Banker-turned-plumber William Davies set up Aspect Maintenance in 2004, aiming to provide reliable property maintenance services. The company’s turnover has doubled every year since launch and is now £4.4 million.
Banker-turned-plumber William Davies set up Aspect Maintenance in 2004, aiming to provide reliable property maintenance services. The company’s turnover has doubled every year since launch and is now £4.4 million.
Why did you leave banking?
I was working mainly in mergers and acquisitions, advising private equity houses on their purchases. After five years I wanted to build a business rather than just helping people expand theirs.
How did it all start?
A friend of mine had a maintenance company that was not getting cash through the door. We decided there was a large market for good-quality maintenance services and launched Aspect together.
Did you fund the business yourself?
We bought a company that was going into liquidation for £10,000, which gave us certain bits and pieces of equipment. A business like this doesn’t require significant capital expenditure: you get a van and put someone in it.
Do you charge more than others?
No, we haven’t said: ‘We offer a better service so that means you pay more.’ We have raised our service level so that we can win business from others more quickly, which is what’s driven our growth. We’ve also increased efficiency by investing in IT.
What’s the next move?
Over the coming year we’re rolling out the model we’ve established in London to other areas. It’ll be a real challenge as I sometimes find it difficult to let go of responsibility, and when we cover a broader area I’m going to have to.
