Category: Chairman’s Blog

Want to know how to be a more effective entrepreneur and leader? Take some time off.

It may sound counterintuitive but it’s true: ensuring that you have enough downtime each week will make you a better manager of people and allow you to make better decisions.

I know how all-consuming it can be when you are building or starting a business. You feel as though you need to work every single hour of the day if you are to achieve your goals.

Even sleeping at night feels wasteful.

Commit to taking time off each week

There have been times in my life when I have worked non-stop for weeks on end. I remember the impact it had on me, how my mind started spinning and I struggled with basic tasks.

I wish I knew then that I could have been 10x more productive if I had just taken breaks to recharge.

These days, I have a rule. I take one day off every week where I switch off my phone, silence my emails, and put work out of my mind. I deactivate to reactivate.

When I wake the following day, and fire up my laptop, I do it with renewed vigour. It feels so easy – and enjoyable – to complete tasks and work on my business interests.

It’s as though, throughout the week, I have been slowly depleting my supply of oxygen but after a day’s rest, I get a whole new tank.

Did taking a day off every week when I was first building BigChange slow its growth? It did the opposite.

BigChange smashed every goal that we set over the years. I believe that embracing downtime – not just my own, but the whole team’s – helped bring about that success.

We were pioneers when we gave 34 days holiday, giving people more time with their families. 

I don’t know if I would have chosen to do this if it weren’t for my faith. I observe the Sabbath because it’s one of Judaism’s most important rituals, but I feel the benefits in all aspects of my life.

Rest and recharge

Whatever your beliefs, it’s important to make that space in your life to rest and recharge.

It’s important to understand what downtime really means. It’s a time where your brain isn’t focusing on anything. Scrolling on your phone or watching TV isn’t downtime.

Naps, walks, meditation, and mundane tasks where your mind can wander – that’s real downtime.

Many studies have shown that the human brain desperately needs enough sleep at night and plenty of breaks during the day.

In his book, Rest: Why you get more done when you work less, Alex Soojung-Kim Pang says that allowing the brain to enter a “resting state” is vital.

“When we are not directly focused on a task, it’s still active, engaging its default network to plug away at problems, examine and toss out possible answers, and look for new information.”

So, leaders, whatever you do this week, make sure you make time to do nothing. Set a good example for your team by having at least one day off and setting your ‘out of office’.

I promise you; you won’t regret it – I never have. 

The coming recession is likely to be deeper and more severe than we originally thought.

Forecasts suggest that the economy will continue to shrink until the summer of 2023 and that the UK will experience a 1.4% contraction across the whole of next year.

That’s a major U-turn from the Office for Budget Responsibility’s initial forecast for 1.8% growth, which was only published in March.

What does this mean for entrepreneurs and business leaders?

It means you need to get back into start-up mode.

Remember those heady early days of your business when you rose before dawn and worked well into the night, waking at 2am to send a quick email to suppliers in another time zone? Those days are back.

Tough times ahead in 2023

These are going to be tough times and you need to be absolutely focused on your business. You need to know what’s working and what’s not.

That means getting back into the detail. Even those running larger organisations need to get back into the trenches – don’t just rely on your direct reports.

Go and speak to people in every department. Ask them what’s really going on – their challenges and pressure points. Ask them what customers love and what developments would really make your product or service stand out in the marketplace.

This complex trading environment also means you need to sweat your assets like never before. Rip up your budget forecasts for 2023; it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

Any “nice to have” investments must wait. If you were going to hire more people in advance of growth, it might be better to get through the coming year first.

Explain to your teams that you will be expecting them to give 100% as we move into this critical period – reward them, motivate them, and make sure they know how important their efforts are to the continued success of the company.

Invest and spend wisely

Costs must be controlled but don’t cut back on the spending that generates more business. You still need to be out there prospecting, meeting customers, and getting your brand name out into the world.

These are not “nice to haves”- these are business critical expenses, and you will cut them at your peril.

