Earlier this fall, our President of Dell Small and Medium Business Steve Felice sat on a panel of small business experts to choose the global Dell Small Business Excellence Award winner – an annual award that recognizes small businesses for their innovative use of IT to improve the customer experience. In the two years that this program has been international, a UK company has won again.
A Suit That Fits.com, a UK-based small business that designs and sews high-fashion custom-tailored suits at affordable prices, is this year’s global winner earning them:
- Consulting time with Michael Dell;
- £30,000 (approximately $50,000 US) in Dell products and services;
- A ten-year membership to the British Chambers of Commerce, Dell’s commercial partner for the award in the UK;
- A lifetime membership to the International Council of Small Business, and
- Engagement with Endeavor’s network of business leaders and high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging countries worldwide.
Earning this honor from an application pool of 8,000 businesses, A Suit That Fits.com:
· Offers 40 billion possible suit combinations to fashion-conscious customers, with the company’s unique online Style Wizard helping narrow choices in minutes, create garment designs and upload measurements instantly from anywhere in the world. Customer measurements can be stored in easily accessible online profiles and changed by the click of a button.
· By putting the customer in control of their suit and shirt design at a price they are willing to pay, the company offers unparalleled choice and gives every customer just what they want – a suit that fits your frame, your style and your budget.
· Has 25 employees serving 20,000 customers globally through an online business model.
Founded in 2006, technology has always been a fundamental part of A Suit That Fits.com’s success.
“In the three years since start-up, 20,000 customer profiles have been created, with the target of adding another 15,000 in 2010 primarily focusing on international growth. This wouldn’t be possible without a cutting-edge technology strategy. We’ll be putting our Dell prize to work to help us streamline productivity, reach more customers around the world, foster innovation and build an infrastructure that can support our long-term growth. We couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities – they are endless."
–Warren Bennett, co-founder and director of A Suit That Fits.com
The company utilizes social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg and del.ici.ous to better understand customer needs and its collaboration software is cloud based, saving them time and money to focus on growing the business.
Congratulations to Warren and his business partner David Hathiramani for this amazing honor. Inviting customers to provide feedback and reaching out via social media platforms is adding tremendous value to businesses. As the head of Dell’s Small-and-medium Business Online team, I look forward to sharing best practices to ensure Dell is offering the right technology solutions and advice to you and other online companies
Looks like I’ll be adding a new suit to my holiday wish list.
About the Dell Small Business Excellence Award
Running for six years in the United States and in its second year as an international program, the award solicits and recognizes small businesses for their innovative use of technology to improve their customers’ experience. A Suit That Fits.com was named the UK national winner of the Dell Small Business Excellence Award in September and was chosen from 13 national winners from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom and the United States.