RICHARD Winterbottom has certainly found his calling in life.

The managing director of mobile phone specialist Talkative Ltd is helping firms across the Kirklees area to keep in touch with their staff and clients.

The Hartshead-based business – which celebrates its 10th anniversary this summer – supplies mobile phones to small and medium-sized businesses ranging from a self-employed electrician needing just one handset to a group needing 200 phones for its staff and sales teams.

In addition, Talkative supplies a wide range of landline equipment and telephone systems. It can also call on a national installation team to cover car kit installations and service.

It’s a far cry from Richard’s first real taste of business – helping in the cold store at family firm Speedyfro, based in Paddock.

“I left the company when it was sold in 1992,” says Richard.

“I was basically looking for a job and just dropped lucky. The opportunity came up to go into selling mobile phones for People’s Phone, a retailer who had just started to branch out.

“I opened six stores for them, including ones in Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Halifax.”

After Vodafone bought People’s Phone, Richard applied for an area manager’s job without success.

“They decided to take on a girl from Woolworths,” he recalls. “They decided that her retail background meant she was more capable of running 16 shops and I realised I would not be going anywhere – and now was the time to leave.”

Richard took the plunge and opened Talkative in 2000 with a shop in Huddersfield town centre

“We had quite a lot of business customers at the King Street store,” he says.

“In those days, managing directors would come in person to buy their mobile phones, which would scare some sales staff. I found it easy to talk to them.

“We opened the shop intending to handle accessories such as phone fascias, but we realised we could not do the volumes needed to make it pay and we aimed instead at mobiles for the business market.

“After 18 month we knew we needed to be out of the town centre and we went to Aspley where we stayed for four years.

“But we outgrew the premises and came to Hartshead because it is central for the areas we cover – Huddersfield, Halifax, Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield.”

Talkative received signal recognition of its service levels and success in building up its client base when it was granted accreditation by mobiles giant O2.

Customers include Paddock-based Continental Sports, building sector stalwart The Myers Group at Crosland Hill and Country Park Foods headquartered at Oakes.

“We aim mainly at the SME market,” says Richard – who celebrates his 40th birthday shortly.

“We have been in business for 10 years because of the service we offer.

“Larger customers are dealt with directly by the big networks, but we look after the SMEs – and we are still barely scratching the surface.

“We have come from analogue phones to palm-sized computers, but people still need basic service.

“After selling phones for 18 years I can’t say I get that excited about the technology. In fact, I’d have to say I’m a bit of a technophobe myself! But I get a big kick out of dealing with people – and that’s what my business is about.”

Richard detects positive signs after the “three-year stranglehold” of the downturn and the recession. Talkative was able to lift turnover by 40% last year, despite the general economic climate.

“I think things are getting better,” he says. “The housing market is picking up, we are coming out of recession, but there are a lot of companies still laying people off.”

Talkative is also making strides with community issues.

Late last year, the company joined forces with Overgate Hospice at Elland to develop a recycling partnership for old mobile phones. Talkative is also a corporate member of the Elland-based hospice.

Richard has undertaken a large recycling campaign to help the hospice improve on the few hundred pounds it previously got from donations of recycled mobile phones.

The hospice, established in 1981, is the only facility of its kind in Calderdale and provides care to adults with life limiting illnesses.

It has a 12-bed inpatient unit and 24-hour medical care from doctors and nurses. It also provides support for families.

Talkative hopes to help the hospice meet its near £2m-a-year running costs through the recycling initiative.

Heading Talkative Ltd takes up much of Richard’s time, but when the opportunity arises he can be found just a phone call away at the family’s holiday home in Tenerife.

Richard also runs the third team at Netherton FC and enjoys a round of golf at Crosland Heath.

Further expansion for Talkative is high on the agenda for 2010 and beyond.

Says Richard: “I still get a buzz from making a sale. The minute I don’t get that buzz from selling a contract or picking up a customer is the time that I’ll know to call it a day.”