FROM PHOTOCOPIERS TO SOLAR PANELS – FOR 25 YEARS PHOTONOTE’S PHILLIP KERSHAW HAS HEADED UP A BRAND THAT’S NOT SHY TO OPTIMISE THE INTEGRATION OF BUSINESS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
For 25 years PhotoNote has continued to offer technological innovation in the workplace, all the while maintaining a strong service culture with clients. These two principles are the cornerstone of their success as a Durban business, and their foundation for a future that will set them apart from the rest, making them your number one business partner of choice.
PhotoNote has come a long way. Phillip Kershaw started the business a quarter of a century ago with three staff operating out of a small office supplying photocopiers. Today, the company owns a big warehouse and office complex overlooking Riverhorse Valley, and atop the expansive roof of that building is the latest addition to their vast range of office equipment aimed at maximising productivity in the workplace – solar panels.
Years ago Phillip saw the power of technology when he set out supplying photocopiers. In no time his exponential growth saw him extend his offering to include data projectors, CCTV cameras, telecoms, interactive solutions, access control systems, digital printers, computers … and now solar panels.
Along the way PhotoNote made diversification key to its strategy, while always maintaining a strong service culture. According to Phillip, you can have all the new-fangled technology under the sun, but if you don’t have open, honest relationships the gizmos are worthless. PhotoNote’s emphasis is on good products and prized relationships, and customers who are confident of the company’s commitment to them will stay the course – even if the ride gets bumpy.
“My ethos has always been ‘stay true to your word’. When I started out in photocopiers there was a multitude of problems. Even the heaviest wearing copier takes a pounding. Hiccups require regular call-outs, but if you resolve problems swiftly and honestly you earn a reputation for reliability.
“If we say we will be there at noon, we will be five minutes early,” Phillip says. High service levels entrench customer loyalty, making it so much easier to sell more than CCTV cameras and photocopiers. The company’s clients rely on them for bigger technology solutions.
In addition to the technological side of the business, one aspect that is crucial to their success is the business solutions PhotoNote offer to ensure your business operates efficiently, every day, and keeps up with changes in the industry – leaving the business owner to focus on business.
PhotoNote is a let-to-own company that offers finance mechanisms for high-end equipment. Firms often cannot afford the capital outlay for equipment in a single transaction, and items like photocopiers and CCTV systems are often best funded through monthly instalments and service contracts. PhotoNote also offer tailor- made packages to suit your business; business continuity to limit downtime; and UPS and generators to keep your business running and making money. Offering these business solutions is how Phillip has built a client base of almost 2 000 companies.
In 2018 Phillip had something of a revelation when a businessman offered to cut R8 000 a month off his electricity bill. He spent R400 000 installing solar panels on his roof in Riverhorse and experienced the saving firsthand. “In Durban, there are 300 days of pretty much guaranteed sunlight – enough to power solar panels.”
The new enterprise found their first customers among PhotoNote’s loyal clientele, and to date they have installed six projects worth R7-million. PhotoNote has already covered acres of schools and factory roofs in solar, which from the onset is not meant to supply power during load shedding. PhotoNote’s offering is simple: super savings on electricity bills.
Most of the solar leasing arrangements PhotoNote have installed have washed their face immediately, meaning the customers save more on their electricity bills than their monthly purchase commitment. In five years, when customers have paid off their solar plants, the value of the saving will have effectively doubled.
“The solar aspect of our business is a no-brainer,” says Phillip. “The world is moving to greener technology and electricity tariffs in South Africa are only going up.”
With a strong management team in place – Phillip Kershaw, Andrew Murray and Richard Pereira – and the power to embrace technological changes in the office space to maximise productivity to the benefit of the business owner, PhotoNote is ready to be your number one business partner of choice.
FOR MORE INFO
Contact PhotoNote: 031 583 8500; www.photonote.co.za