first, technology second approach towards telecoms technology, KAT Communications supported more than 300 businesses, helping them to adapt to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly when it came to helping members of staff communicate more effectively whilst working from home.

In a bid to minimise the risk of exposure to Covid-19, KAT stepped in to help its customers adapt to a changing working environment by delivering customised remote working solutions. As part of this work, the company designed phone system solutions for its customers, to minimise disruption, as businesses switched their staff to home working. Measures introduced included tailoring existing phone systems to suit the needs of staff, as well as installing temporary business grade broadband lines for homes to provide the same high levels of connectivity for its customers as if they were based in the same physical location.

KAT Communications also recognised the impact the pandemic had upon the mental health and wellbeing of its customers. The company is a patron of the Club Doncaster Foundation which aims to inspire positive change by encouraging people living in the borough to become more active. Through its work with Club Doncaster, KAT Communications sought to recognise the physical and mental toll of twelve months of lockdowns and is planning to provide all of its customers with Club Doncaster DNA savings cards, which provide discounts on a wide range of lifestyle products and services.

The company also plays an active role in Doncaster Business for the Community, an organisation made up of local businesses who volunteer their time to raise funds for local good causes, and managing director Anthony Temperton, believes it is this approach which has seen KAT Communications be shortlisted for both the regional and national family business awards:

“We’re an unashamedly small, family run business, but when it came to helping our customers during the pandemic, this allowed us to be much more proactive and flexible. For example, we stepped in to support our customers working in the hospitality and leisure sectors who were unable to trade during the national and regional lockdowns. At the same time, we were able to draw upon our knowledge and expertise to help businesses to continue trading, even though many chose to switch their operations to remote working.

“We’ve known for a little while that we had been shortlisted for the regional awards, but to discover we’ve also made the shortlist and have a chance of winning a national award is an incredible feeling. Whether we win or lose when the awards take place later this month, I think we can look back at the help we provided to our customers during a particularly challenging year with a sense of immense pride.”

Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United said:

“The Family Business Awards brings together the best family firms from all over the UK, and becoming a finalist is no mean feat. Over the past eight years some incredible family firms have been crowned winners.

“Each and every finalist has a passion for their business that cannot be seen in their non-family-owned counterparts. The past year in particular has seen pride, resilience and determination to succeed, and many have stepped up and supported the communities in which they operate.

“With over six million family firms in the UK employing more than 13 million people, this is a sector that makes a significant difference through jobs, income generation and wealth creation. These awards celebrate the contribution that family firms make each and every day.”

Launched in 2009 by telecoms expert Anthony Temperton, KAT Communications acts as a one-stop shop that helps SME business owners to navigate their way through the complex telecoms market. The company provides a range of services including phone systems, lines and calls, mobile voice and data, cloud technology and IT support.

The family-run business operates from sites in Doncaster and Scunthorpe, and through its customer first, technology second ethos, KAT Communications supports more than 300 businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber and is responsible for delivering more than 750,000 call minutes per month.

The Family Business of the Year Awards is organised by Family Business United, a voice for the global family business community that provides support, advice and opportunities for family-run businesses to network and collaborate. Now in its eighth year, the awards celebrate and showcase the important contribution family businesses make towards the regional and national economy and the important role family businesses play in making a positive contribution to the communities they serve.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by KAT Communications .