LUCKY NUMBER THREE FOR BOND

Bond MD Derek Curtis and Paul Stobart, MD of Sage UK

Experts at North East business solutions specialist Bond are celebrating being honoured for the third time in four years at the Sage Circle of Excellence awards ceremony.

As well as being the only North East-based firm to be honoured, they even succeeded in being placed an overall second in the UK-wide awards.

Sage introduced the concept of a Circle of Excellence four years ago in order to recognise and reward the Business Partners who provide outstanding customer service and whose customers are the most likely to recommend them to friends and colleagues.

Since the first ceremony in 2005, Sunderland-based Bond has succeeded in receiving the accolade nearly every year, narrowly missing out on the 2007 awards, and managing director Derek Curtis is proud of his team North East business solutions expert Bond, specialises in technology based CRM and finance, as well as solutions and support services for SMEs.

Derek said: “It’s such a great achievement for Bond and I’m thrilled that we’ve been honoured again. To come second in the entire country is fantastic. It’s a testament to the great service our team give to our customers; this award is an important recognition of that hard work.

“We’re always intent on delivering high levels of customer service and given that we specialise in customer relations management it’s fantastic to be acknowledged for our effort. Of course, with three wins now, it’s really raised the bar for next year!”

On presenting the award to Bond, Paul Stobart, CEO of Sage (UK) Limited, said, “I’m delighted to present this award to Bond. Today’s competitive climate means that it is more important than ever for UK Businesses to stay close to their customers and deliver an outstanding service, so my congratulations go to all involved."

The award is based on independent research into the extent that customers would be prepared to recommend Bond and is judged using independent research conducted with a representative sample of Bond’s customers.

SOFTWARE FIRM URGES IT INDUSTRY TO GET A BYTE OF THE ACTION

Bond managing director Derek Curtis and owner of Fisherman’s Lodge, Jocelyn Maxfield, warm up during Byte Night

IT SPECIALISTS at some of the North East’s leading technology firms, including Alnwick-based Tagish, braved the elements at the weekend, all in aid of homeless young people and those at risk of becoming homeless.

Even sudden downpours at 4am and the promise of Halloween witches wandering through the sleeping area in the grounds of Fisherman’s Lodge were not enough to put a dampener on the charity event.

Sunderland-based software experts Bond organised North East Byte Night in aid of Action for Children (formerly NCH), the charity that supports vulnerable and excluded children and young people including those who have recently left care or are homeless.

Byte Night is the IT industry's annual sleep out in support of Action for Children. Each year hundreds of individuals and teams from the technology and IT industries spend a night exposed to the elements in a bid to raise sponsorship and awareness of Action for Children’s work.

Derek Curtis, managing director at Bond, said: ”It was such a great night. We spent quite a bit of it huddled under umbrellas, and chatting into the early hours of the morning. A few people were drenched when the heavens opened at about four o’clock, but with the survival bags given to us by Action for Children, most of us stayed relatively dry!

“There were rumours going round the group that a coven of witches from Jesmond Dene might wander through our sleeping patch, but sadly it seems the rain put them off. Even the swamp rats appeared to avoid our rain-drenched area.

“We’ve managed to raise an impressive £4000 so far, but obviously if people would still like to donate, they can. Next year, I’m hoping we can double the amount of people who sleep out with us; I’d love to be able to reach the £8000 mark.”

Helping to host the event and even joining in herself was Jocelyn Maxfield, owner of Fisherman’s Lodge. She said: “When Derek approached me with the idea to hold the event in the grounds of the lodge, I jumped at the chance. This was a fabulous opportunity to raise some money, as well as awareness of homelessness, whilst also having a lot of fun.

”I view the homeless in a completely different way now. No one would sleep outside and open to all the elements out of choice. We had the luxury of being in a safe, secure area whilst in the grounds to the lodge, but the homeless don’t have that. I hope the money we raised manages to help change this.”

The event began ten years ago when 30 individuals from the IT industry slept out and raised £35,000. Since then the event has grown to extraordinary heights, attracting 270 sleepers and raising almost £400,000 in 2007 alone.

