Commercial News

26.02.18

Focus Group’s latest Annual Report is now available

The report covers a period of growth in all areas. With the addition of a new FD & Chairman, the promise of new Headquarters & a range of funding options to complete a number of acquisitions, we go into this year with clear goals and ambitions both commercially, socially and environmentally. Click on the link to view the report https://lnkd.in/gZGRtYX

05.10.17

Focus Group has been named as one of the top 20 Best in Business companies in the area achieving sustained growth over the past 3 years

Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP’s analysis of companies with £10m – £300m turnover has shown that Focus Group is one of Sussex’s success stories, reporting impressive growth during the last three years.

Kevin Cook, Partner at BDO comments: “Companies such as Focus Group form part of the country’s economic engine and are crucial to our continued success. Focus Group is a great example of a business that, led by a strong management team, continues to embrace market opportunities and is well positioned to take advantage of any opportunities the changing economic landscape presents.”

Focus Group delivers a range of business services including Telephony, Connectivity, Managed Services, Security and Utilities. Employing over 300 staff in offices throughout the UK, the Group provides solutions to over 10,000 businesses. An organisation based on ethics and loyalty, Focus Group delivers consistent levels of service excellence while remaining committed to the development of its portfolio. Privately owned, the Group’s growth remains largely organic, with the occasional strategic acquisition.

Chris Goodman, Joint Managing Director at Focus Group comments: “We are delighted to have been recognised by one of the largest accountancy and business advisory firms in the country. It is testament to the efforts of all of our staff, that we continue to outperform our market sector in respect of organic growth.”

Ultrafast Internet for Westminster Businesses

03.10.17

You are owed £2,000 towards your internet connection. Call 0330 053 5714 for more information.

​To claim your £2,000 today, click here.

01.09.17

Comms National Awards – CNA Awards

We are delighted to announce we are Finalists for two categories for the CNA Awards; The Customer Service Award and The Best SME UC solution.

We look forward to hearing who the winners are at the Awards Ceremony which is being held at the London Hilton, Park Lane on 12th October.

www.cnawards.com

29.06.17

Focus Group have teamed up with LoveLocalJobs.com and Be the Change!

As a Partner of the ‘Be the Change’ programme, LoveLocalJobs.com were keen to understand what this means to Focus Group and took the opportunity to speak with Ralph Gilbert to find out more.

Focus Group, formed as a Telecoms Reseller in 2004 with just two members of staff, Chris Goodman and Ralph Gilbert, running the business from a shoebox home office. Their journey since has been fast and exciting with rapid growth and over 300 staff in place have now extended its commitment to employing locally by becoming a partner of LoveLocalJobs.com.

"Focus Group is delighted to be a part of this programme.” Ralph Gilbert, Joint MD said “Making a difference to people’s lives and presenting them with opportunities they might not have had is an area that I find inspiring and I’m committed to help those on the programme. I strongly believe I would have benefited from such guidance in my school years, but unfortunately it wasn’t available. Today, we are in a position to offer mentoring and life skills, helping to tackle challenges and difficult situations occurring now and in the future. I also feel It will help parents and role models to understand the issues that children are facing today, that weren’t necessarily there when we were younger and together we can find solutions to these."

To read the full article click here.

08.06.17

'Be the Change': Our First Event

As a Partner of the 'Be the Change' programme, staff from Focus Group attended an inspiring all day conference. 'Be the Change' is a ground breaking programme aimed to help school children, who may face challenges and difficulties in school or with school life. The event was held for Year 13 students and took place in Hastings, attracting an audience of 70. Attendees included students from the Hastings area and Partners of the programme to support the students in a mentoring capacity. Richard Scott and Martin Gebbett, who attended from Focus Group, found the day inspirational and left with a feeling of making a real difference to some of the students.

We look forward to many more events, to provide help and support to the students.

​To find out more about this programme click here.

15.05.17

Important Announcement From Focus IT
WannaCry Ransomware Virus

In light of the well-publicised ransomware attack on the NHS, Focus Group are providing specific advice to minimise the risk of this affecting your business.

