St Gemma’s Hospice is a local, independent charity and has been providing expert care to the people of Leeds for over 40 years. We provide the best possible care and support for local people with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. We specialise in pain relief and symptom control to help people live as well as possible, for as long as possible. We are one of the leading hospices in the UK.
Last week, Queen Elizabeth II died, ending an illustrious 70-year reign. The whole nation is now in mourning – as am I. I posted just recently about how I viewed the Queen as an entrepreneurial icon, both because of her support of business owners through the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, and in the way she ran her own estate.
Following her death, the British Chamber of Commerce, the business membership organisation of which the Queen was patron, said: “She was a great supporter of business throughout her reign.”
Indeed, when BigChange won a Queen’s Award, it was a game-changer for the company, bringing global recognition and acclaim. I will never forget the impact that award had on the team’s morale, how it delighted our customers, and supported our ambitions to win market share across the world.
King Charles III will now take up the Queen’s mantle. I believe he not only shares his mother’s desire to support the doers and triers of this nation, he has a passion for entrepreneurs that even surpasses hers.
I have met him a few times over the years – I’m a board member for the charity Business in the Community, which he created – and I have found him a humble, understated man who prefers to talk up the achievements of others and uses his status and privilege to help those in need.
His former private secretary Sir Michael Peat once called him the “greatest charitable entrepreneur in the world” because of his ability to identify a need and then set up a charity to meet that need.
This may be why our new king is currently the president of 17 charities through The Prince’s Charities, focusing on: the built environment, responsible business and enterprise, young people and education, and international sustainability. The Prince’s Trust alone has helped over one million young people since he founded it in 1976.
All of these causes are close to my heart and BigChange has supported organisations across most of these core areas in recent years. It is heartening to see our interests so aligned with the King’s, especially with challenging times ahead because of climate change, the cost of living crisis and rising inflation.
The UK may no longer be ruled by its kings and queens but they still have ample opportunity to make a difference, highlight important causes, and direct funding where it best serves the nation.
For these reasons, I am heartened by King Charles’ ascension to the throne and I believe all business owners can be confident that he will champion trade and enterprise. I look forward to his coronation early next year.
A complete job management solution, BigChange is improving the efficiency of routine maintenance scheduling, ensuring compliance with strict servicing standards, reducing back-office resources and boosting customer service levels with detailed, customised reporting. Cost control features and automated invoicing are also contributing to FORTH’s rise as one of the fastest-growing building service companies in the UK.
“Prior to BigChange, the work of our engineers and the financial management of jobs was completed using a variety of tools,” commented Sarah Jones, Systems Process Manager at FORTH. “Whilst this was right for us as a much smaller operation, it did not provide the ability to manage specific servicing records, and consequent remedial works, of every asset we look after. It was also inefficient and hampered our ability to deliver specific servicing information to clients.
“Having looked for a solution for approximately two years, BigChange was the only one which combined all of the elements of job management we were looking for, together with strong asset and financial management capabilities.”
Sarah Jones, Systems Process Manager at FORTH
FORTH is a specialist, multi-disciplined mechanical and electrical service provider operating throughout the South of England, London and the Midlands. FORTH has over 60 years of experience designing, installing and maintaining HVAC and electrical plant equipment within the public sector, heritage, commercial and industrial spaces. FORTH is trusted by facilities and estate professionals in organisations such as Salisbury Cathedral, University Hospital Southampton and the Priory Group.
The BigChange job management platform, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, field resource management, job finance and business intelligence in one simple to use and easy-to-integrate platform, has had a big impact for FORTH. Routine tasks have been automated, and the ability to create detailed service standards has enabled FORTH to work directly with clients to create, report on and continuously improve the health of their assets.
The ability to access historical service records whilst on-site ensures continuity of service, and the speed and immediacy of completion reporting are boosting customer service levels and financial control. FORTH is also using BigChange vehicle tracking to monitor and improve driving standards
“BigChange is the solution that will enable us to scale our business to the next level, and we know we have made the best possible choice, both for our current and future requirements,” she concluded.
