As we’re sure you’re all aware, we’re currently in the midst of a global virus outbreak the likes of which we have not been seen in modern times. It’s bringing a number of different challenges that most businesses would never have faced before.

London; we came, we saw, we conquered! Walking away from the National Theatre with our ITSPA award in hand, we also look ahead to our next visit to The Capital in July, when we will be hoping for similar fortunes at the ISPA awards.
Check out our vlog below, to find out all the awards season gossip, direct from Pebbletree HQ!

​​On a weekly basis our Support Team receive calls from a number of curious businesses, who each ask the same question: “Is VoIP right for my business?” To be honest with you, the question couldn’t be any easier to answer!
VoIP is the modern, cost-effective, flexible alternative to using a traditional landline provider for your business phones.

How do you welcome the newest member of your team? You let him settle in, then ask him to write for the blog… fortunately for us, Matthew is a seasoned veteran (pun intended) of Slimming World, and was delighted to do so! Take it away Matthew!
So… Monday morning arrived last week, and I get a wee voice in my left ear telling me it’s my turn for the Biggest Loser Weekly Blog – to start from Friday just gone!!! Thanks team, you couldn’t have picked a worse candidate for words!!! Pictures I can do, but words….. hmmmmmm let’s see.
I’m very much a creature of habit and routine so Friday, like I do every morning, started with my usual bowl of cereal and my daily allowance of milk.

Little is known about how the Green Shadow came about his MicroPebble, what the experiment involves, or how he managed to manipulate the DNA sequence of his fellow team members, to build his Pebbletree Superheroes.
What we do know, what we have come to learn through their brave efforts and media coverage, is who this team of superheroes are, what powers they have, and how they are helping to save the world from poor service, expensive contracts, and the evils of sub-standard business telecommunications!

We didn’t become the 2015 Echo Business Portfolio Awards ‘Employer of the Year’ for nothing you know… Ever since Pebbletree was launched back in 2005, we have built the company on the ideals that by keeping our team and our customers happy, we can become a success.
Over the past decade a lot of changes have been made here, and we have managed to maintain those beliefs throughout our journey, with a number of instances where our decision to build upon those core foundations has been justified, some of which include our ‘Employer of the Year’ award, the success of our brands, their own award wins, and of course, Pebbletree celebrating 10 years as a business.

Overall service quality, excellent customer service and continued innovation praised as Soho66 bags award.
For the third time in less than 14 months there has been cause for real celebration at the headquarters of VoIP provider, Soho66.

Following up their ‘Best Business ITSP (Medium Enterprise)’ win at the 2015 ITSPA awards last March, Soho66 bagged themselves the ‘Best Business ITSP (Small Enterprise)’ at this year’s ceremony last week.

Another week, another weigh-in. A corker of a week for some of our particpants, with the total group weight loss, since the start of Pebbletree’s Biggest Loser, breaking the 20kg mark!
This week, our blogger was Jen, our crazy cat lady Office Manager… let’s see how she got on!

Friday – I dodged a bullet here as was off work so missed the weigh-in but my after-Lanzarote holiday weigh-in on Monday had yielded only a 0.5kg gain! I slipped into a false sense of security and enjoyed a massive Chocolate Fudge Cake and Cappuccino with my mum at the Penshaw Tea Rooms. Later on we had to visit the in-laws and driving back through Sunderland I cheekily said “do you fancy sushi?” and ended up at Nudo Sushi in Sunderland for the second time in a week! Sushi’s healthy right?

Continuing our proud tradition of promoting within the team, and dedicating resources to developing staff, last week we moved to appoint Laura Marriner as our new Commercial Director.
Having joined the company in 2012 as a Finance Assistant, Laura is approaching her fourth year at Pebbletree. During this time, she has seen her role develop and evolve within the business, as additional services and brands were launched by Pebbletree, including cloud-based contact centre management system, Quvu, and virtual receptionist (VR) solution, Simply66, with which Laura was given the responsibility of Acting Team Leader.

A wise man once said, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur”
Doesn’t it seem like there is a new recruitment agency popping up every day? Then somehow, within a day you have a connection request on LinkedIn, and a message sitting in your inbox from one of their team keen to ‘touch base’?
Well lets be honest, it isn’t exactly a huge inconvenience is it! Recruitment can go one of two ways, up in a positive cycle, or down in a vicious circle, the amount of help or expertise you source can often directly decide which way yours goes.
When you are hiring new staff to join your team, you need to remember what Richard Branson said: “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the client.”