Smartcard specialist chosen as representative of high-growth businesses putting city on the map
Novacroft was the only Northampton-based business to be invited to comment on the Small Business Outlook 2014 report launched by think tank Centre for Cities on 25 June.
Founder and CEO Debra Charles was interviewed by BBC North East radio and television news after it was revealed that this second annual healthcheck of small and medium sized firms placed Northampton in seventh position out of 64 UK cities in terms of SME performance.
The ranking reflects the high number of businesses in the city assessed as being among the country’s most productive and profitable and at the forefront of driving the economic recovery.
These are the businesses, the report suggests, that have pursued ‘high growth’ strategies which have seen them competing on quality rather than price, focusing on innovation, investing in training and offering customised products and services.
Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, Alexandra Jones, says:
Firms that adopted higher growth strategies are less likely to have taken cost-cutting approaches during the recession and are now more likely to be actively recruiting and expanding their businesses.
Novacroft’s Debra Charles says:
Northampton used to be known for its shoe industry but I believe it won’t be long before it’s known as the centre of innovation.
Our strategy has been to invest in innovation, facilities and talent – we have doubled our workforce over the last two years and are just about to move into new 26,000 sq ft offices.
This has put us in a strong position to be able to translate our clients’ unique challenges into bespoke solutions that help them get more for less – and help us do our bit for the nation’s economic recovery.