Consultative sales approach produces results; equipment dealer evolves into a computer service firm.

• Position: Company of the Year - 1 to 25 employees - awardee Cutsey Business Systems Ltd. - Northern Ontario Business Awards - Company Profile

The trophy shelf at Cutsey Business Systems Ltd. in North Bay is filling up.

The computer sales, service and support firm has been recognized for many sales achievements since it was formed in 1978.

Cutsey Business Systems is a five-time winner of the Qantel Computer Systems' Superior Sales Award. In addition, it has received the President's Club Award from Qantel, a Superior Sales Performance Award from Olivetti Canada and a Superior Sales Performance Award from Ratheon Data Systems.

This year the North Bay firm will be adding the Northern Ontario Business Awards Company of the Year Award (one to 25 employees) to its collection.

Our judges singled out Cutsey Business Systems for the award, sponsored by the Bank of Montreal, because of the company's steady growth and proven employee relations and because it has combined computer sales with service, repairs and training.

Cutsey Business Systems, initially purchased by John Cutsey from Olivetti Canada in 1978, started out as a distributor of adding machines, typewriters and calculators.

However, it became the representative and distributor for Qantel Computer Systems in 1979 and diversified into the areas computer service and consulting.

Cutsey Business System's computer division has shown steady growth since that time. Between 1984 and 1987, for example, 70 per cent of the company's sales were generated by the computer division.

The company's total sales increased from $400,000 in 1980 to $1.2 million in 1985 and to $1.7 million in 1990. It predicts that this year's sales will top the $2-million mark.

The company attributes this growth to its consultative approach to sales and to its emphasis on customer service.

"It is our consultative approach which allowed us to grow into a group of systems experts with a wide range of experience extending from business management to advanced computer programming and technical support expertise," the company states.

Cutsey Business System's evolution from a computer equipment and hardware dealer to a computer service firm is reflected in a change in its revenue statements from 1980 to 1990.

In 1980, for example, 75 per cent of the company's sales were attributed to equipment sales. Software design and equipment service accounted for only 10 and 15 per cent, respectively.

In 1990 equipment sales accounted for only 33 per cent of the company's total sales. Service had grown to 34 per cent and software design to 29 per cent of total sales. Revenue from...