“The whole team has embraced BigChange, and we have been supported by them at every stage; there is always someone available, and they are always able to help!”
Sarah Jones, Systems Process Manager at FORTH
Leeds, 07 September 2022 – Plumbing & Gas Solutions is set to improve their efficiency, saving the company time and money, following the implementation of a BigChange job management system.
By automating workflows and connecting mobile engineers armed with tablets to back-office staff and management, BigChange is improving efficiencies, reducing outgoings and eliminating the potential for errors.
“Using BigChange we are changing our behaviours and therefore our culture,” said Darryl Taylor, the new Operations Director taken on to implement BigChange for Plumbing & Gas Solutions. “Management no longer needs to keep tabs on the workforce, engineers can focus on the job, not the paperwork, and our customers can engage with us when and how they want to. This will allow us to grow the business in a sustainable way to the benefit of our staff, our clients and our community.”
“Occasionally, paperwork that had not been correctly filled in or submitted was resulting in the odd job not being invoiced,” commented Carl Yeomanson, Managing Director of Plumbing & Gas Solutions. “This was not just costing us in terms of lost billing, parts would have been purchased to do the job, engineers were still being paid and we were using fuel and other consumables, to do the work. Due to the size of the projects we work on we know that in the first week of using BigChange we saved many hours of time scheduling jobs and had a more streamlined approach to our billing system!
“But the savings don’t stop there,” he continued. “There were other avoidable charges, such as lapsed vehicle leases, and we were not using our engineers to their maximum capacity.”
Plumbing & Gas Solutions was established in 2010 and was initially focused on domestic services; the company fitted the first bathroom for Homebase which was recently sold for close to £100 million. Having consistently grown, year on year, Plumbing & Gas now specialises in commercial and industrial reactive maintenance and retrofit projects, working for brands such as Centre Parcs, Stadium MK, Cranfield University and Bletchley Park. Plumbing & Gas operates a mixed fleet of vans and trucks and has the largest team of commercial gas engineers in the region
Using the BigChange job management system, which incorporates customer relationship management (CRM), job scheduling, live tracking, resource management, job finance and business intelligence, in one simple to use and easy to integrate platform, Plumbing & Gas now work smarter rather than harder.
Intelligent scheduling ensures the most appropriate resource is allocated to each task and ad-hoc requests can be accommodated, whilst engineers no longer have to physically check in at the office as there is a real-time flow of information between office and field, with job cards, completion reports and photographs available 24/7. Equipment specific service histories, certificates and maintenance records can be accessed, in just a couple of clicks, and the invoicing and payroll are automated based on vehicle tracking and digital reporting.
The BigChange customer portal allows Plumbing & Gas’ clients to self-serve with access to certificates, completed work reports and invoices and they can even book their own appointments based on continuously updated engineer availability. Plumbing & Gas is also utilising the features of the BigChange CRM to boost customer service by reviewing dormant clients and identifying additional opportunities with existing relationships.
Plumbing & Gas’ engineers are also embracing BigChange with guided vehicle checks, advanced routing and even driver alerts for speeding and idling, which is creating healthy competition, further reducing costs and minimising environmental impact.
High-profile awards panels across the UK continue to praise the benefits of BigChange.
One of the most prestigious awards programmes in the country – The Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards – has shortlisted BigChange for its Business Enabler of the Year category.
This award recognises how BigChange is driving digital transformation at over 1,900 businesses, improving their operations and helping them to win more work.
Last month, we covered the accolades BigChange received from several industry bodies after placing on the shortlists of the British Security Industry Association, Construction News and Heating Installer Awards.
Further recognition from Lloyds shines a spotlight on BigChange’s vital work, helping trade businesses grow stronger and serve their customers better.
Our nomination spoke to the strength of BigChange’s software, the resilience of the BigChange network and how brilliant businesses are using our platform to do more with their existing resources. The judges heard from Suzanna Coyle at Union Technical, who said, “BigChange has helped us transition from start-up to a nationwide service provider with a team of over 100.”
