VISION / PASSION / ENERGY

These are three words that Andrew Burdett, MD of Very Displays lives his life by.

Back in 2016, after an acrimonious split from his previous company, Andrew didn’t stop to wallow in self misery. He had a vision – to create a new business doing what he knows best – developing and selling portable display products to the trade.

Fast forward three years and the company has gone from strength to strength, taking market share from its competitors. As a result, Very Displays are employing more staff both locally, regionally and internationally. Furthermore, we are also growing the product range and services as well as investing in print and finishing machinery. 

Very Displays is the go-to name when it comes to honest TRADE ONLY portable display solutions. With over 50 years’ experience and knowledge of the industry, we’ve selected a mix of the most efficient and effective products to add value to your business and increase profit. We’re one of the fastest-growing trade only suppliers of portable displays in Europe. In addition, we are proud to offer exceptional quality portable display products at the most competitive prices.

We’re here to help increase a company’s offering by providing trade printing and finishing on-site. We are strengthened by being part of the Trifibre Group – Europe’s leading casing manufacturer. Moreover, we’re flexible, supportive, transparent and easy to work with, ensuring your experience is always positive, productive and straightforward. 

But how did Andrew build his company and then run it successfully in a challenging market?

Know your market. 

Very Displays was initially set up in Leicester by Nigel and Chris Cox owners of Trifibre who knew the market well. As a result they could call upon an abundance of great people to join the team. During this time Andrew had 16 months’ garden leave which afforded him the unique luxury of having plenty of time to work through his ideas, designs, strategies and plans.  The result of all this time and planning?  Andrew was able to quickly turn Very Display into a “very” special and successful business. 

Andrew already knew his market, very well. Starting off in the UK, business grew fast and from there Very Displays opened up hubs in Spain, Poland, Latvia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Portugal, France, Italy and Canada – all within three years!  He has his sights set even further afield with plans for Very Displays to set up in Germany, North America and even Asia!

Remember that word Energy? Yes, Andrew has an abundance of it.

Build your team

Most importantly Andrew knew that he didn’t want just any team, he wanted a “super team”.  So, he started off small, with a couple of sales professionals who followed him from their previous jobs. These guys knew he had the vision and passion to grow another great company. At the same time the team was completed with a product designer who was key to creating smart new products.  

Zero to hero

From thereon in the team has grown from zero to over 40. Some of the team joining him from where he used to work and others from the local areas here in the UK and across Europe. Everyone knew the vision, to build Very Displays into one of the fastest growing companies in the industry. Subsequently the teams now all work well together and celebrate each order by ringing a bell to alert everyone another sale has been made!

“Do not believe that you will reach your destination without leaving the shore”.

[Chinese Proverb]

Another important part of the plan was to be found in China. Andrew has visited China almost 100 times, and has worked with some very capable and talented people to help tool the company’s OEM and source quality products.  Consequently for his new business venture, Andrew pulled upon his experience of “yin and yang” negotiations and built a team of three specialists. As a result these three key people manage all the sourcing, quality assurance, control and logistics that have enabled Very Displays to punch well above its weight!

Identify your product

Building on his previous success and experience, Andrew knew what key products he needed to launch with. As a result a small brochure was created to showcase the range that Very Displays would be offering.  During the three years they have been in business, Andrew along with his design team, have built on the range and created some innovative new ideas. During his many overseas trips he has sourced ethical and interesting products to bring to the market.  He has also invested in state of the art printers along with sewing machines, cutting machines and finishers which provide a full product and graphics service to trade customers.

 

Spread the word

Now that he had the products and the people, Andrew needed to market his company. This would include not just the products they would be selling but the support and services they would be offering to their Trade Only Partners too.

Hard graft

Initially hard graft was the way forward, so the experienced sales team literally went knocking on doors. After that a marketing team and design agency was in place to promote the business. In this modern world it’s all about embracing the digital revolution. For example social media, emails and a website are a must, yet the good old product brochure still has a place in this market. Finally, featuring in trade publications and exhibitions is a great way to spread the word to the many in one single hit.

