A LEADING education telemarketing agency is expanding, creating new jobs and diversifying to explore new markets.
Elite Telemarketing Education, which has been based at Business Central in Darlington since July, specialises in connecting the education sector with software and technology clients to bring market leading EdTech products to UK schools, helping improve teaching and learning outcomes.
Since 2016, the company has generated over 25,000 fully qualified sales appointments by connecting clients with senior decision makers across UK primary and secondary schools, multi-academy trusts (MATS), and independent and international schools, thanks to its understanding of the nuances within the education market.
Following the pandemic, the agency has returned bigger and better, and after just four months at Business Central, is moving to a larger office space within the building. The team of 12 is also expanding, as it prepares to recruit four members of staff before the end of the year and a further four in January.
Nick Stringer, managing director of Elite Telemarketing Education, said: “Starting this month, we’ve signed a long-term lease on a larger office. We’re looking to grow up to and beyond 20 colleagues.
“We were in this position before the world turned upside down in March 2020. We’d built up the business, we’d formed relationships with new clients, we had a similar number of executives and then as we all know the world went into lockdown, schools were closed and our model was suddenly broken.
“We had to adapt rapidly, but since we’ve re-emerged from the other end of lockdown, we’ve started to gather momentum and build back to where we were. The next stage for us, is to go beyond where we were in March 2020.”
As well as recruiting, Elite Telemarketing Education is exploring how it can lend expertise to other sectors, while continuing to deliver successful lead generation campaigns to market leading EdTech clients, which include Firefly Learning, HegartyMaths, Juniper Education and eSchools.
Nick added: “We’re looking to diversify and add different services to our telemarketing capability, including digital marketing, SEO, website building and training to diversify our offering and consider new markets to add to our portfolio alongside education.
“My target is to turnover £1 million in our next financial year. That’s going to be achieved through a rapid but sustainable growth strategy, as we welcome new colleagues, develop our brand and offer new ways of broadening our services so we become more of a one-stop solution for more marketing channels”.
Speaking about why the agency chose to move to Business Central and expand within, Nick said: “We were originally based in a town centre location in a building which served our purposes well for 2 years, but I was looking for a more modern office experience with other established companies around us. Companies for us to learn from and work with, and this ticks all those boxes.
“I felt that the team here had a can-do attitude and I know they worked extremely hard to ensure our requirements were met within the timeframe available.
“We’ve developed a very strong working relationship with several businesses within the building, where we’re working collaboratively with them in a way that is mutually beneficial.”
Vanessa Wood, centre manager, said: “We’re thrilled to have been able to provide office space for Elite Telemarketing Education as they expand and create new jobs in Darlington.
“It’s always great to welcome growing and ambitious businesses to Business Central, and it’s been a pleasure supporting Nick and the team.”