But success isn’t only coming from BigChange’s role as a business enabler. The UK Business Tech Awards lauded the technology that underpins our platform.
Our inclusion in the SaaS Company of the Year category highlights the value of using cloud-based technology to put high-end job management software within reach of all organisations.
To level up the UK, we must deliver digital transformation in a simple, scalable and affordable way for all businesses. BigChange is proud to be recognised as one of the firms leading the charge and levelling the playing field for SME trade businesses.
Finally [for now!], BigChange was also shortlisted in the Best SaaS Product for Small Business / SMEs category at the 2022 SaaS Awards.
This is a global award celebrating the best SaaS businesses worldwide. Our entry showcased how the software is helping trade businesses to operate more efficiently and sustainably and how we enable them to scale.
The judges read how the BigChange platform helped several of our customers:
We couldn’t be happier that awards programmes worldwide recognise the success we’re bringing to businesses every day through our technology, support and services.
To find out more about how BigChange can help your business, book a free consultation today.
Let’s be optimistic about our new “pro business” Prime Minister
Things have been tough recently for business leaders. So many challenges to contend with: rising energy bills; the cost of living crisis; pandemic loans to be repaid; and worrying rises in inflation. But you know me, I look for the silver lining in every cloud.
We finally have clarity on one thing: we have a new Prime Minister. Liz Truss’ selection puts an end to weeks of prevarication and delay. So much political energy has been wasted on trying to curry favour and now Truss can focus instead on carrying out her campaign promises.
Our incoming Prime Minister has pledged to cancel planned corporation tax and national insurance hikes, cap energy bills for small firms, and possibly reduce VAT and business rates. She has declared her intention to focus on growth and productivity, which is music to my ears. I don’t like to second guess politicians, but she seems to have a pro-business stance, and a willingness to take decisive action, which is what this country needs.
I’m not alone in my optimism. Jonathan Geldart, Director General of the Institute of Directors, writes: “We warmly welcome the appointment of a new Prime Minister and hope that we can now move on from the recent political uncertainty that has had a real impact on business confidence.”
Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation says: “We congratulate Liz Truss on her appointment and look forward to discussing the critical importance of manufacturing, a sector that delivers millions of well-paid, highly skilled jobs across the whole of the UK.” It feels like the whole business community is willing her appointment to be a beneficial one, hoping against hope that she sees the value we bring to Britain and its economy.
At BigChange, we have seen our entrepreneurial customers grow during challenging times. They never gave up, kept innovating, and always looked for the silver linings.
Entrepreneurs are optimists by their very nature, always sure they can find solutions to problems, that they can create value, help people, create jobs, and provide for their families. When others cut budgets, entrepreneurs invest. When some downsize their marketing departments in response to recession, entrepreneurs double down to increase market share.
I spend as much time as I can with our BigChange customers.
Recently, I visited super growth customer Vital Power Limited, which is one of the fastest-growing generator service solutions companies in the UK. T
heir vision is to become the most trusted critical power provider within the sector and I am delighted that BigChange is proving to be instrumental in realising these ambitious growth plans.
Steve Morris from Legionella & Fire Safe has been using BigChange since his first year in business.
“It’s been a godsend, driving efficiencies across the company,” he says. “Running a business that’s growing 75% a year is like trying to hold onto a kite on a windy day. BigChange removes all the noise and hassle so we can focus on the growth.”
When I went to see Ivan Smyth, who founded outstanding high-growth BigChange customer Quest Waste Management in 2015, he told me he has grown the organisation to 50 people in a few short years, expanding headcount by 30% a year; that’s a lot of job creation.
Another great BigChange customer, Steven Lannon from Precision Utility Mapping in Scotland, uses our technology to service clients across the UK and Ireland. It’s another example of how hi-tech firms can support one another’s growth and success in parallel.
Business leaders have been through such a torrid time, running the commercial equivalent of the Grand National over the past few years. They have jumped fence after fence. Some fell at Becher’s Brook.