Very Displays branded brochure

 

We also knew that by attending trade events the Very Displays name would soon be seen as the new supplier on the block!  And this worked by attending “must be seen at events” such as Sign and Digital and The Print Show in the UK to Euroshop and Fespa in Europe we secured lots of great leads that have been turned into orders with plenty of repeat sales and referrals.

 

The team exhibiting at Sign and Digital 2018

It’s all about the customer

Of course we all know this is key and Andrew and the team pride themselves on offering an excellent friendly and efficient service.  Most importantly, Very Displays pledge to answer any call within 20 seconds and provide a quote within two hours of the first request. Also we promise each customer will have a dedicated account manager for continuity. Very Displays’ products carry either 1, 5 or Lifetime Guarantees. There is always ongoing product development and sourcing for new and exciting products at competitive prices. All this, plus full marketing support. Oh and of course what everyone wants these days? Next day delivery, that’s a given!

Challenges along the way:

What do Very Displays face in the running of its business?

As Very Displays launched and then grew over the first three years, one of the main challenges was to ensure we kept the right amount of stock in our warehouse. This involved forecasting as accurately as we could to avoid stock sitting around. Yet more importantly having enough product for demand.  “This was quite a complicated task” advises Andrew Burdett.  “Initially our growth was rapid and difficult to predict, however we employed a specialist team who were able to forecast more accurately.  Having said that, Very Displays is still adjusting to how we fit into the display market and as we gain new customers every day we continue to monitor and stock accordingly” 

What are the biggest challenges faced by businesses in the print industry?

We are constantly being told that print is dying and everything is digitally available online. This may be true for some areas of the print industry such as litho who print books and brochures. However, the display industry using large format printing is still very much alive. Moreover, we continue to enjoy growth despite the market being quite saturated and very competitive.  Having said that we still continue to educate our customers about the demand for printed products in the display market.

How has Very Displays overcome these challenges?

“We too have adapted to the reduction in hard copy printing and have been able to reduce the quantity of our product brochure print runs. For instance, we encourage our customers to visit our website and download a pdf version of the brochure”, explains Georgia Betts, Marketing Team

Gary Parker, Design Engineer continues, “with the industry becoming more saturated and more competitive we have designed and sourced unique and different products for our Trade Customers.  Consequently, our R&D team are always looking for the “next big thing” and we are willing to test the market with our innovative products and services.”

An example of this is the XL Fabric Pop-Up designed exclusively by Very Displays.
“A unique and original product that maximises printing technology.” With easy understanding of graphics in meters, each quad equals approx. 1 m x 1 m. The system can be as tall as 3m and as wide as 6m! As a result it is high-impact, simple and extremely cost-effective. Importantly, the whole unit comes complete with a wheeled carry bag.

 

Define your goals

Andrew’s goal for Very Displays is to be the largest and most successful Trade Only supplier of portable display products. 

Remember that word Passion?  This industry has been Andrew’s life for over 30 years and grew very quickly into his passion. Unsurprisingly, Andrew is at his happiest designing and sourcing new products for the display market. As a result he knows exactly how every part of his business is doing and what needs tweaking along the way.  

In short, Andrew has invested his time in designing and sourcing the right products and hiring the right people so that he has a company that eventually could be run without him. A forward thinking business owner needs this passion, this energy and vision to run a successful company in a challenging market.

 

Andrew Burdett – MD Very Displays

About Very Displays

Very Displays’ has over 50 years experience of the display industry.

We work exclusively with Trade Only customers throughout the UK as well as European Hubs in France, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic, Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Canada.

Strengthened by being part of the Trifibre Group – Europe’s leading case manufacturer – we work with the trade to offer a full range of display products. This includes, banners, pop-ups, flags, cases, counters, literature stands, signage, outdoor, tube systems and backwalls.

We also offer a full dye sublimation and uv printing and finishing service along with sales and marketing support.

We invite you to test our service levels: Less than two hour quote response. Phones answered within 20 seconds.Next day delivery, plus much more!

For more information contact us on 0116 2323156 or visit www.verydisplays.com