Martin Port, Author at Port Growth Partners

Come on Rishi, let me reward my hard-working team

Posted on 29 October 2021 by Martin Port

After all his promises, this week’s Budget was something of a damp squib. Rishi Sunak tinkered with a few minor reforms and introduced a temporary boon to the hospitality, retail and leisure industries through a 50% business rates cut.

But you know what would help hospitality, boost worker morale, benefit the UK economy, and increase productivity? An end to the £150 cap on rewarding loyal team members with a company social.

I’m serious.

At BigChange, we usually throw two big parties each year for the whole team. These events are incredible for morale and help people across the business to meet and engage. We fly our people in from France and Ukraine, which makes everyone feel like they are part of a global organisation. It’s a wonderful way to give back to the loyal and talented individuals who make this company successful.

Last year, we weren’t able to celebrate with the team so this year, we would like to throw the Christmas party to end all Christmas parties.

Everyone is double-vaxxed. It’s as safe as it’s going to be in the near future. And people need to come together and look back over the past 18 months, to celebrate their resilience and endurance, and to look forward to a brighter future together.

There’s only one problem.

The government makes it punitively expensive to spend more than £150 per head on a party. That’s just £150 for the whole evening, which also includes VAT, taxis and overnight accommodation. We would be very lucky indeed to find a flight from Paris for that money.

If the cost per head goes over £150, by even a penny, then the whole benefit is taxable. Technically, this means the whole amount would then have to be reported on the employee’s P11D. Of course, the employer can choose to pay that back, through a PAYE Settlement Agreement.

This is absolutely ludicrous.

Why is the government making it so expensive for businesses like ours to reward our people? They have worked so hard, without any social events, for almost two years. They deserve more than a few bags of crisps and a bottle of plonk. Some businesses circumvent this rule by asking staff to contribute to the cost but we won’t do that. Instead we would shoulder the tax implications, which would double the cost of the party. Squaring that with any financial director would be challenging…

It’s time to ditch the cap on costs for staff social functions. Let UK employers give back to their people without penalising them. If you want to encourage people to keep giving their all, build camaraderie again after so long spent in isolation, and help support the mental health of our nation’s workers, this is the way to do it.

This is why I am creating a petition to ask Parliament and HMRC to scrap the cap.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/599979/sponsors/new?token=Ee8nhtU2UZ0E35zomx1p

Will you sign and help me, and countless other bosses like me, to show their teams how appreciated they are?

Dear entrepreneur, has the virus changed your priorities? If not, why not?

Posted on 21 October 2021 by Martin Port

The world in 2021 looks very different to the landscape in 2019, doesn’t it? Things that used to denote success and financial freedom – fast cars, luxury clothing, holidays homes all over the world – now leave a sour taste in the mouth.

It has become impossible to ignore the many challenges facing the world right now, from the terrifying impact of climate change to the widening gap between rich and poor.

I believe that this means modern leaders have a new and improved mandate: if you are successful, use it to help others and protect the planet.

I have always been passionate about philanthropy. Charitable giving has been a cornerstone in all of my businesses, and I have always tried to drive positive change, whether that’s through convincing my colleagues to quit smoking, incentivising drivers to cut their speed, or supporting charities and social enterprises, both at home and abroad.

Regular readers of this blog will remember that I wrote about the need to support charities last year: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-charities-need-our-help-bad-ones-dont-martin-port/ . The good news is that the Covid crisis has been a turning point for philanthropy. According to McKinsey, the global consultancy, some of the world’s wealthiest people doubled or quadrupled their pay-out rates last year, while others distributed 20% of their total assets, and others have committed as much as $1bn to COVID-19 relief https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/a-transformative-moment-for-philanthropy. But there is so much more that must be done.

The NPC, the think tank for the social sector, counted over 7,440 charity redundancies in 2020 https://www.thinknpc.org/resource-hub/coronavirus-guide/ . As talent left the third sector, the people remaining were forced to concentrate on urgent crises, which meant that many vulnerable people could not access support. These charities need our time and money more than ever.

I feel that it is my moral obligation, as a leader and entrepreneur, to do my bit. This year, I am proud to say that BigChange has supported several charities through donations and also my strategic support. Here are just a few of the causes we have backed this year: Business In The Community, the Yorkshire Children’s Centre, Recycling Lives, Transaid, Living Potential Care Farm, RNID and Speed Of Sight.

