Walsall IT support company aims for more growth

CANDA Systems completed its move from Sutton Coldfield to Ashlar House in Walsall Road, Aldridge, at Easter.

The company, which was founded by joint managing directors Chris Hayward from Sutton Coldfield and Andrew Watson from Aldridge in 2005, specialises in providing IT services for businesses.

It also offers its own cloud-based software for improving supply chain performance.

Mr Hayward said that after going through the GrowthAccelerator business coaching programme it had put the company on track for growth from a £220,000 to £230,000 annual turnover platform.

"This year we anticipate hitting £330,000 and we hope to achieve £500,000 within two years," he added.

Following the move to Aldridge CANDA – made up from the founders' first names – has taken on two extra staff to increase its workforce to nine and is planning to take on a further programmer.

"We offer support with everything to do with information technology for our customers from photo copiers and mobile phones to lap tops and servers.

"We can sort out IT problems and help our customers to be efficient without their own in-house IT department," said Mr Hayward.

"My background is in aerospace manufacturing. Through my work with suppliers and customers I spotted many had holes in their IT services.

"Since starting CANDA we have won business from a lot of manufacturing companies in the Midlands including a major toy manufacture in Milton Keynes and an accountants in Aldridge who employ more than 180 staff," explained Mr Hayward.

The business is achieving sales of its software across the country and the GrowthAccelerator process was particularly helpful in identifying the potential to grow those sales.

It also saw CANDA go through a review of its whole operation and identify the need to take on more staff and find bigger premises.

"The three months since the start of April have been the best since we started despite the upheaval of the move," added Mr Hayward.

The business has also successfully applied to the Technology Strategy Fund and won funding to take on the extra staff to expand software sales.

CANDA is also continuing to diversify and recently bought a security alarm business and has launced a new service to offer external CCTV linked to IT networks to businesses.

CANDA has also recently held a customer seminar at its new base which attracted two potential new customers and it is continuing to attract enquiries through word of mouth from satisified businesses.

"The future looks very bright for us," said Mr Hayward.