A few words from our MD, Tristan.
April this year saw Aspire turn 17 years old! It’s always easy for me to track as I started the business when my son was born so they’re the same age. At the time it took a few weeks to gain FCA approval and start obtaining the various agencies from the insurers and very soon our first clients started to arrive.
From then until now we have been undergoing constant review. Keeping what works and improving & changing what doesn’t. Learning from each of these changes has contributed to making us a robust, resilient business. Some of those lessons I wish I had learnt sooner – some lessons I wish were cheaper to learn! Nevertheless, they have all been valuable lessons learned and contributed to our development.
Being part of the A-One Group throughout this period has been a huge contributor to our success. As they have grown to have over £40m premium income & over 160 staff during that period. This has improved everything from our accountability to financial planning, HR, Compliance, the list is endless and with each quarterly board meeting there is another new development or improvement for us to implement. We truly are a business who continually makes small incremental changes to improve and over time these really add up.
I have also been lucky to have various mentors who have helped with my personal development because as the business developed and improved, I needed to develop and acquire new skills to effectively run the business. This development has now become a lifelong habit for me and a hidden benefit that I really identified at the outset.
Despite all of the changes that have occurred during the last 17 years, the basics of our customer service are as important today as they were on day one. Regular communication with our clients, understanding their questions, explaining things in a manner they too can understand, is all what matters most. For that reason, we are blessed with exceptional client retention. I also believe it contributes to the high levels of recommendations we receive.
The Aspire Team is Top Priority
I could probably write another blog on the trials of attracting and recruiting the right team members. Suffice to say it has been harder than I initially thought to recruit, retain and grow a good team. Investing in the them when you know they are a great fit has become one of my largest drivers. Everything from dedicated training and their personal development through to flexibility & support. This has been one of the most beneficial areas to the business, not just from the financial rewards & company success but also to watch staff flourish and enjoy their work is one the most rewarding elements of management for me.
Small Gains Are Better Than No Gains
We exist in a large group structure and comparisons against others at board level are a usual occurrence. Often these may well outperform us and that can be hard to digest. However, with a little investigation we can find out how they achieved such results and embrace new & better practices. Helping to create better figures for the future. Some years we inched forward and others we leapt but, growth is growth, and I am always proud of what we achieve. Over the years we have improved our ability to set targets, budgets, predict and plan for a better future.
At Aspire, we have a saying that “Good customer service isn’t a guarantee that nothing will go wrong, it is a promise that we will resolve it if does”.
Setting and Achieving Goals: The Aspire Blueprint for Success
I am a massive believer in goals. I like to set a mix of aspirational audacious ones to small achievable daily ones! I have them in both my personal and professional life. Understanding where we want to take the business and how we’re going to do it is key – these have always been broken down into small manageable sections. The whole Aspire team is involved in this and they each have their role to play in the success. Improved Management Information now helps us monitor our daily performance.
Thank You
Finally, we’d like to say thank you to each and every client for your continued support. We wouldn’t be where we are without you. But also, thank you to my team. I couldn’t do it without you.
Becoming an Aspire Client
If you would like to become an Aspire client, my team will be happy to provide a review of your arrangements. They will point out any gaps in cover, advise you of any insurance products you may not be aware of, and they’ll explain what is covered in a clear, jargon free way. They’ll perform a market review to ensure your costs are competitive and that you are achieving excellent value for money. We speak to our clients throughout the year and at renewal to discuss any changes you might have made (or plan to make) that impact your insurance. We’ll be there every step of the way.