When you’re busy building a business, it’s easy to put off charitable giving – you tell yourself you’ll sort it all out another day. But there’s no time to waste. I remember meeting Arnold Ziff OBE, the great philanthropist MHDSRIP, many years ago. He would see a problem and set about solving it straight away: it made him an unstoppable force in social and environmental change. He never stopped helping people, in any way he could, be it an introduction or a donation. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-you-remembered-martin-port/ . He became a legend here in Yorkshire.

Arnold was the person who first convinced me of an important truth: What is the point of being successful if you don’t use that success to make a positive impact in the world?

How could you help save the world today?

The start-up culture conundrum

Posted on 14 October 2021 by Martin Port

One thing that keeps every founder awake at night is: how are we going to maintain my company’s culture and momentum as the organisation grows? If you Google “How to maintain start-up culture”, you’ll see more than 16m results. Everyone is trying to solve this challenge but, suffice to say, there are no easy solutions.

I remember, in early days of BigChange, how many late nights I spent in the office. Those were heady days: ordering pizza with my team as we burnt the midnight oil and sketched out audacious plans for the future. Now, eight years on, we’re a much bigger entity with almost 250 colleagues. We have managed to maintain our dynamism and commitment to growth, but I know the dangers of complacency.

I recently posted that I was reading Michael Dell’s new book, Play Nice But Win. I just finished it and am so inspired by his drive and absolute determination to make Dell a global success. His work ethic has never wavered – and he started that business when he was just 21. Even during tough times, he just redoubled his efforts and managed to overcome every barrier.

Over the years, I have seen many businesses flounder when they scaled from a small-to-medium-size to a larger entity. This means that I now know the mistakes to avoid. As you grow, you need to make sure you don’t lose your grip on the hiring process. It may be tempting to fill roles fast as gaps appear but every single individual that joins the team must be a) a team player, b) driven and enthusiastic and c) capable of giving 150% when the business needs it.

When you start a business, the combined output of the team is astonishing. It is possible to keep finding those incredible and talented people as the business grows – but you have to take your time and really get to know individuals and, most importantly, promote from within.

The leader must motivate, motivate and motivate some more. As soon as the people at the top lose their focus, the team will too. It’s so important to keep communicating the goals and being transparent about performance. People need to know where the business is going and how they, individually, will contribute to success. I love working with a galvanised team and that feeling of all being on the bus together.

I’m writing this from America, where we are focused on building a business to rival BigChange in Europe. I feel like a start-up founder again, and it’s been so exciting to see our US operations blossom and flourish. Having ambitious plans for this part of the world has lit a fire in the whole team, and I want to keep stoking those flames. BigChange may be growing fast but I want this company to keep its entrepreneurial vigour, whether we are 200 people or 2,000.

UK trades bounce back from Covid, but half are unprofitable, says groundbreaking BigChange report

Posted on 8 October 2021 by Martin Port

BigChange’s first health check of the UK’s field-service sector suggests that most firms are growing due to soaring demand, but that isn’t always translating into profits.

Demand for UK trades has boomed in the year since the end of the initial lockdown. We discovered that 72% of the UK’s field service businesses are growing – but only one-in-five are growing stronger.

We worked with research company Opinium to compare the health of businesses in the 12 months leading up to July 2020 with the 12 months since then, during which pandemic constraints have eased. The findings are detailed in our State of the Field Service Sector report.

Workloads grew by an average of 70% across the UK’s field-service sector. Our research suggests that demand grew fastest in the Plumbing & Heating, Plant Hire and Drainage sectors.

Almost one in five businesses did twice as much work as in the 12 months to July 2020.

Turnovers have soared by 79% across the sector.

But the headline figures mask some significant challenges.

Despite booming workloads, fewer than half of companies (48%) said they were profitable in the year to July 2021. Covid complications, compliance issues and surging costs (particularly for fuel, people and materials) were the factors hitting firms hardest.

Covid-19 is still a drag on the sector, with 81% of businesses saying it had hampered their growth or profitability in the last 12 months. The rising cost of materials, fuel and labour were also problems for more than 70% of respondents.

Debts have increased by 117% among the worst financial performers in the sector, and one-in-eight firms fear they will fail within a year. And this isn’t because they aren’t winning new business: workloads increased fastest among firms struggling the most right now.