In October hundreds of individuals from the IT and technology sector were exposed to the elements as they spent a night under the stars to raise vital sponsorship and awareness of youth homelessness and the difficulties faced by young people leaving care.

Large scale events happened in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh in October so Derek encouraged 13 members of the North East digital industry to join him for his inaugural event on Friday 31st October, in the hope that a large scale Byte Night can be organised here by Action for Children in 2009.

North East community fundraiser for Action for Children, Linda McDonald, said: “This is the first time that we’ve had a Byte Night in the region, so all us ‘sleepers’ were the guinea pigs. As it was, it was a wonderful success, and I would absolutely do it again.

“I think I was the only one who managed to get any sleep; I didn’t even notice the rain! It was certainly an experience, but the fact we raised so much is a testament to all the people who joined in. Derek was a fantastic organiser, and without him and Bond, this wouldn’t have even happened. Roll on Byte Night 2009!”

For more information on how to donate, or how you can be involved in Byte Night 2009, contact Derek Curtis at derek.curtis@bond-solutions.com or visit http://nebytenight.blogspot.com.

BARKING MAD DAY AT BOND

Derek Curtis, Bond MD, gets some IT tips from Cubby the Dalmatian during Take Your Dog to Work Day

Leading software specialist Bond, has opened its doors to man’s best friend today, as employees bring in their pet pooches for Take Your Dog to Work Day.

The annual event, organised by The Blue Cross charity, encourages dog owners to spend more time with their pets by taking them into work for a day. As well as promoting responsible pet ownership, the event also raises funds for the charity, allowing it to continue its work for unwanted and sick pets.

Managing director of the Sunderland based firm, Derek Curtis, brought in his Dalmatian, Cubby, and has discovered there is now a new top dog in the building. Derek says: “I love spending time with Cubby, and bringing him into work is wonderful. However, he does take control here and loves to let people know he’s in charge.

“We’ve had a great turn-out today. For most people, a dog is a very close companion, so to be able to bring that friend into work creates a fantastic atmosphere in the office.”

‘Take your dog to work day’ raises £20,000 every year in aid of The Blue Cross charity, with many businesses who have participated in the event agreeing that taking their dogs to work has greatly improved office life.

Derek continues: “Considering everyone is having a terrific day, at the same time as raising money, it isn’t bad going at all. I’d love to let everyone here bring their dogs in on a permanent basis in the future, but I’m not sure I could handle Cubby’s demands at home and at work!”

BOND HELPS PHONE CLIENT PUT E-PEN TO PAPER

Paul Enguita of Cellular Solutions, demonstrates the new E-pen with Bond MD Derek Curtis

Experts at business solutions specialist Bond have been helping field sales staff at communications specialists Cellular Solutions make sure information collected on their sales calls at customer offices arrives back at the base before they do, with the help of new technology.

The Cellular Solutions sales force uses electronic pens and special paper forms to record customer data, which is then sent back to the office via a Blackberry or other handheld device.

The pens work by capturing handwriting and transforming it into pen strokes, using a wireless ink pen on paper embedded with a digital pattern. Graphical images of original documents and business forms can be collected along with data and delivered as XML files.

The interface software that the Bond team implemented now monitors the data traffic and automatically updates the central Sage Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system which sits on servers at Cellular Solutions’ offices in Sunderland.

The new system means staff have up to date information at their fingertips to help them foster customer relationships, with a system that provides an instant overview of business and an accurate management, reporting and marketing tool.

Bond managing director Derek Curtis said: “The new application improves efficiency through faster and more effective data handling and will bring significant benefits for Cellular Solutions.

“The ability to have information automatically integrated into the central CRM system before the field sales staff even get back to the office gives the team a powerful marketing tool that helps them get closer to their existing and potential customer base.

“Although this particular project involved installing the software interface with Sage CRM, it can be used with any major CRM platform. The result is an ideal framework for anyone with a mobile workforce, such as financial services or the home improvement sector, or any business looking for more efficient management of customer relationships.

“As a Sage Circle of Excellence winner ourselves we were pleased to be invited to work with Cellular Solutions, which has a similar approach to using best of breed technology to constantly improve levels of customer care.”

