Haines Watts working with Genuine Solutions Group

But Genuine Solutions’ next phase of growth will see it diversify into even more revolutionary devices.

“Technology is converging, with the impact of the artificial intelligence (AI)and the Internet of Things,” Chris notes.

“We’re gearing ourselves up to go beyond the traditional marketplace focused on telecoms. We see potential opportunities in AI and connected devices from both the distribution and recycling point of view, which we believe will see us grow by another 20% over the next 12 to 18 months. After that, we’ll be seeking external investment to go out with a fairly aggressive mergers and acquisitions plan.”

Among the many challenges the business will face in these new ventures is to maintain its distinctive culture. Its engagement with employees has earned it accreditation from workplace engagement specialists Best Companies as a great place to work.

It’s probably this award that Chris is most proud of – though there are plenty to choose from in the company’s trophy cabinet. The Silver Investors in People accreditation, rare in the telecoms sector, is another satisfying accolade.

Genuine Solutions has also earned a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of its promise in international trade. It has won praise from the Department for International Trade after boosting its proportion of overseas revenue to 70%.

The overseas advance continues, most recently with the launch of a New York operation. “There’s not a requirement to set up a facility there, but we deployed a strategy to send out one of our senior guys on secondment to the States and establish boots on the ground,” says Chris.

As it puts the finishing touches to its new strategy, the company has Haines Watts at its side – where it has been since Genuine Solutions was a start-up in 2005.

As a fledgling business, Genuine Solutions received essential guidance from Haines Watts in areas ranging from record-keeping and VAT returns to payroll and banking. And later, as the firm became bigger, the support it required became more sophisticated, Chris recalls.

“We were very lucky in the early years in being able to leverage relationships with existing contacts to find people we wanted to work with,” he says. “But as we grew, we had to branch out with a people strategy and succession planning to achieve our growth ambitions.”

Haines Watts pointed Genuine Solutions to candidates for a couple of key posts and saved the company hefty agency fees in the process. “Supporting our recruitment was something we wouldn’t have expected from an accounting firm,” Chris admits.

Haines Watts’ ability to “really get under the skin of the business” has been critical as Genuine Solutions has grown and will be equally as important in the company’s next phase, Chris adds. “Haines Watts will be advising us in a number of different ways – providing a sense check for our plans, ensuring they’re sustainable and advising on potential acquisitions.”