Focus have put policies in place for our managed IT customers to reduce the risk of Ransomware, and also ensuring that anyone infected can be restored as quickly as possible. If you have any questions or queries or would like to find out more on how Focus can help protect you from Ransomware, please email focusit@focus-grp.co.uk or call 0330 024 2004.

Click here for more information.

27.02.17

Antony Sullivan, Account Manager at Focus Group, talks to ‘Employment Innovation TV’ about business communications.

The interview, which took place at the Recruitment Expo 2017, discusses the challenges that Recruitment Agencies could be facing and how Focus Group can provide enhanced and tailored solutions for their communication needs including broadband, phone systems, calls and lines and cost reduction. Click here to view the full interview.

See the interview here.

02.02.17

Focus Group’s Customer Charter – Our Promise To You

Our Customer Charter is more than just a statement. It demonstrates our commitment to providing and improving our services and is at the very core of what we do. It’s made up of promises we’ve created by speaking to our customers and understanding their requirements. We are aware that using Focus is a choice, and by having defined standards in place, we are able to measure our performance against our promises, which will help us to deliver service and support of the highest quality. Putting our customers first allows us to earn trust and build long-term relationships. Our Customer Charter is more than just words. Please click here to read more.

26.01.17

Recruitment Agency Expo 2017

Focus Group are exhibiting at the Recruitment Agency Expo on 1-2 February at Olympia, London. Now in its 6th successful year, the Recruitment Agency Expo is the leading exhibition and conference for senior decision makers working within recruitment agencies nationwide.

Come and see our team at stand C17 and see how we can enhance your business solutions. Take advantage of the FREE ENTRY, our exhibition special offers and competition as well as free seminars and training sessions to attend. Contact marketing@focus-grp.co.uk for more information.

05.12.16

Focus Christmas Support

We are open as usual with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day!

If you require any diverts over the Christmas Period, please let us know by 16th December.

Request yours now on 0330 024 2000 or email support@focus-grp.co.uk.

11.10.16

Focus Digital Media launch new website!

Did you know?

Focus Digital Media is an award winning brand strategy and design agency helping companies enhance their brands online and offline.

We are a creative agency that takes your brand to the next level.

Over the last 10 years we have been delivering brand identities, web platforms, strategic eCommerce and printed content across a diverse range of industries and sectors.

If you'd like to discuss your project with us, or want to know more about what we can do for you, please get in touch.

Call +44 (0)1273 874 155 or email hello@focus-dm.co.uk.

23.09.16

Focus Group are Exhibiting at Law 2016

Law2016, part of LawBizTech, is the ultimate show for legal professionals which takes place at Olympia Conference Centre on 25 & 26th October. Come and visit the Focus team at stand 342 and see how your practice can enhance its business communication solutions with the latest products and systems. Please email marketing@focus-grp.co.uk to make an appointment or simply visit our stand on the day. Don’t miss out on our Special Exhibition Promotion and our Prize Draw to win high street vouchers of £250. We hope to see you there.

20.06.16

Focus Group wins Reseller of the Year (LARGE) at Comms Business!

The Comms Business Annual Awards represent the Comms, IT and Mobile Channel’s most prestigious and sought after accolades. We are delighted to be recognised for this achievement for the second time, which was rewarded to the Focus team by Sir Lenny Henry. Thank you to Comms Business for a fantastic evening. We look forward to the new 12 months and building on our business even further.

Ralph Gilbert, Managing Director, commented “It’s fantastic to win this award and I’d like to say thanks to all involved. Those who were judging and particularly the Focus team without whom this wouldn’t be possible. Congratulations to others who also won awards”. For more information on the Comms Business Awards click here.

19.05.16

Industry Coalition Outlines 10 Point Plan for Openreach

There has been recent news surrounding a group of companies, including Sky and Vodafone, that have written to Ofcom proposing ways in which Openreach – BT’s fixed line wholesale division – can be improved.

