Let’s talk steel.
My grandad worked at the Crittall Factory in Braintree, Essex. You’ve probably seen Crittall windows. They’re some of the most sought after premium windows around. They’re also responsible for the Braintree Town nickname – The Iron. When he retired they gave him a carriage clock that sat in pride of place on the mantelpiece in my nan and grandad’s lounge. He was proud of it. It meant something to him because the best businesses mean something to the people that grow them.
Finding your why and then communicating that why is important. Potential customers don’t want pages and pages of a life story, but they do want authenticity. To understand your motivation.
What’s mine?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work all over the world with some of the biggest brands in marketing communications. But it was always marketing problems closer to home that got me excited. My mum ran her own clothes shop when I was a child – the logo and sales approach fascinated me.
And then there’s the windows. F H Crittall had a son, known as Mr Pink – part director, part designer, and the man who helped turn Crittall into a global brand. He didn’t just grow the business – he grew the community around it, building homes for the workers who made those steel windows. In 1880 Crittall employed 11 people. By 1918 it was 500. It’s the kind of growth anyone would be proud of
I started this business because not only are SMEs the backbone of our economy but they have the potential to transform the communities they come from – just like Crittall did to Braintree. Mr Pink wanted to create aesthetically beautiful windows that could be exported around the world, and look after those that helped him create them.
That was his why and it filtered down. It’s why the carriage clock stayed on the mantelpiece to the end of my grandad’s life. In a number of small ways, small businesses can have a positive impact on those around them whilst trading profitably. RGC exists to help them harness that potential.
So if you’re trying to grow your business without losing sight of where you come from, let’s talk.
