Landmark Customer Case Studies - Commercial KEY Accounts

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Martin Bazeley, M & R Bazeley, Fareham, Hampshire

Second generation farmer Martin is ably assisted in running his businesses by his sister Jane. “I adopted computerisation by installing FCG software in 2000. By 2008 we were struggling with the limitations of old technology and I was looking for improved management information across our range of very varied businesses. I knew about Landmark from our accountant, Chris Monnington, who encouraged us to make the move.”

Jane joined Martin as an employee in 2003, the year that Barn Store (business number four) was launched, and with an IBM systems background she was a real asset. “I received invaluable help from the Self-Storage Association with standard legal documents, “she says.

Since 2008 the diversified business has been run on KEY Accounts supported by Landmark’s Accounts Consultant, Mark Thatcher. Jane says: “We set up all 4 companies with Mark, which involved identifying new code structures, making good use of the enterprise facility and of course adding customers and suppliers.

“KEY was new to me, so Mark took me through the basic operations in his first visit, then came back to help tidy up the mistakes after the first month! Obviously, it was all a bit daunting at first, but I was cushioned by the training from Mark and the availability of the support line which kept me on the straight and narrow in between visits.”

Now full use is being made of the KEY electronic banking module and Sales Invoicer. KEY Accounts is flexible enough for all the day to day transfers that occur between businesses on a fully diversified farm. “Gone are the days when as a farmer I only had to speak to a couple of grain traders and the MMB in a day – we have hundreds of customers and a lot of ‘admin’. Jane is brilliant at it all!” adds Martin.

How has the company diversified?

The original M & R Bazeley farming company is a tenant on 920 acres of the Southwick Estate, just off the M27 at Fareham. It has within it 2 main enterprises – a 220 cow dairy herd (Hipley) and an arable farm (Portsdown). These enterprises have slightly different year ends to the other businesses and they are contracted out, so year end is complicated. Jane appreciates Mark Thatcher’s Field Service support involving a day to sort out transfers, VAT and Journals between contractors and the farm.

The last decade has seen many changes for the Bazeleys who were hitherto traditionally farming. In 2000, looking for diversification, Martin explored the possibility of bottling water at Offwell Farm from the natural spring. He explains: “When this fell through because of a technicality with the licensing agreement it set me thinking about what other assets I had and we thought ‘we have chimney pots’ and we have light chalk which is some of the best malting barley land in the country.

We began in a small way and have grown organically. A small micro-brewery takes our malted barley and now brews a range of 2,500 pints of Suthwyk Ales per week which we store, sell and deliver in bottles and casks to pubs, private individuals, brasseries and the Southern Co-Op. We even supply Tate Modern,” he says.

The initial idea for Barn Store was to kit out an ex-dairy building with 20´ containers for self storage. Martin says: ”Again we looked at our assets. Redundant buildings, near to a City, with motorway access shouted ‘storage’, but with a difference. We provide exclusive use of space, with unrestricted access, in a family run caring environment.

A Real Ale shop followed in 2003 with the renovation of a Victorian steam brewery. Southwick Brewhouse stocks 175 different beers and ciders, gifts and cheese and is run in partnership with an ex-publican.

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Landmark Customer Case Studies - Commercial KEY Accounts Download this case study as a PDF