Sky, Vodafone and all the other members of the ‘industry coalition’ together represent the interests of the majority of consumers and businesses that rely on Openreach, as well as companies which deliver communications solutions to hundreds and thousands of organisations both big and small.

As one of those companies which deliver communications solutions to thousands of businesses, Focus Group Director, Chris Goodman, comments:

“As long as Openreach falls under the control of the BT Group I fear we will not see meaningful change. Openreach have fast become perceived as an entity that has no obligation to deliver a particular level of service to all its customers. If end users suffer at the hands of Openreach there seems to be barely any liability for it…how many businesses can operate in this way despite being in a regulated industry? Hopefully Ofcom will listen to both the consumers it is mandated to protect and the industries’ suppliers who are both regularly short-changed by Openreach in its current form.”

Find out more about the industry coalition’s 10 point plan here.

05.05.16

Focus Group WINS Sales Team of the Year Award for the fourth year running!

Focus Group are delighted to have picked up the Reseller Sales Team of the Year Award in the £7.5m+ category and then took the top award of the night winning the Overall Sales Team of the Year, having been pitted against all of the Resellers, Distributors and Vendors in the industry.

These awards are a great achievement, highly regarded in the industry and certainly ones to be proud of. Congratulations to all for your contributions in helping us to achieve this.

08.03.16

Focus Group are delighted to announce they have been listed as the 3rd fastest growing business in the Sussex Super Growth Awards 2016!

For a company to make the shortlist of 60 finalists, businesses must have achieved and demonstrated serious business growth, and in Focus Group’s case they achieved 167.8% growth in the last four years. The finalists are judged through an independent assessment made by ASB LAW, Lloyds Bank and Kreston Reeves, making this an accurate and fair recognition of the high performing businesses.

Chris Goodman, Co-Founder, commented "This is a fantastic achievement and we are feeling very proud. It’s great to be recognised among the top three businesses in this unique award, alongside other successful businesses in Sussex".

For more information on the Sussex Super Growth Awards please click here.

22.02.16

Focus Group identified in London Stock Exchange’s ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’

Focus Group, has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain. The report is a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses.

Co-Founders, Ralph Gilbert and Chris Goodman are delighted with this recognition, and are proud to be attributed to this fundamental and highly regarded report.

Click here to read more...

12.02.16

Delighted to have received two awards from Pragma/Ericsson LG

1. iPECS Innovation Award – to recognise an innovative iPECS solution in design and implementation. Focus were chosen for the 2,500 extension iPECS-CM solution into one of the UK’s largest retailers.

2. Reseller of the Year - to recognise outstanding achievement within the Ericsson-LG Channel.

Thanks and congratulations to the team for all your hard work!

03.02.16

Sussex Super Growth Awards 2016

Once again, Focus Group are shortlisted for the Sussex Super Growth Awards 2016. Read recent article in The Argus on our success story of growth and taking on new staff. For information on Business Communication solutions, click here.

12.01.16

Focus Group launches 10GB circuits offer

Focus Group can now offer you 10GB for your business.

These new superfast connections are available across the UK, meaning you can now benefit from more power and capacity to meet changing business needs.

For more information on our 10GB Circuits offer please click here.

11.01.16

Focus Group launches 'Focus Print'

Focus Print, powered by In-Doc, are an independent UK office equipment provider specialising in multi-functional print, copy, scan and fax products and services. Working with a range of leading manufacturers allows us to offer a tailored solution to meet your business needs, helping you to streamline your business and improve efficiently, competitively.

For more information on Focus Print please click here.

03.02.16

Focus Group are exhibiting at
The Recruitment Agency Expo

The National Event for Professionals in the Recruitment sector

We will be demonstrating our VOIP solutions for Recruitment Agencies at this exhibition. For further information or to book an appointment please email sales@focus-grp.co.uk or call 0330 024 2222 and speak to Richard Scott or Antony Sullivan.