There’s a big difference between growing and growing stronger.

Almost everyone is working harder, but the strong, profitable businesses are succeeding by working smarter to stay in control of their operations, keeping a lid on costs, and making their teams more productive.

They are using technology to improve management oversight, plan better and automate processes. And they are improving communication and response times to make customer experience their competitive advantage.

Nserv, Subscan UDS and Celsius Plumbing and Heating have successfully navigated current challenges and are growing stronger post-pandemic. We spoke to them about our research.

Slick processes and strong finances put booming Nserv on track for further growth

Nserv provides facilities maintenance and construction services across the South East. It grew turnover by 75% and delivered a healthy profit in the year to August 2021.

“Work with our retail and restaurant customers was affected during the initial lockdown, but we came out of that period three times stronger,” said Dean Barber, Nserv’s Managing Director. “We picked up big new contracts in the South East and introduced new technology to help manage jobs and our workforce more effectively.”

“Growth has been incredible since then. We’ve doubled the size of team but talent has still been an issue. Skilled tradespeople are hard to find; we could have grown even faster if there were more of them.”

Midlands expansion helps drainage specialist improve service and cut costs

Leeds-based Subscan UDS, which provides a range of drainage, utility, and surveying services, has seen demand increase by a fifth over the last 12 months and anticipates growth of 20% next year.

“Subscan are growing strongly due to significant contract wins and recruiting at pace,” said Kirk Mason, the company’s Operations Director. “Shortages of skilled staff has been our biggest challenge. We are having to pay more to recruit and retain HGV drivers and Brexit has made it harder to bring in the specialist surveyors from Poland and Lithuania. We’ve got 30 people in that department doing the work of 45.”

Celsius targets £1 million mark after a rebound year for residential plumbing

Celsius Plumbing and Heating works with homeowners, private landlords and property agents across Edinburgh. Although the company took a hit when forced to focus on essential work during the first lockdown, its fortunes have bounced back since.

Celsius increased turnover by 36% as demand rebounded, expanding its team from 12 to 18 by August 2021. It targets similar growth this year.

“Demand for our services went crazy,” said Company Director Michael Cairns. “People were desperate to get work done, and we had a backlog of almost 500 jobs.”

“We’ve now also optimised our operations so we can almost guarantee a same-day response. Clients love that attention to detail, they are recommending us and demand is increasing as a result.”

Download BigChange’s State of the Field Service Sector Report today.

There is plenty of work out there but are you profitable?

Posted on 7 October 2021 by Martin Port

“Turnover is vanity. Profit is sanity.” Most entrepreneurs will have heard these words at some point in their careers. It’s a cliché but, here’s the thing about clichés, they are usually right.

When you run a mobile workforce, as we do, and all our customers too, there are so many variables in play, which affect your profitability. From the cost of hiring new talent to the availability of parts, fuel prices to job scheduling efficiencies, it’s a delicate balancing act.

This is why BigChange has just conducted a major piece of research into the field service industry. We are obsessed with helping our customers to grow, and grow more efficiently and profitably than before, so it made sense to go out and ask people across the sector (not our customers; the pollsters Opinium found more than 500 business leaders outside of our network) about the things that are hampering their growth, reducing margins, or causing them sleepless nights.

The results are absolutely fascinating.

The report, “State of the Field Service Sector” found that these businesses are in the grip of a post-pandemic boom. Workloads are up 70% on last year, according to the leaders we polled. And prices are rising too, because of this demand, increasing 47% on average since July 2020. Yet, here’s the kicker. Fewer than half of the companies in this industry turn a profit. How can this be?

Many accrued significant debts during the repeated lockdowns of 2020. Some may have been hit by higher costs that they were unable or unwilling to pass on to customers. Others have been forced to increase wages to hold on to staff as the post-Brexit talent shortage continues to bite.

All of this means one thing: that while a significant proportion of field service businesses are growing, they are not growing sustainably. In fact, according to our research, one in eight is likely to go bankrupt within a year.

What can be done to support this vital sector, and prevent losses from spiralling out of control?

Call me biased, but I know that technology is the answer. Automation is absolutely key to modern enterprise. It not only helps to reduce the time is takes to complete jobs, it also helps engineers deliver a better service, and provides actionable insight into what is driving the value of your business.

