Phil Shilcock
Brendan Taylor and Gavin Hard recently caught up with Phil Shilcock from Best Office Systems (BOS). BOS are suppliers and service agents of office machines and technological needs in the Great Southern with offices in Albany and Narrogin.
Owners, Phil & Michelle together with their team pride themselves in providing the latest technology backed up by the fastest and most efficient after sales service possible. BOS have won numerous national sales awards with Ricoh and Konica Minolta but it is the local ACCI business awards won in 2001 and 2004 they are most proud of.
Why did you nominate for the ACCI business awards?
We were hesitant to nominate for the awards as we thought we were too small to apply and had only been in business for two years. Recognition was a small part of it but we mostly wanted to see how we went and possibly use it as a marketing tool. We were proud of what we were doing and were getting lots of positive feedback so we decided to nominate ourselves.
We had a journalist assist us with the application, and we found the submission made us take a helicopter view of our business; something we had not invested the time to do beforehand.
And the winner is….
This Small Business has experienced significant growth in the first two years since their change in ownership and has strong client referrals. We are very pleased to announce the winner of the 2001 Lincolns Accountants Small Business with 1 – 5 employees goes to……Best Office Systems.
The prize for winning the award was a $1,500 voucher from Lincolns for business and accounting advice. Winning this award brought recognition but also helped with our self-confidence.
What else did you gain from the award?
At the time my Dad, Geoff, was our Accountant, so we had all my tax and accounting affairs in order. Although, we were looking at employing a full time Technician but weren’t sure if the business could cope financially. We took this question to Lincolns, and found this opened up so many more questions and issues I hadn’t considered.
We learnt about Gross Profit Margins, Key Performance Indicators, Break Even Analysis and the basic tools to see how the business was going. We also gained a strategic plan, introduction to business performance analysis and benchmarks. This was the start of our long term relationship with Lincolns and the tools we used to produce information then are still very useful today.
How has your involvement with the ACCI changed?
When we bought BOS, my Dad and business mentor recommended that we join ACCI. By the time we won our award, I was a regular at the Business After Hours. It’s a great way to network and I usually made 2-3 good contacts each event.
Later I joined the ACCI board and was an active member for 4 years. My main agenda whilst on the board was the Buy Local Campaign. I wanted to get the Chamber on board and also work on the government to help support buying locally. I wanted to apply some pressure on out of town politicians to help keep funds coming into Albany and to promote regional projects. The Buy Local Campaign is still alive and well today.
We have also sponsored the ACCI Young Business Person of the Year award for around 5 years.
What would you say to any business or person considering applying for an ACCI award?
Do it, but be prepared to put in the effort to make it worthwhile. Take your time, and get advice from your Accountant. Do it properly.
Now onto Best Office Systems, what challenges have you come across with the significant expansion of your business?
Being in small business there is always going to be challenges, whether your business is expanding or not. Our ongoing challenge has been with suppliers, and in particular, centralised procurement, that is where government departments buy identical products in Perth and ask us to service them at reduced rates.
We also have additional challenges operating from two business locations nearly 300kms apart. But with the use of technology we’ve been able to access consistent feedback and have complete visibility to each branch.
How else has technology impacted your business?
Technology has enabled quick access to both financial and non-financial information, helping us to readily keep on top of issues as they arise. If we had originally “stuck our heads in the sand” with technology, it would be a big issue for our business today.
Being efficient is key to our success and by applying technology correctly we are able to continue to provide customers with what they expect and deserve.
We have gone from a printer and copier business to a technology based business, without being an “IT business” per se. We have been able to use technology to assist businesses and are now a “solutions and outcomes based” business.
Technology has also allowed us to manage the business from afar. I could be anywhere in the world and remotely login to check that day’s performance.
Who has helped you along the way?
When we took over the business, my Dad assisted us with the accounts so his guidance was there from the start. My other mentors have been Frank (my Dad’s ex Boss), and Dennis (my past Boss).
We would also meet owners/managers of similar sized businesses at conferences. Having a beer at the bar after the conference was always a great way to meet people and form a relationship. “Don’t underestimate how having a beer can cement a relationship.”
Having the right people working in the business is imperative. We have had and continue to have a very stable, loyal and talented workforce.
Do you have an off switch?
I probably don’t ever totally turn off from the business. I have learnt over time to “put it in a box” so I’m not dwelling on an issue for too long outside of work.
Often Michelle and I will discuss the business over a coffee or wine, but we make sure to mix up the topics so we’re not always talking business. We make sure we take regular holidays, and before returning home we’ll always decide where we’ll go next. With taking holidays we’ve always thought “If we are away two weeks and the business falls apart, we are not doing it right”.
What is around the corner?
The business continues to evolve and develop to meet the needs of modern businesses and fast moving technology changes. That is one reason why we are on the lookout for a general manager. That should allow Best Office Systems to expand as well as give Michelle and I the time to pursue another long held dream.
We recently purchased Montgomery Hill Wines at Kalgan. We intend to expand the wine operation and cellar door, plus build a very nice restaurant with extraordinary views and great food.
We hope the mistakes we made early on with BOS and subsequent lessons learnt should be helpful in this exciting new venture. This should be open soon after Christmas this year.
I think that will be enough challenges for us for the next few years. After that, who knows!
Visit
Shop 6 / 20 Campbell Road
Mira Mar WA 6330
Phone: 9842 1333
