Stronger team, sharper sales and a 19% rise in net margin
How DPR Home Improvements, a family-run New Forest business with its own showroom, built the team, the sales confidence and the tools to grow.
In net margin, reported during the programme
A part-time office and showroom administrator, recruited with confidence
After structured sales training and a telephone marketing campaign
“The business is successfully growing. I’m more confident. I’m better with my customers. The advice has been brilliant.” Jenni White, DPR Home Improvements
“Identifying the £5 jobs, the £50 jobs and the £500 jobs”
DPR Home Improvements is a family-run home improvement business based in the New Forest, led by Jenni White alongside her husband Rich. The business operates from its own showroom and delivers high-quality improvement projects to homeowners across the region.
One of the simplest ideas from the programme turned out to be one of the most valuable: being clear about which tasks are worth Jenni’s time, and which should sit with someone else.
“From the very beginning, identifying the £5 jobs, the £50 jobs, and the £500 jobs. That clarity has been invaluable.”
Jenni White, DPR Home ImprovementsGrowing, but with too much landing on one person’s desk
When Jenni joined the Big Ambitions Programme, DPR was in a period of active growth but under pressure at the operational level. Jenni was taking on too much herself, and enquiries were not converting at the rate they should.
Previous difficult experiences with apprentices had left her understandably cautious about taking on new staff. The business needed both better systems and a stronger sales approach to reach its potential.
DPR Home Improvements
Owners: Rich and Jenni White
Business: Family-run home improvements with its own showroom
Location: New Forest
Support: Big Ambitions Programme, with mentor James Mackrill
The right team, a structured sales approach and technology that saves time
Through one-to-one mentoring with James Mackrill, Jenni worked through three interlocking priorities, each building on the last.
Building the right team
Pinning down exactly what the business needed: a part-time office and showroom administrator. Together they developed the job description and advert, and brought in HR support to make sure the contract was compliant with changing employment law.
Developing sales confidence
Alongside a Business Development and Sales course, the mentoring built practical skills: structuring a follow-up call on a quote, handling objections without being pushy, using open and closed questions, and bringing more customers into the showroom, where conversion is higher.
Proactive outreach
A telephone marketing campaign targeting lapsed enquiries and previous customers, plus courtesy calls to the neighbours of current jobs, building goodwill and opening new conversations.
Putting AI to work
Jenni began using Claude and ChatGPT day to day: Claude to produce a Risk Assessment Method Statement she described as “a fantastic document”, and ChatGPT to create ‘Dapper Home’, a mascot for DPR’s promotional activity.
Sometimes growth starts with handing over the £5 jobs.
Digital Islands helps independent business owners build the team, the systems and the sales confidence to grow without doing everything themselves.
A stronger team, a sharper sales process and a measurably stronger business
Having come into the programme nervous about taking on staff and unsure about sales, Jenni leaves it more confident, better equipped and leading a business that is measurably stronger. The new team member settled in quickly and made an immediate positive impact.
19% increase in net margin
Reported during the programme, reflecting both the efficiency gains and the commercial discipline the mentoring introduced.
The right person in post
A part-time administrator bringing structure and professionalism to the office and showroom.
Sales that convert
Structured follow-up and a telephone campaign turning lapsed enquiries into new business.
AI in everyday use
Claude and ChatGPT now part of the daily workflow, from compliance documents to marketing.
Are you doing too much of the work yourself?
Digital Islands helps independent businesses free up the owner’s time, build sales confidence and put practical tools to work. Book a call if you are ready to talk.
This Big Ambitions programme was funded by New Forest District Council and delivered by Digital Islands Business Services Limited. The Big Ambitions membership uses the same delivery model.