Data is going to become your best friend (if it isn’t already). It’s only by analysing every single metric of success that you’ll understand what kind of work brings in the most profit, which jobs lose you money, and which assets are underutilised.

When you have absolute clarity on your data, you can even see which loss-leaders are worth keeping because they open the doors to other, more lucrative projects.

This is the kind of insight that we at BigChange are bringing our customers. I believe it will ensure they remain unstoppable, despite the challenging times ahead.

In fact, BigChange has launched a new campaign with this mission, mantra, and customer promise: be unstoppable.

We want ambitious entrepreneurs and business owners to feel empowered to act and unleash their energy – even when the going gets tough. 

Whatever technology you use to help drive efficiency, lean on it now. Many businesses only use a small percentage of the tech at their disposal.

That’s the kind of waste that can easily be utilised – especially by leaders with a start-up mindset, who don’t mind burning the midnight oil to plumb the depths of their business software.

2023 won’t be easy but the businesses that survive will be fitter, leaner, and better prepared for the future than ever before.

Recessions test our mettle, as leaders. They hone our business models and cement our place in the hearts of our customers. Think of this time as an opportunity to go from good to great. 

Think like a start-up, and you’ll be fine.

#unstoppable

Human beings are social creatures. We need to spend time with one another to feel, well – human. 

BigChange may be a technology company, but we pride ourselves on our humanity. There is always a person at the end of the phone if you need us, our people are unfailingly kind and considerate – and all are excellent problem solvers.

To reward this outstanding team, we host a special seasonal get-together every year. After a long hiatus for Covid, we brought it back last year. I’ll never forget the incredible atmosphere in the room as colleagues who had interacted solely online for two years met and danced the night away. 

Last night, we held this year’s BigChange Awards and Thanksgiving party (we are part-owned by an American company, after all) and it was just as wonderful as last year’s bash.

A glass of bubbly, and a proper sit down dinner, followed by dancing. A token of our appreciation for our people’s hard work in recent months. 

Most of us are back in the office for at least a day a week now, but the event brought together more than 200 people from across the whole of BigChange’s international operations. Nothing beats meeting IRL [in real life] for raising the spirits.  

The event was held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. It was a privilege to be surrounded by such incredible exhibits – slices of British history.

BigChange is about to celebrate its tenth birthday, so the moment was even more meaningful. 

BigChange award winners 2022

But on to the highlight of the evening: the awards. The ceremony was a little different this year. The categories this year were all aligned with BigChange values.

Here’s a little roundup of who won what.  

Big on ethics

The “Big on Ethics” award went to business development manager Eli Sufrin.

This is the second time Eli has picked up an award at our winter event. A true team player, he is always fair, authentic, and puts customers’ needs first. 

Big on Change

He was not the only person to win over two consecutive years. Fellow business development manager George Dibb, who picked up the CEO award in 2021, won the “Big on Change” category this year, for his ability to help those in the plumbing, heating and electrical contracting sectors to adapt and thrive. 

Mission award

Sarah Cox, our Customer Success Director, won the “Mission Award” this year, reflecting her ability to generate brilliant outcomes for customers while upholding our values.

Purpose award

Tansy Sheehy, a fellow Customer Success Director and productivity queen, claimed the Purpose Award.

Big on Energy

Our scrum master Catriona Faulds is our “Big on Energy” champion this year as a result of her dynamic and vibrant approach to recruitment and promoting women in technology.

Big on inclusion

HR advisor Maisy Hampton won the “Big on Inclusion” award for her refreshing approach to talent acquisition. 

Big on Sustainability

BigChange’s green champion, Installations Co-Ordinator Fatimah Fellah won our “Big on Sustainability” award for her work helping customers to slash emissions and dramatically reduce waste.

Green Flag award

Lee Wilkinson picked up the “Green Flag Award” for consistently providing an exceptional customers experience through his role as Network Customer Experience Director.

CEO award

Richard Warley was hard pressed to choose a winner for the CEO Award this year, so he chose two!

