Full Circle wins first Asia business in Sri Lanka
In picture is (left) Simon Devlin, Managing Director of Full Circle in Belfast, with Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director. The Northern Ireland management consultancy has won its first business in Asia from its participation in a recent Invest Northern Ireland trade mission to Sri Lanka and India
Full Circle, the Northern Ireland management consultancy, has won its first business in Asia following its participation in a recent Invest Northern Ireland trade mission to Sri Lanka and India.
The Belfast-based company, which employs 11 people, is to provide sales and export training to business people in Sri Lanka in a collaboration deal signed with McQuire, Rens and Jones, a management development firm in Colombo.
Full Circle Managing Director Simon Devlin, who took part in the Invest NI trade mission to the region in April, will be leading the training programme from November. The company, formed by Mr Devlin in 2005, has also undertaken sales and export training programmes in the US and European markets such as the Czech Republic and Republic of Ireland.
The new business alliance in Sri Lanka was announced by Mr Devlin, who has extensive experience in export sales and marketing with Northern Ireland companies, and welcomed by Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director.
Dr Kell said: “Assisting more local companies specialising in business services to market their knowledge and expertise abroad has long been a priority for Invest NI. We recognise the importance and potential of this sector for the Northern Ireland economy. It is immensely encouraging therefore, to see Full Circle developing a strategic alliance in Sri Lanka, a market we included for the first time in our 2011/2012 trade programme.
“We included Sri Lanka as part of our strategy to explore markets close to our established trade development hubs such as our office in Mumbai, which works closely with local companies wishing to grow business in India and other regions of South Asia. Sri Lanka is also a particularly good platform for companies interested in business in South India. Sri Lankan companies have particularly strong ties with businesses in this and indeed other parts of India.”
Mr Devlin said: “Winning the business in Sri Lanka came as a bit of a surprise because I decided to take part in the mission to explore opportunities in the much larger market in India. To be honest, I did not really know much about Sri Lanka and didn’t expect to do business there, particularly on a first visit.
“Both Invest NI and the British High Commission in Colombo were immensely supportive. Commercial staff at the commission produced an excellent list of contacts in business consultancies there and helped us arrange meetings with key people. As a result of this support, I had a number of very good meetings about possible ventures. When I returned to Belfast I followed up the discussions with several of these and subsequently signed a strategic alliance with McQuire, Rens and Jones.
“While Sri Lanka is a relatively small market, businesses there are keen to increase exports throughout the region and in particular with neighbouring India. Most companies in Sri Lanka also have good contacts in India and these relationships may be of benefit to us as we seek to develop opportunities that we have already identified in what is among the world’s most dynamic marketplaces.
“My experiences in Sri Lanka demonstrate that there is business even in smaller markets for companies prepared to make the effort to explore and seize export opportunities. Around 20 per cent of our business is now outside Northern Ireland,” added Mr Devlin.
About Full Circle
The Full Circle Group is one of Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing management consultancy practices. In essence, our role is to support our corporate clients to make tangible positive change that will yield better results and enhanced profitability.
Learn More-
“What Full Circle brings to the table is not just knowledge and business solutions, but something which is most important and that is their understanding their client's businesses so well and their ability of being responsible. Sometimes one feels they are just an extension of your own team, the good experience is not just in getting the job done, but also in sharing the rapport with their team like your own.”
-
“Chesapeake used Full Circle to train and obtain feedback on our Junior sales people who are a key daily linkage to our customers. The whole training experience was very positive for them and they learnt a lot about themselves and how to prepare and manage a positive productive relationship with customers.”
-
“Full Circle has carried out work for a number of companies in our group . Normally we would not use consultants however I have found Full Circle to be very professional and to be switched on to what a client actually needs.”
-
“Designco worked with Full Circle in 2011 and found this to be of great benefit to our company. Full Circles work with us was very action orientated and produced immediate benefits in terms of allowing us direct access to sales opportunities with potential clients. We would have no hesitation in recommending Full Circle.”
-
“We at InterTradeIreland Acumen have used Full Circle to deliver a range of services for our client companies. Full Circle is a very talented and driven organization that delivers effectively on each assignment. We also admire the inventiveness and innovative solutions that Full Circle is capable of delivering.”
-
“I worked with Full Circle on a number of programmes to help me devise my sales and marketing strategy. As a sole trader, sometimes it is hard to see your business from the outside in. With the help of the staff in Full Circle, I was able to identify the gaps in my strategy and this enabled me to be much more focused on where I wanted to take my business.”
-
“We recently completed a Sales Growth Programme through Newtownabbey Borough Council & Full Circle Management Solutions. We found the course to be of great value to the company from both a corporate and personal growth perspective.”
-
“We have commissioned Full Circle to deliver a number of projects, most notably to develop a strategic plan for ISD. This was a crucial management tool at a time of high growth for us and served as a practical road-map for us as we sought to really differentiate ourselves from other comparable companies.”
-
“We recently worked with Full Circle. We found the experience very good and with the help of Full Circle we were able to improve our sales skills and produce a structured approach to sales and with a positive end result of more business! Full Circle were very flexible and offered mentoring times to suit our business needs and also presented valuable advice on ways to improve our business.”
-
“Full Circle has provided Cabragh Engineering with valuable research information for tapping into new export markets and in particular establishing direct contact with potential new customers. We utilised the advice and research from Full Circle to create new market opportunities and sales in particular which over the last two year period has led to 70% of all sales taking place mainly in Europe and African Nations. The role of Full Circle provided Cabragh Engineering with expertise and knowledge which due to our limited resources as an SME company was invaluable to developing new export markets.”
-
“Eurotrack Inc is a US company which is in the process of setting up a manufacturing operation in Northern Ireland. We engaged the services and expertise of Full Circle to develop a really practical business plan for this new venture. The guys in Full Circle challenged our thinking at every turn and really caused us to think through the practicalities of what we aim to achieve and how we will achieve it. A very positive and useful experience!”