25 August 2017

Have you ever read a book that was so impactful, you knew your life would never be quite the same again?

Well, that’s exactly what happened to me earlier this year.

My time with my current employer was coming to an end and I was telling myself that this was my opportunity to do something I had only dreamt of until now - start my own business. Only problem was, I had never run a business and I wasn’t entirely sure what it would look like.

Then, one night, having not a read a book for nearly 5 years (since my little boy Ruairi was born) I picked up a copy of 'Entrepreneur Revolution' by Daniel Priestley. I actually started reading it around midnight (couldn’t sleep) and Wow! The first 22 pages literally gave me goosebumps as I had a powerful Eureka moment.

I was so excited I woke my wife to tell her that I knew exactly what my new business was going to look like and stand for. She said she was very happy for me. Or words to that effect!

The Entrepreneur Revolution

The reason for my excitement was that those first 22 pages described so brilliantly exactly what I could see unfolding before my eyes in the world of Building Maintenance. And more importantly - why.

Basically, we are in the middle of what Daniel calls an 'Entrepreneur Revolution'. He describes how we are moving out of the Industrial Revolution because technology has made it possible for any small business to find a global market, build a brand, innovate and to be open for business 24/7.

Technology has allowed small businesses and individuals to take on larger organizations in every market. The rise of the 'Gig Economy', for example, has seen companies like Uber, Deliveroo, Upwork and other freelance communities challenge the traditional business models and the way business is done.

And I see this trend coming to the buildings maintenance industry.

Things are changing

Many traditional companies are still operating in the way they have for the past 40 years. But things are different. The industry is changing. And quickly.

Engineers are smart. They see the shortage of highly-skilled labour and how those at the top of their game are in demand. They know their value and they want the flexibility and prestige that comes with sub-contracting and working for themselves.

And that’s where my Eureka moment comes in.

I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to build a platform for these highly-skilled engineers to showcase their talents and be seen as the specialists and experts they are, at the same time addressing the lack of new talent coming through in the industry, by mentoring and training the engineers of the future.

And that’s what I did.

My company has used our own bespoke technology to develop the platform that allows these specialists to serve the Buildings Maintenance industry direct. And the benefits for all involved are HUGE.

Why?

Because this new, innovative way of working, that we are pioneering, is all about collaboration - something we call Co-Sourcing, instead of outsourcing.

Interested to find out more? You can wait until my next blog or you can contact me for more information at paul.blackford@coSourced.co.uk