Vaish talks expansion plans

Vaioni Group Managing Director Sachin Vaish continues to drive the expansion of his business model and proposition, pursuing an integrated technology and agile go-to-market approach supported by the right people.

Vaish has always displayed a knack for locking into important market developments and reorienting the business for an advantage. This was particularly evident when he transitioned his company from an early IT focus towards connectivity. And he continues to adapt, strategise and fine tune, doubling down on SD-WAN, aggregating altnets and cybersecurity opportunities, for example. Furthermore, Vaish’s technology and people priorities are strategically interconnected and both are key to the success of Vaioni’s business model.

But achieving this balance remains a challenge because smart recruitment isn’t just about finding people with the right skills – their ability to thrive in certain fields of operation is also critical, observed Vaish. “Hiring people who truly understand how to operate in a smaller environment is crucial,” he stated. “Many have failed in our company because they don’t understand how a smaller organisation operates and just don’t get the business.”

According to Vaish, 2023 was a transformational year for Vaioni in terms of expanding the product and service portfolios for channel partners. Last year also showed that growth remains steady, currently sitting at circa £9 million revenue with 35 members of staff. “Our sales grew 30 per cent from last year and we’ve embedded ourselves into some brilliant businesses, large and small,” added Vaish. “Our greatest success is still in the connectivity space, mainly around 1Gb-10Gb services, but also critical connectivity which is what we are known for. Our SD-WAN proposition has been especially successful, offering a full turnkey solution with hand-holding and support from the outset. This helps partners to navigate their way through a complex technology.”

As with most smaller businesses especially, speed of execution is one of the most important skills to have in the organisation

Vaish remains confident in his ability to identify and maximise market opportunities and to prove the point he is also shifting his strategic focus and attention to the altnet landscape. “There are over 40 altnets and most of them are not well known or utilised,” he added. “We see a great opportunity in leveraging some of the altnets’ infrastructure to deliver faster, better and cheaper connectivity, so we are in the middle of building a major FTTP (Ethernet will be included) network, aggregating all the major networks into our automated VCeX platform (Vaioni Connectivity Exchange). For the channel this means a single platform for all altnet connectivity procurement.”

Service approach
Vaioni was originally created on the back of a fibre carrier market where NTL, Telewest, Cable&Wireless, Neos, Fibrenet, BT and Opal Telecom dominated with broadband and Ethernet services. “We decided to aggregate these carriers and provide a service wrap,” stated Vaish. “Today, Vaioni specialises in everything connectivity with 10-plus carriers/operators in the UK, seven technologies including satellite and FTTP, along with unified communications, contact centre and cybersecurity – including EPP, MDR, vulnerability scanning and a Pen Testing as a Service – all supporting critical applications and infrastructure for some of the most forward thinking businesses in the world.”

Therefore it is no surprise that Vaish has a heightened focus on the agile delivery of these products and services and sees execution as a critical priority. “Like many other leaders in smaller businesses especially, speed of execution is arguably one of the most important skills to have in the organisation,” he stated. “If you can do something faster and more efficiently than the competition you always have a head start. People, service and speed is what I continue to prioritise and push.”

Vaish’s character and personal experiences are also valuable assets when undergoing business model change and long-term strategic planning. He brings a go-getter energy to the table that was clear to see when he put his rent money towards a computer and formed an IT company at the age of 20. “Vaioni started from a back bedroom as an IT business which quickly turned into a connectivity specialist at a time when Ethernet became the new kid on the block, besides copper broadband,” stated Vaish. “A big moment was hitting £1 million in revenue. Another turning point was in 2013 when we decided to borrow money for the first time. The financial governance was incredible and we knew we’d built a sound and credible business.”

Vaish noted that the company’s long-term strategy is based on the values and goals associated with four ‘pillars’ – EBITDA growth, business transformation, a people first and ‘love our customer approach’. “These won’t change for some time, but the focus areas within them can evolve,” said Vaish. “Our proposition remains connectivity-led and we help partners solve the challenges a business typically faces with their connectivity, voice and cyber, bringing it all into a single managed service.”

Just a minute with Sachin Vaish...

Role models:
My parents. My dad is hard working, honest and a family man. My mum is soft and nurturing and supportive of my dad. I’d like to think I have a little bit of both.

Your main strength and what could you work on?
My strengths are tenacity, creativity and curiosity; but I could work on my patience, relationships and worrying less about what others think.

Three ideal dinner guests:
Robert De Niro, he’s an ace actor; Steve Jobs because he revolutionised how we communicate and was incredibly creative; and Hitler to try and understand how someone can hate people so much.

If you weren’t in ICT what would you be doing?
I’d be a food critic. I love food and restaurants.

Your favourite comedian or comedienne?
Lee Evans: His persona, voice, jokes and how he’d sweat buckets was too funny.

One thing that motivates you?
Fear of failure.

What talent do you wish you had?
An ability to learn something in a short space of time.

The biggest risk you have taken:
Starting a business when I had nothing. But you could argue that I had nothing to risk.

Tell us something about yourself we don’t know:
I once saved a man’s life from a burning car.

Your biggest career achievement:
What we have created at Vaioni. It’s is an incredible business with some amazing people working in it. Business leaders rarely take a step back to appreciate what has been created and achieved – from time to time we should do this.

What couldn’t you do without in your job?
Resilience.

One example of something you have overcome:
Fear and anxiety. No matter who you are and what you do, we all experience one or both. In business I experienced both many times and had to pull myself together.

In hindsight:
I’d have spent more time working for someone else. That would have accelerated my experience rather than learn lessons the hard way when I started my own business.

How do you relax?
Family, films and cooking. The latter allows me to remain creative but in my own little space.

Best piece of advice you’ve had:
Get a good accountant.

Top tip for resellers:
Don’t compromise on the connectivity.

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