“The days of suits are over”: The disruptive Manchester startup doubling its headcount with young talent
Dotted is partnering with University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford for a major recruitment day - giving youngsters the best possible chance of acquiring a fulfilling first role (coinciding with the government’s scheme to create jobs for young people).
When you picture a workspace for a company that outsources sales to software vendors, what comes into your head?
It’s probably not a trendy open-plan environment with glossy oak-style furnishings tinged in a distinctive purple hue, is it?
But that’s exactly what the Dotted offices look like.
Then again, everything here is different – from the aesthetic right down to the way they do business.
“It’s a Wolf of Wall Street atmosphere in here, sometimes,” laughs co-founder Azmat Sherwani, gazing out through the glass window at people punching numbers into phones.
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“We’ve got a very different kind of culture.”
It’s true that both businesses and graduates have had it tough over the past few months. UK employment figures have suffered a big dip – and 18-24 year-olds are being hit hardest.
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But Dotted is keeping its faith in youth. And it’s seeing huge success as a result.
At a time when organisations across the world are making redundancies, Dotted – a startup that sits at the hub of the city’s corporate scene in Spring Gardens – is doubling its headcount.
“We’ve got a lot to offer young people in their first real role,” Azmat says.
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“This is a stimulating and fun work environment. It’s a place that gets results but we also have a great time doing it.”
Dotted has provided an outsourced sales function for software vendors since 2019, working with firms from Ireland to India.
Now, the company is partnering with University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford for a major recruitment day – giving youngsters the best possible chance of acquiring a fulfilling first role (coinciding with the government’s scheme to create jobs for young people).
According to the founders, the secret to Dotted’s success lies in this non-traditional ‘youth over experience’ approach to sales.
During a turbulent time, the brand is boldly diversifying by expanding their service offering to accelerate the growth of their customers – and it’s doing so with youth at its core.
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By creating a stimulating environment packed with happy staff, Dotted has found a way to give brands a faster, more effective way to push their products; reducing sales costs by 70% in the process.
“The average age here is 25. We embrace youth,” says Azmat.
“We take on hungry, young people and graduates who want to make an impression and get their foot on the ladder.
“We don’t believe in the old way of working. The days of suits are over.”
This fresh attitude has transformed Dotted into one of Manchester’s most exciting, sought-after and most successful startups.
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Team members also enjoy a number of benefits – including flexible hours, unlimited holidays, a personal trainer for gym sessions downstairs, and a rooftop garden.
As hundreds of companies across Manchester scale back and exercise caution, Dotted is behaving very differently to many of their competitors.
The brand is being disruptive. And it’s doing it with the power of young people.
“I do love the culture we’ve created here,” Azmat says.
“Work hard, play hard.”
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The Dotted Recruitment Day is Friday 4 September. Visit their website to learn more about enrolling.
You can also learn more about the services Dotted offer here.
Business
Morrisons introduces new quiet hours to make stores less ‘overwhelming’ for shoppers
Emily Sergeant
Morrisons has decided to extend its popular ‘Quieter Hour’ across the UK to help make its stores less “overwhelming” for shoppers.
Introduced earlier this month to mark World Autism Acceptance Week, and in a bid to turn what can be a daunting task for many people into “a calmer and more enjoyable experience”, the supermarket chain has announced an extension to its already popular initiative by adding new ‘Quieter Hours’ during weekday afternoons.
In case you weren’t aware, Morrisons first introduced its Quieter Hour all the way back in July 2018, and has been welcoming people who may struggle supermarket shopping environments through its doors ever since.
The initiative – which initially took place between 9am and 10am on a Saturday, and for the first hour of trade on a Sunday – originally began as part of the National Autistic Society’s ‘Autism Hour campaign’, after it was found that some neurodiverse people, including those with autism, can find shopping in a supermarket “overwhelming”.
Supermarkets can lead many people to experience increased sensitivity to light and sound, such as loud music, bright lights, and busy environments, and in turn, this can cause anxiety or, in some of the worst cases, even physical pain.
But now, after the trial has proved to be so successful and well-received, Morrisons has made the decision to extended the initiative to weekdays too, as well as weekends – with ‘Quieter Hours’ now also running every week from Monday to Thursday between 2-3pm.
The company says the extension is all with the aim of “helping even more customers”.
During ‘Quieter Hours’, Morrisons stores operate lower levels of lighting, turn music and radios off, avoid making tannoy announcements, reduce movement of trolleys and baskets, and turn checkout beeps and other electrical noises down.
“The weekly shop can be a daunting task for those who may struggle with noises associated with it,” commented Charlotte Exell, who is the Business Sponsor of Ability at Morrisons.
“At Morrisons, we are always looking for more ways to support customers, and as the Quieter Hour is incredibly popular in our stores across the nation, we have listened to customers and will now help more shoppers in our extended times.”
Featured Image – Morrisons
Business
The BBC is looking for Manc entrepreneurs for a new series of The Apprentice
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you’ve got what it takes to be Lord Sugar’s next business partner?
The current 2024 season of The Apprentice might be coming to a close, but the show is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
In fact, there’s already a chance to apply for the next season of the hit TV show.
Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur with a business-savvy mind, someone who’s always just fancied themselves for doing well in the field, or you have a business idea that you think could be the next big thing, everyone is encouraged to apply for the new series – and the BBC is particularly calling on people from Greater Manchester.
Basically, as long as “you think you’ve got the talent and confidence to impress Britain’s toughest backer”, then the show’s producers are keen to hear from you.
A casting call on the BBC website reads: “Could you be his next investment? If you think you’ve got the talent and confidence to impress Britain’s toughest backer, the process starts here. The winning candidate will receive an investment and go into a 50:50 business with Lord Sugar. Fighting it out for his investment candidates will take part in twelve tough tasks to win one life-changing opportunity.”
There’s a few simple questions to answer as part of the initial process, but the two major ones where you’ll have your chance to set yourself apart from the rest are:
Why should you be Lord Sugar’s business partner?
What’s the most impressive thing you’ve ever done in business?
The BBC is looking for Manc entrepreneurs for a new season of The Apprentice / Credit: BBC
Applications are now open and close on 1 December 2024 at 23:59, with successful candidates set to be contacted for interviews in the new year.
Initial interviews will be taking place across the UK, and at least two dates have been pencilled for Manchester, Leeds, and/or Birmingham, with additional interviews to decide on the final candidates then set to follow in early 2025, and filming for the series due to takes place for 10 to 12 weeks from 7 April – 22 June 2025.