A rural business with global appeal
How superfast broadband can transform a business operating from remote locations.
Tim Stanger set up Vinyl Clocks when he sat looking at his old copy of Squeeze’s ‘Cool For Cats’ and wondered what it could be used for. At the same time he had been searching for a wall clock and had wanted something a bit different. The two ideas collided and the genesis of a new start-up business was born.
He thought at first that it would be a fun sideline. However an interview with his local radio station changed all of that and orders started flooding in. Tim has steadily increased his sales through social media and he tweets, Facebooks and blogs to promote his businesses. His customers endorse his work and this creates online conversations which help to spread the word.
He is aware that many of his customers are “Vinyl geeks” who like him didn’t really want to part with a beloved album. He gets orders far and wide and enjoys celebrating his global success, acknowledging new customers by putting a point on a map he posts online indicating where they come from. Tim also sends samples to bloggers and radio stations and is aware of keeping his customers on his side by creating an online community. He regularly posts his office view into the neighbouring Welsh countryside on Facebook.
Tim has a background in sales for a major retailer so he knows about the art of selling. He knows how to get the best out of online marketing and uses search engines rather than online retailers. He says he can do all of this from his rural Shropshire location entirely because of his broadband connection.