With Cyber Monday, Black Friday and the Christmas peak coming up the last thing you want to be thinking about is adding more to your ‘To Do’ list. But if you want 2023 to be your best year ever, you have to do some forward planning. If you want to start well in Q1 next year (and you should – read on to find out more), then you need to consider becoming a Diamond Network Partner and we need to be talking with you now.
Timescales for joining our network
Let’s talk about the time scales with regards to network partner recruitment. It can take between three to six months for you to go through the network partner application process and then it can take up to 12 weeks in order to set up the service centre up. So if you’re talking about 2023 being the year that you want to go live, you should be talking to us now.
The easiest way for us to illustrate the time that the network partner application process can take, is to run you through it step by step. Let’s start at the very beginning.
Step 1
You will have a conversation with Eve who heads our Network Partner recruitment. Eve will assess your validity to start the application of the Network Partner process.
We are looking for people that are not able not only able to run a sound operation, but able to service a business to business customer base and be able to sell the services to those people as well. Your business needs to have these three elements to it – it’s not just operations – its client relationship management and sales too – all of which are extremely important.
Step 2
If you pass the Eve review, you’ll then be passed onto an interview and Q&A session with either Kate or Dan (both shareholders in the business with over 60 years worth of joint experience), and they will very quickly be able to tell you whether there is a good probability, if you apply the lessons of Diamond Logistics, whether this is the right time to join us and ultimately, if you will succeed or not.
We’re not interested in recruiting for the sake of recruiting. We want people to succeed as we are building an operational fulfilment and delivery network – so it really is assessing not only, who is willing but who is also in a position to do what it takes.
Step 3
Thereafter this system of financial and operational checks too. First with Murray, our Financial Director. He’ll run through the forecasts, profit and loss, and assess your ability to finance the project properly. Subject to these financial checks he will either recommend or reject your application.
In the final sign off with our Group Operations Director Natalie Wainwright, you will get the final thumbs up or thumbs down. It’s Natalie’s responsibility to ensure a smooth running network, so this is your final hurdle.
Step 5
After this, you’ve got a load of legal and finance stuff to get into place, not to mention finding your premises and new/bigger team. It’s a big project, but all possible when you plan ahead and have time on your side.
This is not like a franchise being flogged with many of our so-called competitors, that enables you can start up with 30 minutes of training and a telephone. This is a proper business. Which is why it is an application process that takes time.
And you want to be launching in Q1.
Why become a Diamond Network Partner? You want sales in 2023
Ultimately speaking January to July is the very best time to build your business. The seeds you sow are essential in deciding what makes a successful network partner or failure. It’s a really short window, and you really need to be hitting the ground running in January in order to have a really successful run up to the summer.
In a Diamond network partnership, sales are key. We reckon that if you put 6-7 months in at the start of the year, every year, you can build your business sustainably over the lifetime of the network partnership. You can’t be doing that in 2023 if you’re launching in June/July.
People go on holiday in July and August if they’ve got children, in September if they haven’t, and then you’re into October, November, and December which is peak time and few people change logistics partner then. That means that you have 6 1/2 months at the beginning of every year to achieve sales.
Which is why a Q1 launch is perfect.
Becoming part of Diamond
We have a number of network partners now starting with existing revenues and 12 waiting in the wings to launch in 2023. We can launch people 10 months of the year if you’ve got existing revenues.
If you’re starting out from scratch January to July is ideally.
If you think becoming a Diamond network partner is of interest, get in touch today. It takes planning from our side too and we can discuss the possible availability of geographical locations. That quick conversation will answer a lot of your questions, qualify your interest and what is possible with what you are looking for and what we are after.
Our Network Partner team can be contacted on 0333 567 5888. Alternatively, email us at npsales@diamondlogistics.co.uk or complete our contact form below.
