Henley based business Delegate is celebrating 25 years of trading. Carolyn Molyneux, the owner of Delegate, recently held a party for clients, friends and family at their Hart Street offices. Delegate offers Office and Conference Services to both national and Henley based businesses.
Carolyn bought Delegate for £200 in 1985. The purchase price included the company name, stationery and the goodwill of 10 clients who had been using Delegate for its office and secretarial services. Carolyn was working for Allen Bradley at the time. She also took on the agricultural side of the Henley Show and organised the Annual Ploughing Match. One of Delegate’s original clients was The Henley School of Motoring. After 25 years Delegate is still working for the driving school. A testament to their excellent service!
Delegate also started to offer conference services later in 1985. The first contract was with the Association of British Dispensing Opticians. Delegate continued working with ABDO until 2008 arranging conferences and exhibitions all over the country.
Delegate has traded from its offices in Hart Street and they have a mixture of local clients, mostly for their office services, and clients from around the UK who appreciate their conference organising skills. Though saying that many clients appreciate the cache of having a Henley-on-Thames postal address. Delegate offers a broad range of office services, including telephone answering, address service, PA service, email and faxing. One area of good growth in the last year has been their bookkeeping service. Delegate benefits from the formation of new small companies who need to outsource various admin tasks to enable them to grow. Carolyn observed “We can offer a new company a full range of services so that they can concentrate on growing their business. Henley is a great place to start a company and we can help register limited companies, answer their phone, check their email and much more.” Carolyn also appreciates how each client is different with individual needs and requirements.
The biggest change that Carolyn has seen over the last 25 years is the introduction of the internet and the impact that it has had on the way business is now done. “We now have people dictating directly to their computer and emailing it to us to be typed” she said. “The internet has also had a big impact on the conference business, however companies still appreciate our specialist knowledge and organisational skills. In the current recession with companies having to cut down on permanent staff, Delegate is able to help with tasks on an occasional basis”.
Carolyn has four staff working for her, including Graham who is Delegate’s bookkeeper. Beatrix, Fay and Anne are the other three members of staff who look after Delegate’s clients so well. Carolyn is such a joy to know, and she clearly loves people and cares for her clients. Carolyn is also a tireless worker for local charities, including Sue Ryder Care. Carolyn raised £3,500 for them last year as part of the Sue Ryder Big Wigs campaign in 2009. She also helped organise the first Regatta for the Disabled on 4th September at Phyllis Court. Carolyn has also had her own battles with illness over the last few years that are hopefully now fully behind her.
Carolyn clearly adores living and working in Henley. She says that she “feels privileged to live and work here”. She clearly runs a super business and gives a lot back too. She helped organise the Henley Chamber of Commerce for 12 years.
If she has some spare time Carolyn involves herself in craft work, making jewellery, sewing and knitting. She also enjoys dancing, keeping fit and training twice a week. She has recently been learning Spanish at The Henley College.
