Let’s face it: over the years, some of the most ingenious business ideas have originated in the pub, often scribbled down on a napkin or the back of a cigarette packet during a round (or three) of drinks. This holds true for seasoned workplace supplies professionals Paul Hicklin and Paddy Dobbyn. Both hailing from the same firm, they frequently found themselves on Wednesday evenings, pint in hand, discussing the prospect of going it alone and setting up their own business.
However, it wasn’t until 2008, after years of contemplative ‘should we, shouldn’t we’ conversations, that they decided the timing was finally right to embark on their entrepreneurial journey.
Securing the ideal setting for their venture took eight months, with the duo ultimately settling on premises in Mildenhall, Suffolk. Adhering to the crucial importance of ‘location, location, location’, they launched Compleat Office Solutions in an 800 sq ft office and warehouse. On the first trading day, Paul used an old pedestal for a desk, while Paddy made do with two PC boxes for his workstation, with a shared phone placed on the floor between them.
Crafting spaces
Fast forward 16 years, and the team has expanded to ten staff, operating out of a 6,000 sq ft office and warehouse. “I remember the day we got the keys to our current premises; I did wonder how we were going to fill the warehouse. Now we’ve outgrown it and are actively seeking new space as it’s frequently a struggle to fit everything in – especially if we are preparing an office fit-out and have to store furniture from several suppliers for one job,” reflects Hicklin.
While Compleat doesn’t classify its furniture services as full fit-outs, the installation process is managed by the team, encompassing tasks from painting and decorating to flooring, furniture plans and design layouts. “We tend to draw the line at kitchens, but client requests range from small, merely supplying furniture, to larger installs. Essentially, it’s about maximising the space a customer has,” says Dobbyn.
Aside from desks and chairs, the warehouse also accommodates approximately 800 fast-moving lines alongside products where it’s made sense to buy in bulk for the price advantages. This, say the pair, is primarily to protect themselves in case of any wholesaler stock blips. Aligned primarily to VOW for years, Compleat – like many dealers today – also maintains accounts with Exertis Supplies and Spicers.
New horizons
Furniture accounts for roughly 40% of their business in terms of sales, with stationery still making up about 30%, alongside a significant turnover from paper, and the rest from growing areas including cleaning and hygiene, safety and PPE, and workwear.
The latter is an area in which the dealer is exploring new options, particularly in the realm of bespoke workwear, where significant earning potential may lie. Compleat currently offers this service through a local embroiderer, but Dobbyn admits it’s something they need to delve into further. “The jobs we do get are from existing customers as they trust us to take care of it due to the service levels we provide for them in other areas. It surprises me that nobody in the industry has jumped on it to offer such an initiative to dealers.
“If someone were to provide the quick turnaround, arrange the pricing, etc at that level, it would also remove a lot of the research we have to do. We’re not all in the position to afford to or have space for the machines and the resources to do this,” he says.
Another product category being discussed in dealer circles, yet seemingly slow to gain traction, is tools. As part of the Office Friendly deal with Toolbank, Compleat embraced the catalogue around 18 months ago. So far, it’s been a successful and straightforward addition for the team, despite the varying margins depending on the product. Thanks to deals with Toolbank’s head office and the benefit of branches nationwide, Compleat enjoys the convenience of local deliveries. “It’s a simple add-on,” notes Hicklin.
When it comes to their own deliveries, the duo prefer to keep it local, with four vans servicing customers within a 30-mile radius of Mildenhall. They prioritise adding value to orders, with delivery drivers instructed to place products in the client’s office where appropriate. “Anyone can do an Amazon-style delivery and drop boxes at reception. It’s an old saying, but if you’re in business on price, you’re going to lose it again on price. We make sure to go the extra mile,” Hicklin asserts.
Customer connections
Customer service remains paramount across all aspects of the business, as demonstrated by one memorable occasion when Hicklin and Dobbyn personally drove to Paris on a Friday evening to fetch a replacement for a damaged conference table for an installation, ensuring it was ready for the client by Monday morning. “This was roughly ten years ago, and our little trip is still talked about by the client, who has remained loyal to us ever since,” Dobbyn shares.
Conscious of the need to be more aligned with customers’ sustainability endeavours, Compleat, along with signing up to Office Friendly’s Weaver Sustainability Programme, has ramped up its own efforts. The dealer took delivery of its first electric vehicle last October, with the co-founders also switching to electric cars.
The journey so far has furthermore included making incremental yet effective changes, such as switching to LED lighting in its warehouse and office space. Hicklin emphasises the importance of not only becoming a more sustainable company but also communicating this commitment to customers.
On this point, Compleat is recognised in East Anglia for its CSR efforts, particularly with the charity Keeping Hearts Beating. Following the death of his father 12 years ago, Hicklin has played a crucial role in providing 24-hour accessible defibrillators to the local community and across the UK, with at least 30 defibrillators installed so far thanks to this initiative.
He also got the business involved and now funding for these devices partly comes from a customer recycling toner programme, which, while not a huge revenue generator, contributes to the cost of the defibrillators (around £1,500 each) and their maintenance, including the replacement of pads after each use and batteries.
Hicklin says fewer than one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; but good-quality CPR along with defibrillation within 3-5 minutes of collapse increases survival rates by between 50-70%. “I am passionate about placing more of these machines in the community in memory of my dad. Our defibs are deployed regularly and I’ve been told they have saved the lives of people since being installed. On the environmental front, it also saves the toners from ending up in landfill.”
Charting the future
Although Dobbyn modestly states that the company is “not setting the world alight”, Compleat continues to see year-on-year organic growth, ranging from 5-20% annually. Elaborating further, he says: “Looking at FY2022-23, we had our best ever year with 20% growth. Compared to pre-COVID figures, we’re seeing about a 35% increase. Already in 2024, we’ve surpassed 2023’s total at the same point, so sales will be heading towards growth of 5-10%.
“We’ve only seen a slight dip in margin in the past few years, with the expectation for this year being a 5-6% increase in percentage points over 2023.”
In this period of inflation, Dobbyn believes many in the industry still adhere to a short-sighted view on pricing: “One thing COVID taught me about dealing with the current cost of living crisis is that if you’re open with customers, they will accept higher prices.
“We’re all in the same boat as they, too, are having to raise their prices. It has helped get the message across to our salespeople to just be honest when talking to clients. This has been key to our discussions and how we have managed to adjust to realistic pricing levels and maintain and even increase margins,” he explains.
With sales on a steady incline and margins returning to acceptable levels, the duo have set a target to increase sales by an additional £500,000 by 2026. One strategy to achieve this is by securing new business and identifying opportunities within their existing client base through gap analysis. “I prefer a sniper approach over a scattergun approach – being more focused and able to pick off our targets,” Dobbyn says.
However, he acknowledges the challenge of expanding their team with the right talent, emphasising the industry’s unique learning curve. “You’ll always get a bum on a seat, but our sector has so many quirks that it takes a while to get up to speed. It works out that with our present employees, there are 138 years of experience between us, and we have been fortunate in the past with industry-experienced salespeople and admin staff who could hit the ground running.
“The industry would benefit greatly from better training programmes to elevate the quality of sales and knowledge. We need something in our sector to pull it together because as independents, we don’t have the resources to do it ourselves. It would be lovely to have some kind of ‘umbrella’ under which this could happen.”
As for the future, with employees returning to the office full-time – at least in East Anglia, it seems – it can only mean good news for the dealer. With a solid, loyal customer base, continual reinvestment in the business and always being careful to ensure there’s money left in the pot, the duo will just keep doing what they’re doing.