Lead Software Engineer Joe Woodhead and Senior Product Manager Andy Knight (who also won an award last year) both impressed Richard with their technical skills, vision, and ability to execute complex projects.  

Chairman’s award

And finally, it was a great privilege to give out my own Chairman’s Award again this year. Huge congratulations to Andy Davenport, our tireless Technical Support Manager, who picked up Employee of the Year in 2021 and remains passionate, committed, and totally irreplaceable. 

Many congratulations to all of you. These awards are very well deserved. Thank you for all you’ve done for this company and your teams.

What a treat to spend time with all of you – with no screens in sight! I hope you enjoyed the party.

I have lived with acute hearing loss for most of my life. Over the past year, my hearing has deteriorated – I am now profoundly deaf to high frequency sounds.

Amazing technology exists that helps me live a full and hassle-free life, and there are new developments all the time.

But I do sometimes wonder whether I would have had the successes I’ve had if I were born in a different century.

Beethoven may have composed many masterpieces after losing his hearing, but he is one of very few stories where a disabled person triumphs against adversity.

In Beethoven’s case, he lived in almost total isolation once he lost his hearing. 

UK Disability History Month

It’s timely to chew over these ideas. The 16th of November marked the start of UK Disability History Month. It was created to celebrate the achievements of people living with a disability and raise awareness of the challenges they continue to face.

Yes, the world has become a much friendlier place for those living with disabilities. From tactile paving to hearing aid induction loops, assistance for those with sensory impairments is widespread.

But there is still a long way to go.
 
Earlier this week, my investment company Port Growth Partners partnered with the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) to help put on a little quiz night.

John Bishop, the comedian, hosted the quiz – his son has an autoimmune disorder that causes deafness, and he is very passionate about the cause.

We had some great supporters in the room – the likes of Sir Rocco Forte our host – and we raised £50,000.

The RNID is a crucial champion in the battle for equal rights and support for the deaf – there are 12m of us in the UK alone. 

Every company should be inclusive

At BigChange, we have worked really hard to be an inclusive organisation, which welcomes people from all walks of life.

We actively recruit those with disabilities and have programmes in place to support neurodiverse colleagues.

We believe that by having a truly diversified team, we create better, more considerate technology.

For most of my life I have tried to hide my deafness. I have shied away from wearing visible hearing aids. You worry that people make certain assumptions about you when they see those clunky gadgets tucked behind your ear.
 
UK Disability History Month has been an opportunity to reflect on that approach. I no longer want to hide my disability. There is no shame in my hearing loss. People wear glasses without embarrassment – they are a fashion accessory!
 
Life was actually easier for me – in some ways – during lockdown. We all communicated via Teams, which meant I could wear a headset and hear every word.

It’s only now we’re back in the office and meeting customers that I’m reminded how little I can hear in ordinary life. 

BigChange was created with a single vision: to help our customers grow and become more successful than they could on their own.

It’s been humbling to see that vision become reality over the past few years. We know that our customers are also now more efficient, more resilient, and greener because of our platform.

This is why I am so proud to announce that we have just launched another innovation that I hope will bring even more success to our customers. We have created a unique partnership with Rated People, the trades marketplace, which will dynamically offer leads to BigChange customers. 

This feature has been included into BigChange as standard and offers a user-friendly way to buy verified new business leads from within the platform without having to log in to Rated People separately.

SES Home Services

SES Home Services, which has been a BigChange customer for five years, is the first company to utilise this new feature. SES Home Services is a home emergency insurance provider, part of the water utility SES Water, which serves parts of Surrey, Sussex, Kent and southeast London. It now receives dynamic leads from appropriate postcodes for plumbing, heating and drainage work. 

Peter Holmwood, interim managing director at SES Home Services, says that this new service has the potential to supercharge growth.

“We can really see the value in this relationship,” he says. “Every lead that we buy from Rated People is a genuine opportunity. In the current climate, we want to ensure that every pound of marketing spend is targeted and the return on investment of these leads is very attractive.