Our report has found that customer experience is now the ultimate source of competitive advantage. Most leaders said good service now requires same-working-day fixes for reactive jobs (68%) and that customers be kept fully informed digitally (65%) – both must-haves can be achieved through smarter tech.

It is my heartfelt belief that an investment in the technologies that increases profitability is a no-brainer. There is no better way to spend your money. At a time when many business owners have cut spending – and some may even be sitting on significant cash piles – the opportunity to drive efficiency and optimisation like never before is now in reach. Cash in the bank earns zero interest. Investments in stocks and shares are highly volatile. Business leaders should back themselves and back their businesses through futureproofing technologies that really deliver.

I’m not trying to give you a sales pitch. Well, maybe I am. But it’s because I truly believe in the revolutionary power of technology to help Britain’s field service companies to thrive. So, tell me, would you like to be more profitable?

BigChange scores hat-trick of nominations for Yorkshire Post Business Excellence Awards

Posted on 5 October 2021 by Martin Port

BigChange continues to achieve award success, landing a hat-trick of nominations at this year’s prestigious Yorkshire Post Business Excellence Awards.

We’ve been named among the finalists in the Best Companies Turning Over Between £10m-£50 and Best Innovation categories. Our founder and Chairman Martin Port is also shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year.

These awards recognise the best in business across the Yorkshire region and received a record number of entries this year. BigChange’s place in the finals was driven by our continued progress in the face of Covid, and the contribution our technology has made to supporting strong growth at trades businesses around the world.

The winners will be announced on 17th November.

Awards chair, Yorkshire Post Business Editor Mark Casci said, “Given the economic shock waves experienced in recent months, the fact that such high levels of innovation, success and leadership is being carried out should give us all hope for the future.”

BigChange has also been shortlisted for The Business Enabler of the Year Award and the The inews Technology Innovation Award at this year’s British Business Excellence Awards, and is a finalist in two categories at the Prolific North Technology Awards.

Please cast your vote for Martin Port to be named Tech Entrepreneur of the Year before the 8th October.

BigChange leaders beat ‘Way of the Roses’ charity cycle for Transaid

Posted on 28 September 2021 by Martin Port

The team from BigChange finished the two-day, 170 mile ride in support of Transaid

Two senior members of BigChange’s leadership team completed the coast-to-coast ‘Way of the Roses’ cycling route – raising more than £3,200 for the international development charity Transaid along the way.

Chief Operating Officer Jo Godsmark and Commercial Sales Director John Mills rode the 170 mile route last weekend. The journey took the team through four counties, starting in Morecambe, Lancashire and ending in Bridlington, Yorkshire. While much of the country enjoyed sunshine they contended with rain, wind and 3000m of hills over the two days.

This challenge was all in the name of Transaid, a long-term charity partner of BigChange. A donation goal of £3,000 was exceeded as the riders completed the race and the total amount raised now stands at £3,233.

There’s still time to support our team’s achievement, and Transaid’s fantastic work improving road safety and access to healthcare through transportation solutions in developing nations, at the team’s Just Giving page.

All the money raised will help to fund initiatives that revolutionise sustainable and safe transport across the world. We’d like to thank the racers that made it possible and our BigChange followers for their support and donations to this worthwhile cause.

BigChange leaders set to go coast-to-coast on charity cycle

Posted on 23 September 2021 by Martin Port

The team from BigChange will cycle the breadth of Lancashire and Yorkshire in support of the transport charity Transaid

Three members of the BigChange senior leadership team are set to cycle 170 miles across the UK in support of the international development charity Transaid.

CEO Richard Warley, Chief Operating Officer Jo Godsmark and VP for European operations John Mills will tackle the coast-to-coast ride along the Way of the Roses cycle route.

The team will start in Morecambe, Lancashire on Friday 24th and pass through four counties, and climb over 2500m of hills, to finish the second day’s cycle in Bridlington, Yorkshire.

Our racers are putting rubber to the road in support of Transaid, a long-term charity partner of BigChange that works to improve road safety and access to health through transport solutions in developing nations.

You can help the team reach their £3,000 donation goal here

Jo Godsmark and Transaid trustees outside the Jayne Gray Assembly Hall, location of the HGV driver training simulator in Lusaka, Zambia

Most recently, BigChange worked with Transaid to provide a HGV driver training simulator for the Industrial Training Centre in Lusaka, Zambia. The money raised from our brilliant cyclists will go towards further initiatives that revolutionise sustainable and safe transport across the world..