Let’s hope this is the final furlong and that we can all emerge as winners.
“Running a business that’s growing 75% a year is like trying to hold onto a kite on a windy day. BigChange removes all the noise and hassle so we can focus on the growth.”
I’m always impressed by how quickly and effectively entrepreneurs find solutions to all sorts of problems and challenges. They don’t think: “I’ll wait for someone else to sort that out.” They roll up their sleeves and crack on.
Steve Morris, the founder and managing director of Legionella and Fire Safe Services, is one of these skillful problem solvers. He used to be a sales director and worked for Rentokil for nearly 20 years but when his division was acquired by Interserve in 2014, problems began to arise.
“That was the first time in my career that I looked around and thought, ‘I can do better than this’,” he tells me. “At Interserve, all the staff were seen as numbers on a spreadsheet, and shareholder profits were the one and only priority.’”
In 2017, Steve took the plunge and started his own business. He wanted to create an organisation that truly valued its staff. “I wanted to reward the hard-working people in the business,” he explains. “Financially, yes, but also to show that the organisation cared about them in other ways, such as days off on birthdays and care packages for people who were going through a hard time.”
Steve sees himself as an accidental entrepreneur. “I never chose to go into business,” he says. “The opportunity found me.” He started Legionella Safe Services in partnership with Steve Broughton, founder of SafeGroup Services. The business helped organisations of all sorts – from local authorities to hotels and restaurants – to prevent and remove this harmful bacterium from their water supply.
“Steve took a bet on me, and I launched the business in January,” he says. “By December, we’d repaid the entire start-up investment and we haven’t made a loss in any month since.”
Another problem plaguing his industry was a lack of transparency. Steve faced that barrier head on. “We are the Ronseal of our sector,” he says. “Even our name says exactly what we do. And we tend to retain our customers because our prices are competitive, and our standard of service cannot be beaten. We’re known as the client pleasers!”
Steve’s business evolved after the Grenfell tragedy in 2018. He saw a new problem that needed to be solved and added a fire safety services division to his business. Today, Legionella and Fire Safe Services is a one-stop shop for these two vital areas of compliance for the likes of Birmingham City Council, the biggest local authority in Europe.
Steve has been using BigChange since his first year in business. “Steve Broughton was already a customer and introduced me to BigChange,” he explains. “It’s been a godsend, driving efficiencies across the company. Running a business that’s growing 75% a year is like trying to hold onto a kite on a windy day. BigChange removes all the noise and hassle so we can focus on the growth.”
Legionella and Fire Safe Services now employs 51 people and turnover has soared from £800,000 in its first year to £5m today. The business environment has been challenging in recent years and, right now, the biggest barrier to growth is people.
“Quality of labour and the cost of labour are my biggest worry,” Steve says. “But my commitment to being a great employer has really helped us to attract and retain the best people in a tricky trading environment. And everyone who works here loves using BigChange.”
The next big problem that Steve is setting out to solve relates to rising energy bills and the green agenda; he’s working with local authorities to install hot water cylinders that can reduce bills by a minimum of 37%.
“There’s always another opportunity out there, another problem to solve, another way to help people,” he says. “We want to become a market leader in all the sectors we serve, and we’re well on the way there.”
What good are politicians if they do nothing while this country struggles?
I look around me and I see many anxious people, worried about the financial hardships winter will bring, with no support in sight.
The papers are full of terrifying news and predictions: the UK is heading for the worst financial crisis since 2008; interest rate hikes are the highest they have been for 27 years; inflation is estimated to hit 18% next year; energy bills could soar to more than £3,600 a year; half of UK households will be in fuel poverty by January.
Where is our Prime Minister? Why isn’t he using these last days in the office to help people? To support the vulnerable? Instead, he has said that it’s a job for the future Prime Minister. In our time of need, he is washing his hands of us all.