“With other marketing tools such as pay-per-click advertising, you don’t know whether the right people will see the ad or click through,” he continues. “This feature offers more certainty than most, and if your offering is fairly priced and you have excellent customer reviews, as we do, it can be an extraordinary business generator.”

BigChange a business builder

I hope that SES Home Services will be the first of many customers to use this service to bring in new business – this is often work that they will have been totally unaware of without the Rated People platform. 

According to Peter, this innovation cements BigChange’s role as a business builder.

“BigChange has revolutionised the business,” he says. “We love that we can benefit from the learnings drawn from multiple industries through the platform and that BigChange never stops developing and improving the system. We have improved our first-time fix rates so that we now beat the industry average. We have also improved our planning processes using the insights the platform collects around travel times and job durations.”

At BigChange, we are always looking for new and better ways to help our customers. It’s an ongoing process – and we never rest on our laurels.

All credit to the team here and our partners at Rated People for making this happen. I can’t wait to see the impact it creates.

Nothing beats the buzz of a lively office. The chatter of colleagues. The dynamic presentations in meeting rooms. The tea rounds and sharing of treats. It all contributes to the culture – the very lifeblood – of a business.

The problem is that, for many businesses, the office is no longer a hive of activity. The “working from home” revolution has taken its toll. I’ve visited a few businesses in recent months where the majority of people now work remotely.

The offices were so quiet. One that used to hold 70 people over two floors now only had four colleagues in the building; it was uncanny.

In January 2020, just 5.7% of people worked from home, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Today, almost one in five workers is home-based.

The problem is that you need your team to come together in real life in order to make a good business great. I truly believe that.

Video conferencing technology and messaging apps have their place but there is no substitute for a good, old-fashioned chin wag with a colleague. That’s how bonds are formed, how friendships blossom, and how the best ideas are borne.

Early days of BigChange

There’s no way that I could have built BigChange into the international success story you see today without an office.

In those early days, we were constantly meeting to brainstorm new ideas, pulling late-nighters to implement ideas, and celebrating afterwards with pizzas and pasta.

We were a small team, but we were all driven and enthusiastic – a big family. Many of those individuals are still with BigChange today.

I really feel for start-up founders launching businesses in 2022. There is pressure to be “remote first” but you sacrifice so much in terms of culture and, dare I say it, it’s just less fun.

I think of start-up life as being a Premier League team. You go out to face your rivals and play your hearts out every day.

But when you all work from home, it’s like playing to an empty stadium. There’s no atmosphere.

I know that home working is the preferred choice for some. But let’s remember how isolating that can be for a lot of people. How are young starters supposed to learn from more experienced peers when those individuals are never in the office?

It’s so much harder to ask questions when you can’t just go tap someone on the shoulder.

A gradual process

We form some of our most important relationships at work. I’m sure people reading this have at least a few friendships that were forged in an office environment. According to one global LinkedIn study on working relationships, 46% of professionals believe that work friends are integral to their overall happiness, boosting productivity and engagement levels.

It’s so much harder to set boundaries when working from home. When does the day start and end? There’s no delineation. Many people don’t have a dedicated workspace and end up emailing from kitchen tables or bedrooms, which is bad for mental health and stress levels. 

There are just so many reasons why, for many companies, office-based working makes sense. A recent ONS study found that 21% of employed people never want to work from home again, with young people, in particular, preferring office life.

I believe that most employees should come into the office at least three to four days a week. That’s a balance that works. 

I know that progress will be gradual. You can’t just summon all your employees back into the office. But let’s all start encouraging our people back in. Offer them incentives: free fruit or takeaway Fridays, a bonus for attending the office. 

Bring back the buzz and dynamism that helps the UK economy thrive. 

As an entrepreneur and investor, I’m always keen to find out about new technologies, new inventions that will shape the industries of the future. These days, innovation moves so fast – if you stand still, you’ll get left behind.