16.12.15

Focus Group wins Ericsson-LG ‘Best Partner of the Year’

Focus Group has received the Ericsson-LG ‘Best Partner of the Year’ award at the Global Partner Conference 2015 in China.

Our very own MD, Ralph Gilbert, picked up the award in person.

For further information on how we can help your business please call 0330 024 2222 or email sales@focus-grp.co.uk.

20.11.15

Focus Group delivers 'Customer Service Excellence' to North Warwickshire & Hinckley College…

Click here to read the full article in Comms Business

For further information please contact Ian Stokes on 0330 006 9194 / ian.stokes@focus-grp.co.uk or Focus Group on 0330 024 2222 / sales@focus-grp.co.uk

10.12.15

Fax to Email – customer update

‘Fax to Email’ is still available and has not been ceased. You will continue to receive a consistent and uninterrupted service. We have moved this service to a new carrier and, as a result, you may have received an automated email informing you that this service has discontinued – this information is incorrect. If you do receive an email titled ‘Fax2Email Cancellation of Subscription Confirmation’ please ignore - no action is required.

View more information here

19.11.15

We are at The London Vet Show today and tomorrow at the Olympia Conference Centre!

Come and meet the team at stand L80 to discover how we can enhance your business communication, manage your energy consumption as well as reduce your business costs... AND you can enter our competition to win a break to Center Parcs!!

16.11.15

Horizon Product Notice for Client Upgrades

This is to inform you that on 18th November software upgrades are due for PC Soft Client, Android Soft Client and iPhone Soft Client (Beta)

For more information please click here.

09.11.15

London Vet Show 2015

Focus Group will be exhibiting at the London Vet Show 2015 on the 19th and 20th November, at the Olympia Conference Centre! Now in its seventh year, the London Vet Show is a national two day conference and exhibition which offers world-class clinical and business content to veterinary professionals.

At Focus Group we have some new and exciting opportunities that we believe will enhance your business communications and energy solutions. If you are planning on attending this exhibition, come and meet the team on Stand L80. If you’re not planning on attending this exhibition please contact us on vets@focus-grp.co.uk for further information. We look forward to hearing from you.

27.10.15

Focus Group at Law 2015 Exhibition, Olympia, London

Here we are at stand 332 at the Law 2015 Exhibition, Olympia Conference Centre in London - Discover how we can reduce your costs and enhance your business communications.

Come meet the team or alternatively call us 0330 024 2222 or email sales@focus-grp.co.uk.

Focus achieves ISO 9001 accreditation

03.09.15

ISO 9001 is the world’s most recognized quality management standard. Implementing this standard help us to continually monitor, manage and improve quality across all operations for consistent performance and service. This is a crucial milestone to our continued growth and will ensure consistent levels of service for all our customers. Certification to international standard underpins quality, service delivery and security for Focus Telecoms.

The Quality Management System complies with the requirements of ISO 9001-2008 for the provision of fixed lines and calls as well as telecoms & data solutions provisioned by emerging technology and cloud based systems.

New Website Launch

17.06.15

Focus Group owners, Ralph Gilbert and Chris Goodman, announce the launch of their company’s new website, plans for business growth and the creation of numerous jobs in the local area.

We’re excited to launch our new website, offering you quick access to essential information for your business needs. Not only does our website lead you to a range of unified solutions, you will receive competitive and cost effective quotes, dedicated account management, specialist industry knowledge and excellent customer care.

Winner – Comms Dealer

06.05.15

Focus Group triumphs with a hat trick and wins Reseller Sales Team of the Year with a turnover of over £7.5m for the third year running.

The event was hosted by TV presenter and Strictly Come Dancing winner Chris Hollins at the lavish Café de Paris.

Comms Dealer Editorial Director Nigel Sergent said: "Real success is only achieved through teamwork, and having seen every entry that was passed onto our esteemed panel of judges I am fully aware of the work put into these awards and the quality of the submissions has been amazing."

Comms Business Winners

09.07.14

We were thrilled to have been finalists in the Comms Business awards this year, and now we are bursting with pride that we have taken home the award for Large Reseller of the Year & Overall Reseller of the Year.