During the two-day event, the BigChange team will pass through the historic towns of Settle and Harrogate along with stretches of the Yorkshire Dales and the Forest of Bowland. You can stay up to date with the team on the BigChange socials, as they share photos and progress.

We wish the team the best of luck and hope to see your support as they gear up for this fantastic challenge.

BigChange appoints first Chief Customer Officer to deliver world-class user experiences globally

Posted on 15 September 2021 by Martin Port

BigChange, the revolutionary mobile workforce management platform, today announced that it has appointed Ian Burgess as its first Chief Customer Officer.

Ian has 20 years of experience in customer facing roles, including operations management, within global technology companies. He joins BigChange from technology service provider Lumen, where he was responsible for service management, delivery and customer experience.

This new role was created to enhance how customers experience BigChange as it expands in the UK and internationally. Ian will work closely with BigChange’s sales, customer support and operational teams to support customers with their adoption and use of BigChange’s field-service management platform, and further improve its world-class customer service rating.

Ian Burgess comments:

“BigChange has an outstanding reputation for customer service, which is a direct result of a strong customer first ethos. As we grow around the world, my mission will be to ensure we continue to do the very best job in enabling customers to get the most from their BigChange platform and making it integral to their operations and growth strategies.”

Richard Warley, BigChange CEO, comments:

“Ian has vast customer success experience and is an expert in enhancing how businesses use and get best value from their technology. By creating this new role and appointing Ian to it, we will ensure that our customers stay at the very centre of our thinking and gain the greatest benefit from their adoption of BigChange.”

BigChange has hired more than 50 new employees and made several senior-level appointments to support its expansion since securing a £75 million investment from private equity firm Great Hill Partners in February 2021. Recruits include Richard Warley (Chief Executive Officer), Claudia Munn (Chief Financial Officer) and Nick Gregory (Chief Marketing Officer).

The American dream

Posted on 15 September 2021 by Martin Port

In 1986, I went to New York to work for a German bread bakery business. I was just 24. I fell in love with the Big Apple, with America, and loved helping to build Schripps from the ground up.

In the first year, I doubled the sales of the business. The following year, I worked for Fritz Pretzel, which had a pretzel store on 42nd Street in the Port Authority bus terminal. In 1989, I came back to the UK and set up a bakery business called Kroustie and had my first taste of entrepreneurial success.

I may have built a career in the bakery sector but, even as a twenty-something, I loved technology. I always dreamed I would go back to America, and build a technology business in the greatest, most competitive market in the world.

Well, here I am – I’m not going to tell you how many decades later – and I’m on the precipice of making that dream come true. I’m writing this from New York City, a place I used to call home. I’m here as a man on a mission. I’m meeting the business owners and forward-thinking managers who use BigChange – or would like to in the future.

Speaking to customers has always been – and will always be – the best part of my job, as founder of this company. I love hearing about their challenges and figuring out ways to help them. Nothing beats the look on someone’s face when you tell them you can save them time, money and frustration.

I know that we have created an exceptional platform in the UK and I want to make sure that our American customers feel the same way too, so it’s really important to me that I make each conversation count. We’re halfway there already, winning business here without even having a proper office or dedicated sales team. I’m also meeting potential partners who are keen to become BigChange resellers. This is a powerful way to grow in a new market, and it’s exciting to hear these people’s passion for our technology.

Later this week, I will fly to Boston to meet our investment partner, Great Hill. The pandemic has meant that, even though we did the deal six months ago, and were talking long before that, we have never actually met on US soil. Imagine that? Finally, we are going to sit down together, shake hands, and speak without the need for technology to bridge the gap. I’m also meeting Mike Profit, who joined our board as non-exec in June. He’s gained so much experience over the past 25 years, working with a staggering number of US technology blue chips and fast-growth start-ups. I have been looking forward to meeting him in person for the past three months, and finally we can really shoot the breeze, to borrow an American phrase.

It’s taken a lot of hard work from many different people to get me out here. It took three months to get the visa, and I would like to thank the Department for International Trade for all their help.

I hope that our US offering will formally launch in January 2022. I feel like a start-up founder again, creating this new business within BigChange. I can’t wait to see how big we could be here, and to begin spending more time here as we cement our position as a leader in our industry. I wish that my 24-year-old self could see me now.