Posted on: 21st September 2022
Member Spotlight on Gavin Kennedy of Webwood Ltd
(Gavin Kennedy on the right)
IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH MEMBER ...
Gavin Kennedy of Webwood Ltd
When you were a child, what did you aspire to be?
In fairness, I had no idea; I just had a knack for people skills.
What are your memories of school?
I was the guy that got on with everyone. I was friends with everyone and well known in the community at a young age by parents and kids alike.
What motivated you to learn your trade?
For my entire working life I've been a sponge for knowledge and a little OCD about whatever task I take on; something that still sits with me today. I learnt very quickly that to turn the task at hand more efficiently, the best way was to ask questions and research everything.
What motivated you to start your own business?
To be honest it was a friend that came to me and wanted to do something together, we had spoken about it for years and didn’t do anything about it. My friend Matt approached me again and the timing felt right. The pandemic made me realise the joy I get from helping and working closely with people. I was fortunate at the time to be taking a bit of a break due to some success in other ventures so I had time to set up things how I wanted, so Matt and I went for it.
After years of setting up, running, or refining businesses for other people I decided if I’m going to take the leap now is the time! I think the want to do it has always been there. A job to me involves something my dad instilled in me when I was growing up, he worked hard and committed everything to his employment, he had old fashioned “handshake” values so for me it was the same.
If I took on a job for anyone, I had to give it 110% and nothing less. I like to think I’ve been extremely committed to my past employers, but the risk was too much of a factor growing up with my background. It was never something that I felt I could take due to financial, personal or professional commitments.
But to be honest, I have always been doing something on top of my other employment before I became self-employed. I have a tendancy not to be able to say 'no' when asked to help.
Do you wish you had started your business earlier?
I’m not sure, the journey of my working life has led me to this point so I feel I've learnt what I needed in order to deliver a package and build a brand, not just a job.
How did you support yourself financially to start your own business?
I have been very lucky over the last few years with other commitments, so financially I’m in a place where I’m comfortable enough to invest in doing my own.
What are the rewards of being your ‘own Boss’?
I would say the freedom but the OCD I tend to have means I don’t get much of that! Running your own business has many challenges and requires pretty much 24/7 commitment. I made a pact to set the bar high in everything we do for people and that is how we do everything, from the first contact to signing over the completed job. There’s a lot of background work going on all the time when you have your own business, in order to keep the customer focus, you have to remain top of your game. Without customers we do not exist, so they are the lifeline of our business - a great review gives me and the lads a sense of achievement no matter the size of the job.
What made you decide to join Safe Local Trades?
The company ethos and commitment, they're not here to totally generate sales; they exist to keep customer values and trust in the trade, something that our company also considers to be one of the highest factors from the beginning of our journey.
How has Safe Local Trades worked for your Business?
Not bad so far! We’ve just started year two of our business and I think review wise we're doing ok. It takes time to build up reviews, not everyone wants to do them. We're extremely pleased with the feedback so far and, as we grow, I’m sure our customer base and reviews will also grow!
Safe Local Trades affiliation is something I enjoy promoting, not just for our business but for the other members also. We often get asked “do we know someone that does?” and my first comment is “have you heard of Safe Local Trades?”
I promote it on nearly every customer meeting if the conversation points to me assisting the group of the company ethos.
Webwood will be a member of Safe Local Trades as long as they will have us - customer confidence will always be the pinnacle of our business.
To read Gavin's profile and reviews on Safe Local Trades, click here
Read other member spotlights by selecting 'View all Member Spotlights' found above the top picture on this page.
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