The evening was brilliant, with Jimmy Carr being the evening's entertainment & presenter. Chris and Ralph ensured the celebrations lasted to the early hours, since we had plenty to celebrate!

Brightel acquisition

01.09.14

We're pleased to take this opportunity to welcome Brightel Datanet customers to the Focus Group. We recently acquired the client base of Brightel Datanet, who specialise in reselling telephone systems based just 15 minutes away in Brighton. Whilst Brightel will continue to trade under its own name, they will be adding all of the Focus Group products to its portfolio.

Voucher Connection Scheme

02.04.14

Focus are delighted to now be offering Connection Vouchers as part of the scheme run by the BDUK.

If you are an SME, charity or social enterprise with 250 employees or less with a turnover of £40m or less, or located in one of the selected cities, then you qualify for a Government grant ranging from £250 to £3,000 to assist with the installation of your internet connectivity.

The Connection Vouchers Scheme has been set up to support economic growth and jobs across the UK by providing people with the ability to access higher bandwidth internet connectivity to encourage the market to go further in a shorter space of time than it previously would have done. This investment in the UK's future will enable us to be more competitive in the global market and establish a stronger economy.

The 22 SuperConnected Cities in the programme are Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Derby, Derry/Londonderry, Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Oxford, Perth, Portsmouth, Salford and York.

The scheme is open until March 2015 and vouchers are available on a first come, first served basis.

Contact us on 01273 874150 and take advantage of the scheme and grow your business today.

Focus Group supports Management Buyout

25.03.14

Award winning B2B communications specialist Focus Group, announced today of their involvement in the management buyout of voice & data reseller RPM Communications. RPM, based in Norwich will continue to trade under their current name while adding all of the Focus Group products & services to their portfolio.

Focus co-owner Chris Goodman comments; "it's been in the pipeline for a while, and after last year's successful acquisition of Abtec Communications, we made a decision to support this management buyout and will be working in a partnership with them moving forward.'

We asked Jon Richardson of RPM Solutions for his view, “Many of the systems and services we provide are similar to the Focus portfolio and we have been in discussion with Chris & Ralph for a while. We decided it was the best move for both the business and the clients and now look forward to benefitting from the extended portfolio we now have access to."

This acquisition will allow Sussex based Focus Group to increase their geographic reach and gain further recognition in the education and medical sectors where RPM have a strong presence. RPM were awarded 2013 Communications Provider of the Year for GP's.

Focus Rank in the Tech Track 100 for the Fourth Time

03.12.13

In September we made it into the Tech Track 100 for the fourth time in five years! The award recognises the fastest growing private technology companies in the UK by sales growth over a three year period.

This achievement for Focus Group was recognised at the 13th annual Tech Track awards ceremony, held in London last week and co-owners Chris Goodman & Ralph Gilbert attended to celebrate our success and collect their reward.

Focus Wins the Comms Dealer Sales Team of the Year!

16.5.13

Focus recently attended the Comms Dealer Sales Awards ceremony at the Park Lane Hotel in London and were named Reseller Sales Team of the Year (£7.5M plus turnover). These awards recognise the hard work and successes of the sales and marketing teams on the front line of generating business in the UK. Focus beat a record number of entrants this year, cementing our position as one of fastest growing businesses in the industry. BBC sports presenter, Hazel Irvine, presented the award to our Directors and members of the team.

L-R Hazel Irvine, Chris Goodman, Ralph Gilbert, Jack Loraine and Richard Scott

Focus is proud to announce the launch of Focus Integration

01.02.13

Derived from a FTSE 50 company, Focus Integration Solutions was founded to deliver technical excellence and an unrivalled level of service and support to their clients. Focus I.S. is a specialist mobility and data centre solutions provider that helps clients plan, design, build, manage and maintain their IT infrastructures. With a pin-sharp focus on their chosen partners and vendors, they are truly specialised and highly accredited.

www.focusintegration.co.uk