Category

Company Blog

BAFE Accreditation

BAFE Accreditation Awarded

By | Company Blog, Fire Industry News | No Comments

Fire Safety Managers gains an Accreditation Hat Trick with the BAFE Accreditation awarded!

Fire Safety Managers has completed its 2019 plans to gain various accreditations by being awarded the BAFE Accreditation for approved Fire Extinguisher Service Providers.  This is the final accreditation for 2019 with more being planned for next year.

This BAFE accreditation is the first of many planned from the BAFE Schemes with many other industry accreditations planned for the future.

CEO Paul Hughes said, “It is extremely important for the team at Fire Safety Managers to ensure we are keeping up with the regulations and industry requirements to enable us to give our clients the full experience of dealing with our company.”

Safecontractor Logoiso9001 accreditation

“The operations team have worked hard over the last 6 months ensuring we meet our BAFE, ISO9001 and SafeContractor requirements and it is extremely satisfying to know we have now gained our BAFE accreditation.”

 

“When I set Fire Safety Managers up 5 years ago it was always with the intention of providing businesses with a first class quality service.  As we operate an average of 98% retention rate every month when our clients only sign up for a 12 month rolling service agreement and we have received 100% positive feedback from them I believe we are achieving these high standards.  I am proud that our accreditations emphasise and confirm this.” Paul continued.

The BAFE accreditation is a rigourous programme with continual audits and reviews and ensures Fire Extinguisher Service Companies are meeting their commitment to provide its clients a first class service on their annual Fire Extinguisher Service in line with the BAFE requirements and BS5306-3&8 recommendations.

“We look forward to continuing our commitment to the Quality Service we provide all of our clients whether it be for Fire Extinguishers or Fire Alarms or for a large contract or small client.  We give the same level of quality service to every single client no matter their contract size.” Operations Manager John McCann said.

Reliable Service Contracts (Every 12 Months)

Our engineers arrive on site at the time and day previously arranged with you.  We do not send them and expect you to give them access without pre-arranging this with you a week or so beforehand.  If they are going to be late they will call or email you to let you know.

If you have more than 20 fire extinguishers we will provide you with an Asset List in Excel, free of charge, and this is updated after each visit.  This ensures we are transparent and you are aware of the work required ahead of time enabling you to budget accordingly.  There are NEVER HIDDEN Charges or Surprises at the invoice stage.

You can find out more about the scheme by clicking here

Find out what Fire Safety Services we can provide you by clicking here

Safecontractor Logo

SafeContractor Accredited

By | Company Blog | No Comments

Fire Safety Managers gains SafeContractor Accreditation

Fire Safety Managers has begun its journey of gaining various industry accreditations by becoming SafeContractor Approved.

This Health & Safety accreditation is the first of many planned for this year along with the ISO9001:2015 and BAFE accreditations planned for April 2019.

CEO Paul Hughes said, “It is extremely important for the team at Fire Safety Managers to ensure we are keeping up with the regulations and industry requirements to enable us to give our clients the full experience of dealing with our company.  The operations team has worked hard in ensuring we meet our Health & Safety requirements and it is extremely satisfying to know we have now gained the SafeContractor accreditation.”

“We look forward to continuing our commitment to the health & safety of all our clients, staff and contractors by improving our methods and implementing new ones,” the Operations Manager John McCann said.

The SafeContractor accreditation is a rigourous programme with continual audits and reviews and ensures businesses are meeting their H & S requirements in order to gain recognition and approval from their scheme.   You can find out more by clicking here

Find out what Fire Safety Services we can provide you by clicking here

fire safety managers

Business Funding Received for Expansion Plans

By | Company Blog | No Comments

Business funding received for expansion plans

 

A Chester based fire safety team is celebrating after it was granted significant business funding to enable the company to grow and deliver lifesaving fire safety solutions and fire training to businesses and education providers across the country.

Fire Safety Managers, who’s head office is in Birmingham, approached DropJaw Ventures earlier in the year to seek for some guidance and advice in terms of growing the business and the funding means in which to do so. The company specialise in installing fire alarms, fire extinguishers and emergency lighting alongside conducting risk assessments and fire safety training.

Paul Hughes, Fire Safety Managers CEO said: I started Fire Safety Managers in 2015 after working in the fire industry for 15 years realizing that companies were paying a fortune for a low-quality service. However, my passion to educate and promote fire safety all stemmed from a very scary experience aged just five, when I was trapped in a fire.

“We have a vision to be the UK’s trusted provider of high-quality fire safety at an affordable price ensuring customers receive value for money while meeting their fire safety objectives. We required the business knowledge and support of Roy Shelton and the team at DropJaw to help us move forward.”

The DropJaw team instantly wanted to support the company and identified several funding streams for Fire Safety Managers to apply for.

business fundingSignificant funding has been allocated and will now be used towards employing new team members, gaining additional industry accreditations and developing the fire training – all alongside the continued delivery of fire safety solutions and education across the country.

