Trade: Building Contractors and Joiners
Unique Selling Point: Family Builders since 1928
Typical Works Performed: All aspects of building and joinery, from new builds, to extensions, rennovations, refurbishments, conversions and any other smaller projects.
Your Name: Toby Lewis
Your Role/Position: Employee
Trading Area: Essex
Number of years Trading: 80. Founded by Alfred Barber in 1928. Now run by his grandsons Keith and Terence Lewis
Number of Employees: 6, plus subcontractors
Biggest challenge facing your company/industry: The industry is entering an interesting time and could be seriously affected by the world financial problems.
Funniest moment: A few years back one of my colleagues and I heard a girls screams coming from the house next door to the one we were working on. We went to investigate and found a rather large women stuck in an upstairs window. After locking herslf out she had climbed a ladder and managed to get her sholders through the window but her bottom had got stuck. Obviously we helped her out.
How you advertise/market the business: We have a website and have tried flyers but most of our work comes from word of mouth and existing customers.
What sets your company apart: All our work is carried out to the highest standards in a courteous and gentlemanly fashion, paying particular attention to customer satisfaction and tidiness throughout.
Anything else: Our office, workshop and yard are located right in the hub of the town centre of Colchester
]]>Trade: Building & Refurbishment
Unique Selling Point: 1) Lots of tradeswomen, 2) Businesslike (keep appointments, stick to deadlines and budgets etc) 3) We’ve won several awards
Typical works performed: Lofts, extensions, basements, kitchen and bathroom refurbs
Your Name: Kerrie Keeling
Your Role/Position: Managing Director
Trading Area: London , Brighton, Cambridge , Manchester , Bristol , Southern Spain
Number of years Trading: 5
Number of Employees: 11 (and 50 subbies)
Perks of the job: Being my own boss – making exciting decisions
Downsides of the job: Not as well paid as investment banking was!
Biggest challenge facing your company/industry: Finding enough well qualified and experienced tradeswomen to keep up with the demand from our clients
Funniest moment: Meeting Gordon Ramsay when working on one of his restaurants – and him saying he was going to use an F word about our work – luckily it was Fantastic!
Scariest moment: Meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace – at a reception for women in business.
How you advertise/market the business: Word of mouth, logos on our vans, T-shirts, banners on scaffolds etc
What sets your company apart: Our high quality of customer service and our attention to detail, on the admin and the actual trades work.
Anything else: Oh, and we’re women!
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