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When DivideBuy first began there were only 3 employees but now that number is over 50, and we couldn’t make our business work without any of them. That’s why we enjoy celebrating their success and their contributions to our growing business.
In fact, we ranked third in the 2019 Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 after having grown more than 23,000% over the last four years, and we were the fastest growing technology company outside of London last year.
So, we sat down with one of the members of our Senior Leadership Team who helped make that happen: James Bradley, our Business Development Director.
How long have you been at DivideBuy and what do you do here?
In the five years since joining, I’ve led the charge on a number of vital initiatives, from acquiring and supporting new retail partners, to developing commercial strategies for the business.
As part of senior management, I help support DivideBuy’s long-term plans, all while using my decade plus of experience in finance – and hopefully my charming personality? – to lead the business development team.
Originally it was only me performing business development but now I lead a team of 5 excellent teammates who I can trust to help expand the business with me. Together, we’ve gone from only having 5 retail partners to enlisting over 500!
What did you do before DivideBuy and how did it help you get to where you are now?
Well, before joining the DivideBuy team, I worked in B2B Fleet and application finance as both a Consultant and Sales Director. As part of this, I worked for large organisations such as the Ebonheath Finance Group, BT and the Servigroup.
Looking back, I’m really proud of what I achieved with these companies and my record for winning new clients. That’s something I’m really proud to bring to DivideBuy, having onboarded some of the company’s biggest clients.
Aside from that, I’m really pleased to have been DivideBuy’s third employee! It’s really exciting to join such a young company and have the chance to make a real difference.
What aspect of your job most sparks your enthusiasm?
For me, the biggest thrill I experience on the job is collaborating with retailers towards their different goals and helping solve any problems they faced before they found DivideBuy.
One example of this is when we first started working with Simba Sleep. We quickly recognised flaws with its previous interest free credit provider that were creating barriers for its customers. Being the lender and technology provider meant we were able to remove these barriers right away, resulting in order rates increasing by 25%.
When the results of our services are admired by new retail partners, it’s so motivating. I’ve seen our partners increase sales of their big-ticket items by 43%, increase average basket value by 35% and in one case, a partner increased its sales conversion by 250%. Results like these make me realise that I’m part of something special that’s helping retailers, and that’s just brilliant.
What is your aim for the future of business development at DivideBuy?
Our continued growth represents the hard work of the business development team, a strong and genuine service offering.
More than that, it shows how more and more retailers are turning to us to help grow their business and improve their customer offering. Credit-lending has become even more important due to the impact of COVID-19 on consumer finances, so it’s important that retailers have a partner they can trust to keep customers happy and committed to their purchases.
My aim is to continue building trust with our current and future partners moving forward.