Mike Bowers, managing director of Cellular Solutions added: “With Bond’s help we have already seen the benefits of the new framework, which is giving us instant access to information that is up to date on a minute by minute basis, and providing us with an essential platform from which to forge closer client relationships that will keep us in front of a very competitive market.”

CRM SPECIALIST HELPS NORTH EAST ENTREPRENEURS

Bond managing director Derek Bond and Chief Executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, Carole Beverley

One of the region’s leading names in business management software is applying its expertise to support the Entrepreneurs’ Forum as it continues to enhance what it offers to its growing membership base, with the installation of a new customer relationship management (CRM) system.

Sunderland-based Bond, which specialises in technology based CRM, is helping the Forum develop a new system which will manage the client database faster and more efficiently, as well as allowing staff to gather and analyse member data that can then be used to support them more effectively.

The system will also further streamline the Forum’s mentoring programme, by matching mentees with a shortlist of possible established entrepreneurs as mentors.

The Forum, whose membership is made up of over 300 entrepreneurs from around the North East, previously used a combination of spreadsheets and databases for event management and to manage membership lists. With the addition of the new system the Forum is also aiming to increase membership numbers further and to manage links to several other groups it has contact with, such as further and higher education organisations where students are engaged through its youth strand.

Bond managing director Derek Curtis, who is also taking part in the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s ‘If We Can You Can’ campaign, said: “I’ve been a member of the Forum for four years now, so I’m proud that the organisation chose Bond to revolutionise its CRM.

“Being able to gather and apply a wider range of marketing information should help generate more members, and allow the Forum to grow both its membership base and its range of activities.”

“Having a place where entrepreneurs can go to meet with like-minded people to swap advice and share inspiration is fantastic. I’m looking forward to helping the Forum expand so that more people can reap the benefits of attending events and being a member.”

The next stage of the new CRM integration will involve linking the system with the Forum’s existing events system, so that staff will be able to further monitor the take up and success of events across a number of themes and formats.

Chief Executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, Carole Beverley, said: “We’ve known Derek for a long time and even though we had proposals from other companies to implement the CRM system, we felt that Bond was the only one that shared the same vision and attitude as us, combined with the flexibility we needed.

“There’s no doubt that the new system will transform the way we analyse our data internally. It’s only just been installed, and already we’re finding information retrieval much faster and the dashboard facility, which allows us to view a whole host of bespoke information at a glance, is superb. I’m confident that it won’t be long before it will be delivering some amazing results.”

CRM SPECIALIST IN COMPETITOR BUYOUT

Bond managing director Derek Curtis

One of the region’s leading experts in business management software has struck a buyout deal with a Manchester-based competitor that will see it double its client list, take on two new staff and establish a North West base, as part of its long term growth plans.

Sunderland-based Bond specialises in technology based CRM and finance, solutions and support services for SMEs, helping them to manage contacts, forecast sales and manage financial information as well as extracting real time management and reporting information through a series of easy to use solutions that bolt on to existing technology.

The deal is linked to its flagship product for the smaller end of the SME market, Sage ACT, which is the world’s best-selling contact management system, designed to link an entire relationship history into a single contact record, and allowing users to track meetings, proposals, emails and actions through one simple system.

The agreement will see Bond acquire 350 of the ACT system clients of Manchester-based On Site Marketing Solutions, a former competitor and also a supplier of ACT solutions to small businesses.

Two of OMS’s staff have transferred to Bond and will continue to work from what is now its new Manchester base, giving the company a wider coverage in the North West region.

Bond managing director Derek Curtis explained the background: “We are delighted with the deal, which has been many months in the planning. The managing director of OMS was looking to hand the business over prior to emigrating to the USA, and as our companies have such similar business models, product portfolios and a sector-independent client base, it made perfect sense to explore the acquisition opportunities it presented.

“We already have a bank of clients spread throughout Lancashire and the Midlands, and an already established Manchester base will give us a firmer foothold there, and a platform from which to spread further afield into Yorkshire and the North West, which we have identified as an area where we see massive expansion potential.

“The deal sees us double our customer base of ACT users overnight and fits with our long term strategy to grow the business geographically and organically.”