The firm, which provides customs and supply chain support to businesses across the UK, has doubled its team in the past 12 months and launched two new service offerings.

New additions to the team include customs co-ordinator Jemma Harrold, the company’s first fully remote employee, and customs documentation co-ordinators Kat Sim and Sophie Gall.

Executive assistant Jo MacAngus also joined the team in a newly created role, while Stephanie Gillespie was promoted to operations manager to support the firm’s ambitious growth objectives.

Founder and managing director, Nicola Alexander, has been short-listed for the BWC Athena Awards for the Women in Business Support and Consultancy category, with the final taking place on 15 November.

In line with the growth of the business, Bethan has launched a modular customs health-check service and a short-term project service to meet evolving client needs. The health check helps businesses assess their compliance practices, while the project service provides on-site support for specific needs.

Looking back on 2024, Ms Alexander and her team say they made a conscious decision at the start of the year to pause on efforts to grow the business further, with the aim of consolidating the progress already made, focusing on streamlining systems and processes to improve efficiencies, enhancing company culture and re-affirming their core values and practices.

Ms Alexander explained: “The past few years have been turbulent and challenging for many SMEs, and we are no exception. From Brexit to the pandemic, the impact has been wide-reaching and well-documented.

“We have achieved so much in our time in business, but felt it was an opportune time to take stock, optimise our operations, re-affirm our core values, and position the business for future growth.”

She continued: “This hugely valuable exercise has re-energised our direction and yielded multiple benefits, not least of which has been a seismic cultural shift. Mental health is a non-negotiable theme for me, and the business as a whole, and as such has featured prominently during this re-set period.

“Behind each and every role within our team is a person, each and every one of whom has a unique personality, attributes and of course a life beyond work.

“Embedding this understanding and awareness across everything that we do has been a game-changer for Bethan, and I am extremely proud of the whole team for all they have achieved.”

Ms Gillespie added: “We passionately believe that when people thrive, business growth follows naturally, and that has been key to reshaping Bethan’s approach to staff development.

“By incorporating both the company’s goals and individual aspirations, we create an inclusive and collaborative approach that has positively boosted staff morale and engagement.”