When I was invited to join a delegation attending this week’s “Building the Future” event in Israel, I jumped at the chance. As founder and chairman of BigChange, I like to stay on top of proptech and contech (property and construction technology) as many of our customers operate in residential and commercial property, or infrastructure and maintenance sectors.

As an investor in Rated People, developments in these sectors are also hugely relevant to many of the tradespeople on the platform.

I’m spending five days in Israel, attending pitches and fact finding sessions with some of the nation’s most promising start-ups and growth businesses.

I’m learning from many industry experts too, who can advise me on trends and ask insightful questions of all the presenting entrepreneurs.

Among these specialists are: 

• Nick Davies, sector lead for the Built Environment at The Trade Mission to the UK
• Hila Lipman, sector lead for Cleantech & Smart Infrastructure at the Israel Export Institute
• Ben Ziff, who is managing director of Citipark and on the board of Town Centre Securities plc, the UK property investment & car parking operator
• Josh Drukarz, managing partner at LiFE Ventures, a venture capital fund that specialises in backing entrepreneurs in real estate and the build world. Between them, they are the ultimate fount of knowledge about these industries. 

It’s been fascinating so far. Here are some of the highlights.

Advanced modular construction

One of Israel’s most successful contech start-ups attended a Q&A session on Monday. Veev has reinvented the way in which homes are built, using tech and smart materials to create energy-efficient, beautiful buildings in a fraction of the time.

Veev’s homes can be built four times faster than the industry standard and with 47% less CO2 emissions. It has raised $600m in funding to date and is Israel’s first Contech unicorn.

Energy-saving buildings

I was very impressed by smart infrastructure start-up Setpoint, which is developing a self-learning plug-and-play climate intelligence platform for commercial buildings. 

The idea is that Setpoint’s climate intelligence tech automatically manages all the energy-consuming devices in every room, so that businesses pay minimal energy costs while maintaining comfort for the people in the building.

Technology like this will be vital as nations around the world strive to reach net zero.

The future of construction

Construction sites are getting a technology makeover. Ception is the developer of MineCept, an AI-based system for reducing accidents and improving the productivity and profitability of heavy equipment at construction sites, mines, quarries, and industrial plants.

The system is designed to lower operation costs and help make projects more sustainable. 

MineCept uses advanced, real-time, high-definition 3D mapping and precise positioning technology to provide full situational awareness of a machine’s surrounding environment.

Put simply, diggers can now spot the pipe lurking beneath the earth so that it doesn’t accidentally damage it when digging.

The robots are coming

More and more of the low-skilled jobs in the construction industry are going to be completed by robots. 

Okibo is a pioneer in this field, using autonomous robotics algorithms, advanced computer vision, laser detectors, geopositioning, and inertial motion sensors.

It was founded in 2018 and has already made great strides in terms of technology; its robots can now perform various kinds of manual labour, such as plastering and painting.

The idea is to reduce cost, and free up human beings for more high-skilled jobs.

Construction is an interesting industry because margins can be tiny, so every saving, every bit of waste that can be eradicated from the pipeline matters.

Being part of this delegation has made it so clear that the focus over both the short and long term within property and construction is all about reducing waste, getting projects right first time, and making buildings greener, more sustainable, and easier to maintain.

These are all interesting trends that affect customers and stakeholders at both Rated People and BigChange. 

I encourage all the entrepreneurs and leaders reading this post to break out of your routines and the day-to-day grind and venture out to attend an event like this. It doesn’t even have to be sector specific.

It feels so good to have a front seat here, hearing about the innovations that are changing our world and the way we do business. Get on a mission!

Take a break from the Tory party tax tussles and let me tell you what’s really happening out there in the economy.

I’m talking about the story on the ground, a world away from the headlines. Despite all the doom and gloom out there, hard-working business owners and their teams are continuing to thrive and grow their ventures.

Business confidence is rising after a three-month decline. According to the Lloyds business barometer, UK businesses are finally optimistic about their trading prospects.

BigChange is an example of one of these success stories. Let me share some of the highlights from the last nine months of the year.

