The success story of our distributor in the UK: Porters Care
As we strive to make life better for the elderly and their loved ones, it’s safe to say that ‘family’ is a key concept for Nobi. When it comes to our exclusive distributor in the UK, you can take that quite literally, because Porters Care consists entirely of enthusiastic members of the Knowles family.
Hello David, can you introduce us to the family and tell us who’s who at Porters Care?
David: “My wife Susan and I share a lively household with our two sons, Charlie and Ben, and daughters, Georgina and Alice, not forgetting our wonderful grandchildren. We are a sport-loving family, currently relishing our time at the Ashes test cricket series at Old Trafford.
At Porter's Care, our family roles range across sectors. I act as the Managing Director, while Susan expertly handles financial matters as our Financial Director. Charlie oversees IT and assistive technology, Georgina leads customer service, and Alice creatively heads up marketing and social media. Ben, our youngest, chips in occasionally but is mostly occupied with his Master's studies at Manchester University."
Did you consciously choose to become a family business?
David: “There was no conscious decision to become a family business - it just happened. We set up Porters Care a few months into the first outbreak of Covid at the request of a local council, which was having issues with its current supplier. They asked us to step in and take over their fall prevention program. We were excited about the possibilities and launched a series of marketing campaigns around fall prevention.”
“We got some good reactions to the initial campaigns, and it grew from there. It made sense for Sue to do the accounts and look after the financial side. Then Charlie got interested in the new technology and came on board, while Alice was helping out with our website’s design. More recently, we needed additional support for our clients and that’s when George came on board.”
How did you select the solutions you currently offer?
David: “We have extensively researched the market and have chosen products that do what they are meant to do 100% of the time. Other similar products are a mix of technologies that don’t really address the main issue: reliable fall alarms and trustworthy fall prevention.”
Why did Porters Care decide to join forces with Nobi?
David: “We had already been keeping an eye on Nobi’s progress for a while. We were looking to complement our existing product with a solution for fall detection within a room, not just from a bed. As other solutions did not work consistently, I contacted Nobi a year ago and agreed to become a reseller. We bought a Nobi, installed it, switched it on and it worked. We smiled, I made another call and we became distributors for the UK.”
Why do you believe in Nobi’s solutions?
David: “Nobi removes the stigma of a typical ‘care’ product: we can get rid of unsightly pull cords, do away with floor mats, remove the need for a wearable or boxes on the ceiling - and so on. It makes people feel normal, while they feel secure at the same time.”
What are your aspirations for Porters Care - and how does Nobi fit into them?
David: “We want to have a number of high-quality resellers in the UK that can integrate Nobi into current solutions and remove the requirement to have multiple products all doing different things. Eventually, we see Nobi replacing nurse call solutions and becoming a standard package to all newly built care homes.”
How does the UK market react to our product?
David: “It’s still early days, but the response from care homes, councils, the NHS and the media is very encouraging. We are already getting pre-orders for new care home builds over the next 7 years!”
How do you approach the market when it comes to sales?
David: “The more people see Nobi, the more interest we get. That’s why we have exhibited at regional care road shows and exclusive member events in London. We also have several pre-booked events to attend later this year. Moreover, we have partnered with key resellers that have a large proportion of the UK Market: they will be adopting Nobi as part of their overall solution.”
Porters Care 3 golden tips
- Choose quality partners who are not just adding Nobi to be part of their portfolio, but those who want to work with Nobi to integrate or sell as a first line solution.
- Get Nobi installed at sites you can take potential clients to. Once they see it working, it sells itself.
- Work with resellers on integration. This helps provide a more comprehensive solution and commits the partner to Nobi.
Want to share your wisdom with the other distributors, reseller and other partners? Get in touch with Neem contact op met sebastiaan@nobi.life or marketing@nobi.life and tell us your story.