The founder of a home services brands is celebrating a five-year anniversary with a pledge to hit the £50 million turnover figure in the next five years.
WarmZilla founder Matthew Powell created the business in September 2018, launching in late 2019, after 21 years’ experience as a plumber.
Matthew is targeting a greater share of the 1.6 million boilers which are purchased across the UK each year, and has also set his sights on the United States market.
Matthew, who co-founded the Swansea firm with his brother Rhys, offered some advice to fellow tradesmen and businesses.
He said:
“If I could offer one bit of advice, it would be to invest in some job management software to run your business. We’ve seen in a 50% increase in productivity and huge efficiencies in managing more than 100 jobs per week. Without BigChange’s job management software, we simply wouldn’t be able to meet the needs of the number of customers we do.
“In simple terms, it does all of our heavy lifting for us. Some simple maths will equate a typical call-out to around £65 and by using BigChange’s solutions, we can fit in two to three more jobs each day. In other words, you are getting huge returns on investment within a day or two of using the software.
“I see a lot of hugely talented professionals, but many of whom are rushing to chase their tails because they’re scared of change and are using outdated methods, such as the notepad and pen. I know this better than most because I was that person, but I realised that I was spinning too many plates and letting customers down with timekeeping and scheduling, through no real fault of my own.
“I’d quantify an effective job management software system in the region of £5-£10k per year, not least when you factor in how it frees up my members of staff to focus on other things.”
He added:
“I left school with 5 C grades at GCSE to my name, so when I see so many youngsters looking so crestfallen at this time of year, I want to tell them that their exam results shouldn’t define them. I’ve come from very humble beginnings, but I find that doors open when you follow your passion in life. That’s not to say that I haven’t made mistakes, because I’ve made more than anyone.
“But I saw an opportunity and I’ve managed to make the vision in my mind a reality, with the help of a great team of colleagues. With the convenience and reliability we guarantee customers, we’re extremely confident of huge growth – and the £50 million turnover target is a more than achievable one.”