Extraordinary growth

We have had an amazing year so far, with new business wins up 40% compared to the same period last year. That equates to a new order book worth £24.5m. The new business is a healthy mixture of new clients and repeat business from existing clients. We have seen many of our customers buying more licences from us this year as they take on more people. They are growing and doing well, and we are benefiting from that.

A diverse client base

In the last quarter, we have signed up 100 new organisations – some very large organisations as well as smaller firms. It’s no surprise that our existing customers are recommending us to their peers: our Customer Service satisfaction score for RoadCrew customer support was 4.6 out of 5 in Q3. Among the new customers that have joined the fold are: EFT Systems, an integrated security manufacturer, designer, installer and maintainer across the Northwest; RS Fleet Installations, Europe’s largest auto-electrical installation expert; and Kaboodle, the largest independent installer of white goods in the UK. Our technology continues to be the best-in-class solution across all industries and business sizes.

A bright future

Our growth trajectory this year brings us one step closer to our goal: to become a unicorn (a business worth $1bn) within three years. By 2025, we should comfortably get to £60m in annual recurring revenues. This has all been made possible because of the outstanding team we have here at BigChange, and I’d like to congratulate the new business development team and the individuals in our customer success department, who work tirelessly to support customers.

Investing in people

We have recruited 30 new people over the past six months across multiple teams. As we grow, it’s really important that our colleagues are supported, and we have now launched and embedded our new career development programmes, BigChange Academy and Developing Careers. In order to better support our customers, everyone in the business has enrolled in our BigChange University, ensuring comprehensive product knowledge across the company. We are also committed to developing lean practitioners across the business and many colleagues have now completed their Lean Practitioner accreditation, which has eliminated 2,000 wasted hours and delivered many improvements to the business.

Targeted innovation

We are committed to an ambitious investment programme, and we have grown the development team and created many ambitious new innovations over the year to date. Our new releases typically fall in the “self-serve” category – helping our customers to do even more with our technology and make changes independently. As well as expanding the range of functionality even further, we have improved our analytics, giving customers even more actionable insight. Customers are keen to utilise all the features we create: this year, we have helped 45 customers achieve BigChange Expert qualifications in BigChange University, supercharging their potential in the process.

Awards

I am very proud that BigChange has been shortlisted for a number of awards that recognise our continued excellence. Among these are: SaaS Company of the Year at the UK Business Tech Awards; Best Technology Partner at the Building Innovation Awards; the Business Enabler of the Year at the Lloyds Bank British Awards; and finally Solution Innovation of the year at the Security & Fire Excellence Awards 2022. I’m a great believer in the power of awards to boost morale and raise a company’s profile.

Inclusivity

I believe that every business leader should do their bit to create jobs and opportunities for people from all walks of life, with different skills and abilities. We’re continuing to support diversity within BigChange, in line with our commitment to being a Disability Confident Employer. We have partnered with Lighthouse Trust, which works to raise awareness of neurodiversity, to support internal BigChangers and are planning to start project work with their young people later this year.

BigChange in the community

Looking outwards, we are always trying to support local charities and our community here in Yorkshire. We have been working with local food banks to help provide meals to those in need, we recently completed a clothing drive, and we have supported BigChangers who want to volunteer or raise money for charity. From skydiving for Cancer Research to working on a farm with Living Potential, which helps those with disabilities to get out in nature, I’m very proud of our team here.

Getting out and about

I recently posted about the importance of getting out there and meeting people in the real world. My BigChange colleagues are doing just that. We are attending four events over the next few weeks. If you are planning to be at PHEX in Manchester, the Field Service Expo in Birmingham, Elex 2022 in Surrey or the Floodex & National Drainage Show in London, come say hello. We are also making sure that we spend time with our valued customers – it’s the best way to learn the challenges they face. Our customer success team has visited 200 customer sites so far this year. 

Thank you to all our customers for your ongoing support of BigChange. It’s been an outstanding nine months and I have high hopes for the coming quarter, and 2023.