At a local level, many organisations are doing their bit. While I was in Ipswich this week visiting a More Life Weight Management class taking place at the Castle Hill Community Centre I noticed they have launched the “warm bank” – a place in the centre where people who can’t afford to heat their homes can come and keep warm.
At BigChange, we implemented a cost of living increase in March to help colleagues who were at risk of financial pressure.
Why can’t today’s political leaders use some common sense?
Why can’t Boris Johnson and his two potential successors, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, all meet to thrash out a plan right now? Surely they can come to an agreement on how to best serve the people – it all seems so obvious to me.
Energy bills this winter should be means tested. People like me, who can afford it, will pay full whack to help support those who would otherwise freeze all winter long. Or they could introduce a windfall tax on the exceptional profits that these energy companies are set to make.
All it takes is a quick Cobra meeting and all these individuals could show the British public that they have our best interests at heart, that they are willing to put aside their political differences for the greater good. We have had to put up with all manner of slights – dare I say, Partygate?
It’s time for the ruling elite to show us they can use the power they wield for good.
I guess that’s too much to hope for?
Martin invested a six-figure sum in data analytics provider Panintelligence. As well as being a minority shareholder in the business, Martin is also a strategic adviser as Panintelligence boosts its customer base and SaaS offerings.
In a fast-growing, international business, communication is vital. You need to talk to your teams, your teams need to check in with each other, and you need to keep communicating with customers. This gets harder and harder as the headcount rises.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with different ways of creating these conversations. There are lots of digital communication platforms out there, and some have their merits.
Meetings have their place too but I have posted before about my meeting fatigue when I accidentally found myself trying to sit in on each and every catch-up.
I believe that the most powerful tool that any leader can use when they need to keep prioritising communication is the huddle.
Huddles are typically weekly team meetings, which involve the whole company. Some people call them “all hands”. These meetings have a very important purpose: they are opportunities to share company news, introduce new members of the team, share wins and figure out solutions for problems.
At BigChange, we all get so much out of these huddles. At 11am every Friday, the whole team comes together to talk sales, marketing and product. It ensures that we are all on the same page and totally up to date with everything going on within the business. I don’t know how we would survive without them.
Here are five reasons you should introduce a huddle (if you don’t love them already)
1.) Fewer meetings
It might sound like a weekly huddle is adding just one more meeting to your already overstuffed calendar, especially as they can involve quite a bit of work (preparing presentations etc) but the huddle can end up doing away with several meetings in one fell swoop. You are telling everyone vital information at the same time, and giving them the opportunity to ask questions, which potentially eliminates the need for meetings afterward. I know that too many meetings can be draining, so we aim to have fewer meetings with more people, so that we can maximise their effectiveness.
2.) Motivating the team
Bringing the whole team together in this way to celebrate business wins is incredibly motivating for everyone. They get to see the contributions of teams besides their own and see how their efforts fit into the company as a whole. Huddles help leaders take their whole team on a journey. It’s incredibly powerful.
3.) Transparency
By being up front and honest about company performance, you’re ensuring a culture of transparency. New starters get to hear sales figures on their first week – there are no secrets here. Open conversations are always useful, especially as a company grows – with huddles, there’s less chance of misunderstandings. We even invite customers along to our huddles so that they can understand the inner workings of BigChange. A study by Label Insight found that 94% of consumers would be more likely to be loyal to a brand that offers transparency, while 73% said they were willing to pay more for a product that offers complete transparency.
4.) Introduce important topics
Huddles are a great opportunity to talk about our purpose and values that are outside company performance, such as diversity and inclusion. We like to take a few minutes to share our strategies and goals around building an inclusive company and ensuring that we have a truly neurodiverse team.
5.) Maintain the personal touch
As a company grows, it can be hard for leaders to meet every new colleague – or even to know everyone’s name. This can lead to a massive gulf forming between the leader and the people on the “shop floor”. Huddles ensure that the leader is visible and also give people from all across the company the chance to ask questions and offer their input. I know of organisations where the CEO sends out a weekly email instead of offering face-to-face contact. That’s just not the BigChange way.