We, KAZ Type are a small software company, consisting of myself Keene Braganza, my wife Sheraleen, part time staff and freelancers. Together we provide what we like to think of as the best touch typing software in the world.

Users can learn the a-z keys in just 90 minutes and can get certification from City &Guilds once they reach 35 words a minute. We cater for all learners, including those with dyslexia, dyspraxia, Tourette’s and other neurodiverse conditions.

We also help those who need to use technology in exams, perhaps because they have illegible handwriting. Invariably they perform better if they are sub-consciously touch typing and focusing their minds on content rather than squandering brain power working at letter level.

We have many satisfied customers from mainstream primary and secondary, independent schools, universities, FE colleges, the probation service and businesses, including a large firm of solicitors in Glasgow that use KAZ as part of their modern apprenticeship scheme.

So, with all the above going for us, why would we want to pay an annual fee to join a membership organisation?

It wasn’t an automatic decision. We had to weigh up the costs and benefits: would it limit our ability to do other things? What would be the Return on Investment? Might we end up putting all our eggs in one basket?

Our main market has traditionally been the Disabled Students’ Allowance and Access to Work but government cuts and changes to the student finance system make this a less predictable market than in previous years. However, increasingly sophisticated Exam Access Arrangements have encouraged schools to focus more on technology for young people who have handwriting difficulties for whatever reason.

BESA seemed a good choice for us as it would help us to mesh more closely with school markets. With our membership we hoped to gain:

• new alliances
• export opportunities
• advice from experienced exporters
• the increased profile and credibility from being a BESA member
• information about new opportunities that might benefit our company

We are on track to exploit all these opportunities and have already attended events including a social media seminar at the end of June where we gained insights into the better use of Twitter and Facebook from Mango Marketing. We have also signed up for all LearnED and are looking forward to the nine roadshows from Newcastle to Exeter and Ashford.

Through attending events, we hope to get the inside track on opportunities but also to network more effectively. Such a vague word but we want other people to know about KAZ Type and what it does, to work with us and talk about us, to introduce us to other companies that we might otherwise not have met. We hope to benefit from other people’s experiences and to be part of a group playing in bigger markets at home and internationally.

Recently I saw a statistic from the USA that claimed that 85% of the businesses that go bust are not members of a trade association. None of us knows what will happen in the current economic climate but hopefully being a member of BESA will help to ensure that our company rides any future storms.

https://kaz-type.com/ +44 1926 423424