How Widex Helped Me Grow My Business
At Widex, we are very fortunate to work with some excellent independent hearing care businesses, who provide an incredibly important service, helping people living with hearing loss to bring sound back into their lives. Supporting these businesses to grow and flourish is an integral part of how we do business. It is a joy when we are able to share success stories like this from Isabella Fisher, who shares her insights into how she built a successful audiology business and how Widex helped along the way.
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Business support
I opened my first premises in November 2017, it was just myself and Diane, my receptionist. The initial setting up of the business was a lot of hard work - you must be prepared to put the work in and grab every opportunity you can.
I was doing all sorts - leaving my brochures in businesses, going to networking events four times a week; doing talks and offering tests, micro-suction and repairs in opticians, pharmacies, and nursing homes.
We were getting as many people as possible to know about us and our ethos. We pride ourselves on really listening to our clients – our motto is, “we listen, so you can hear,” - we kept reiterating that. We don’t try and ‘sell’ anything. People buy because they trust us, they like us, and because I’ve gained a good reputation. It’s about friendliness and openness - having instant contact when someone walks in and saying, “hello” - that instant rapport is important.
All I want is for my patients to leave with an informed decision. I hate the thought of someone being unhappy with our advice - I would rather someone not buy or have their money back than them being unhappy. And I say that to my patients. This is reflected in our Google reviews, which are all five star. We find a lot of people use them as a reference point ahead of booking. Many places offer micro-suction now, but lots of people are scared, they like to find someone they can trust.
Within 14 months, we were getting so many referrals, we had to move to bigger premises and take on more staff. It’s important to consider location and surround yourself with people that care - we’ve got a very good team of loyal people and we all work well together. We are in a very popular, wealthy little town, right next to a big car park and not far from the motorway, so we are easy to get to. People come from all over the place.
"Widex believed in me."
Widex have been supporting me right from the start. Firstly, they offered me the loan – and they were very generous with what they could offer. I opted to loan less than the full amount on offer as I was a bit scared, but they didn’t put any pressure on me to pay it back quickly. It was nice to have the security of that money in the bank - I knew I could still pay myself a wage if I had to dip into it. I’ve never needed it for that, it just helped me to buy equipment, set my business up how I want it and create a professional environment. It was a massive help.
The most important thing was that Widex believed in me. I’ve paid the loan off now and I know I haven’t got that commitment anymore. But there’s no way I’m going to leave. Why? Because I really like them. I like the team. Everyone has always been incredibly helpful, incredibly supportive.
The support I get from Widex is the thing which I value most, not just financially, but the practical support. I never worry about ringing Technical Support - they are always helpful, never make me feel bad for calling, and you get through quickly.
The marketing team have always been fantastic as well – the team has grown in the time I have been working with Widex, but everyone I have dealt with has always been really good.
If there are ever any issues, it never becomes a problem, I always know I can contact my TSM, the Sales Manager or the department I need, and they will say “leave it with me and I’ll sort it.” And it is always sorted quickly.
The initial loan is the thing that got me with Widex – but I enjoy working with them because they make everything so easy.
If you would like to learn more about how Widex can support you with your business, please speak with you Territory Sales Manager, or email us at marketing.uk@widexsound.com.