News in the Channel - issue #7

TECH UNLIMITED PROFILE

along with two other experienced colleagues, decided to capitalise on the opportunity and took the plunge to set up Tech Unlimited. “We had some financial backing from an outside party, and we started the business officially on January 1, 2020, with zero sales in the history of the business,” he says. Tony describes Tech Unlimited as a classic distributor. “Within the channel, we only sell to resellers and focus on accessories for devices, mainly for the education, healthcare and public sectors,” he says. “We are a specialist niche and a value-add distributor.” This can be things like peripherals for tablet devices, such as protective cases, screen protectors or portable chargers, along with things like security products. Tech Unlimited began by focusing on the education sector, but as the company’s reputation has grown, it has expanded into healthcare and the public sector, which often require the same products. Lost and found But Tech Unlimited specialise in quality brands that perhaps UK resellers and customers may not have heard of but are well known in other parts of the world. Brands that may have been in the UK for years but have previously got lost in the wealth of brands sold by the big distributors. “If you want a case for your iPad or your Microsoft Surface, there are several good options,” says Tony. “I also knew that there were great brands in the UK that were lost because if you’re not tier one for one of the big distributors, you’re just one of 4-500 brands. I also knew a lot of these businesses

were robust financially and logistically and had great worldwide success. And the ones that we targeted have typically been doing what they’ve been doing for 25 years plus. But if you ask them what their footprint in the UK was, the answer was almost nothing. So, having had that idea and with our business model, we started talking to them late 2019, and by the time we launched, we had several signed up. “That’s the foundation of our model. With the brands I was talking to, they knew they had a great product and knew the market inside out. Their wish was to have a specialised distributor that was aligned to their way of thinking and their passion about their products. And we came along and ticked every box. “But none of these brands were taking a gamble. For example, XtremeMac has been making accessories for Apple Mac for 30 years. The risk they had in losing their current UK business was next to none. “We’ve now got more than a dozen brands on board and our reputation is growing as a business.” Adding value Tony also emphasises the value Tech Unlimited adds, which is not something always associated with distributors. “Someone once said to me that you can’t be value adding distribution because you’re passing on the price for your value add,” he says. “But for us to make our mark in the market, we’ve got to be doing things differently. So when it comes to warranty, samples and pricing, we’ve got to be aggressive and make things

Within the channel, we only sell to resellers and focus on accessories for devices, mainly for the education, healthcare and public sectors... We are a specialist niche and a “

value-add distributor.

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