Episode #486 - Balancing Growth, Culture, and Family in ISO Quality Services - with Jennifer Appleton

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, Kevin Brent sits down with Jennifer Appleton, the dynamic Director behind ISO Quality Services, a Worcester-based business that's been helping companies achieve ISO certifications for over two decades. Jennifer shares the story of how this family business has scaled from a local consultancy to a global service provider, supporting clients in over 28 countries.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🔹 The Business Model: ISO Quality Services thrives on a hybrid revenue model combining upfront implementation fees with a recurring client maintenance model—making for a stable and predictable cash flow. With around 550 clients and a team of 22 in-house employees, plus a network of 20-24 subcontractors, the company has reached a £1.5M turnover and is ambitiously heading toward £2M.

🔹 Challenges of Scaling: Jennifer opens up about the hurdles that come with growth, including staff retention, external impacts like Google algorithm shifts affecting lead generation, and the ongoing challenge of staying competitive with larger firms, especially on salary offerings.

🔹 Family Business Dynamics: Having joined the business her father started 25 years ago, Jennifer reflects on the complexities of leading a family-run company—balancing different viewpoints while always prioritising what’s best for the business.

🔹 Culture & Development: A robust six-month induction process, regular feedback cycles, and mental health support are just a few of the ways ISO Quality Services invests in its people. Jennifer emphasises the importance of aligning employees with the company’s values and long-term vision.

🔹 Strategic Leadership: From quarterly planning to bi-weekly ops meetings, Jennifer shares how structured leadership and planning have helped the business stay on course with its long-term goals.

🔹 Marketing Evolution: With lead generation once dominated by Google search, Jennifer talks about the pivot toward referral-based business and networking—especially as digital algorithms and AI tools like ChatGPT shift the landscape.

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