A building trade enthusiast’s experience shows how success in one sector can create opportunities in other fields for people who are prepared to try to take advantage of them.

Name:

Colin Chambers.

Age:

46.

What is your business called?

Platinum Facilities Maintenance.

Where is it based?

Hamilton.

What services does it offer?

We deal with all building compliance issues from ventilation cleans, kitchen canopy and extract cleans, water hygiene and Legionella testing, plant room maintenance, Air Handling Unit works, for all types of buildings, notably hotels, restaurants, schools, leisure centres, nursing homes, golf clubs, housing associations and shopping centres. Our speciality lies in water, heating and ventilating systems.

To whom does it sell?

Local authorities, housing associations, hotel managers, estate managers, facility managers, business owners and landlords.

What is its turnover?

£750,000.

How many employees?

Eight.

When was it formed?

2012.

Why did you take the plunge?

As well as Platinum FM, I own a building company, MacDonald Builders. It trades separately from Platinum FM. Some years ago we completed a house build for a client who then asked us to undertake the ongoing maintenance of their 220 properties. Through word of mouth we started winning further contracts from various businesses carrying out their maintenance needs. This started to grow into a real business and that’s when I formed Platinum Facilities.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I served an apprenticeship as a car mechanic working for Ford and then opened my own garage covering repairs and MOTs etc. I can’t say I ever loved it.

As a small boy I was very close to my grandfather, Colin MacDonald, who, just like my dad, Tom, was a carpenter to trade. Colin was a fantastic carpenter and a well-respected building inspector and from a young age I would be out on building sites with him and my dad – the rules on health and safety weren’t quite as stringent in those days – that’s where I picked up the bug for the building trade.

Many years later I carried out the refurbishment of my own properties and was asked afterwards to renovate a house for a friend. Applying my knowledge from my grandfather and everything else I had picked up over the years I completed the build then formed MacDonald Builders in memory of him.

We undertake five to six large renovations a year and won a national award recently.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

Platinum FM has been entirely self-funded.

What was your biggest break?

We were doing fine providing facilities maintenance to various businesses but our big break came through a customer enquiry regarding a Fire Damper which led us to meeting one of our, now, largest clients. Since then we’ve taken all of their facilities maintenance tasks on board. They were contracted to a large national FM provider.

What was your worst moment?

Two years ago, we lost a key member of our team, my father-in-law, Nelson Porteous. He died aged 65 from complications arising from asbestosis. Nelson was a fantastic tradesman, although a plasterer to trade his knowledge was second to none on every trade. He was something of a mentor to all of us; his vast skill and attention to detail was irreplaceable and his ability to tackle any job made him a role model to all of us in the business. Sadly, missed by us all.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

I’m a huge attention to detail kind of guy and I thrive on daily challenges: getting a job started then getting it done. My friends call me an idea machine because I like to spend time thinking how to do things better and more efficiently.

I’m quite happy to work on the tools when needed but I’m conscious that my real job is to run the business now. I love the sales process: bringing in new customers then keeping them happy gives me a lot of enjoyment.

What are your ambitions for the business?

To have it grow, standing on enough toes to make an impact with the big boys. I have a five-seven year exit plan which involves growing the business by undertaking profitable work, selling it on, then going back to my full-time love, MacDonald Builders. That’s where it all started.

What are your top priorities?

Customer retention, staff retention, profitability, which are inter-related. Everyone works hard to win new customers and lack of attention to detail can easily lead to losing them. Valued team members need to be told regularly that they are important to the business and, as long as they are performing, that they are doing a great job, not only told the bad stuff when something’s gone wrong.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

Almost any mistake, within reason, can be rectified. Identify it, admit it and learn from it and train your staff so not to have the issue again. Don’t hide from a problem – you will only make it worse.

How do you relax?

I spend time with my eight-year-old daughter, Eve – we like our holidays and also spend a lot of time on Loch Lomond,

I play golf and like a pint with my mates when we get a chance where we discuss how were all falling to bits.