Paul continues: “Our vision is that fire safety is taught to all children globally by creating unique, interactive and enjoyable workshops. Making such sessions an integral part of a child’s education and then extending that out to our clients and partners throughout the UK.

“With new and significant funding now secured we can take a massive step forward with this vision. We are very excited about the future.”

Roy Shelton, Managing Partner of DropJaw Ventures adds: “We are delighted to support Paul and the Fire Safety Team. Our ability to be able to provide access to capital, deploying our own funds alongside the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and then providing ongoing advisory services to help fuel business growth and develop the team is very exciting and leveraging the core of our capabilities.

“Our focus on the SME community allowing us to provide our portfolio of investments and clients with a market place to collaborate and share best practices with each other accelerates their growth and improves the chances of greater success”

Mark Gibbons of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund concludes:We have been pleased to support Fire Safety Managers Ltd with Northern Powerhouse Investment Funds of £35,000 towards their funding round. I was impressed by the growth that the business has achieved in a short space of time as well as the management team Paul has in place, we are confident the business will continue on its growth journey. Paul is very passionate about Fire Safety and this is reflected in the high service levels provided and 92% customer retention.”

For more information about Fire Safety Managers visit the website: https://www.firesafetymanagers.co.uk or call 0121 439 1220  Find our Services by clicking here

For more information about award winning DropJaw Ventures and the business consultancy services it offers across the UK and internationally visit the website: https://www.dropjawventures.co.uk/ or call 01244 906220.

Fire Safety Managers expands into Chester

By | Company Blog | No Comments

Fire Safety Managers expands into Chester

We are extremely delighted to announce the opening of our first satellite office as Fire Safety Managers expands into Chester as our first round of expansion plans begin.

Why Chester?

Apart from Chester being a fantastic city with many new and fast-growing business within its borough.  Our Chester office is strategically placed within the North West and North Wales to service our ever-growing customers based in and around these areas.

Our founder and CEO, Paul Hughes said “We are really excited for the future of the company.  The main focus for us within the fire protection industry is to ensure our customers have full access to fire safety within their businesses at completely affordable prices without compromising on quality.  To achieve this, if we need to set up camp closer to them then that is what we will do.”

“This will also give us the opportunity to have a social impact within the area by approaching local schools and organisations giving them access to free fire safety training in line with our social mission.”

To keep contacting us an easy process, there is still only one number to call which will be directed by our team accordingly.

Our steady growth is a testament to our unwavering company values and the loyalty of our customer base.  Operating at an average of a 92% retention rate, our customers continue using us for their fire safety needs every year even though we only sign them up for a 12-month rolling contract.  We like to give them the option to continue with us rather than signing them up in long contracts.

Company Director Stephen Bennett said, “Our CEO’s commitment and hardwork to build the company into a great brand over the last 3 years has been phenomenal and I am really excited for the next 3 years of our growth strategy.  With the continuing advice and guidance over the last 10 months from Roy Shelton and the team at DropJaw Ventures, our company’s expansion plans are coming to fruition faster than planned through everyone’s hard work and commitment.”

“We cannot thank our loyal customer base enough for continuing to have faith in Paul and our Company.  Our fantastic partners who have helped us grow by giving us access to their time and resources and our many supporters who really want us to do well, you have all, past and present been part of our journey and helped us grow in one way or another!”

We have some more exciting news coming up so watch this space in the coming weeks!

Click here to see what Fire Safety Managers Ltd can provide for your business or you can reach us on 0121 439 1220

ruthless in business

Ruthless in business, is this how we should we be??

By | Company Blog | No Comments

Do we need to be ruthless in business?  What does the word ruthless even mean?

Ruthless in the dictionary gives the term… without pity or compassion, cruel, merciless.  Some people say that for the leader to drive the vision forward and weather the storm they need to be ruthless in business and to a certain extent I can be too, but with myself and not with other people.  Even if I only had 3 hours sleep and want to go back to bed I will still be at the office all day.  Or if I am on a health kick and craving sugar I will be ruthless and deprive myself.  But nowhere on my entrepreneurial journey have I personally felt the need to be ruthless with anyone else, even if I am firing someone.

But should we be?  Many big businessmen have been to get where they are today from Donald Trump to Richard Branson.  Do we just pick our battles?

Starting a new business can be a tough slog.  Lonely days and nights, little support, long hours and debt piling up.  All entrepreneurs go through it unless they have a money tree in their garden and can start with a big team and access to many resources.

For most of us it is a long, hard slog with little reward in the beginning.  But “Eagles Fly Alone and Ducks Paddle in Flocks”

Going forward a few years when you have a great supportive network, strong team and a customer base generating a profit the reward can be something as simple as working your own hours and pride in what you have achieved so far! However, the bigger your company gets the bigger the responsibility from keeping the lights on to keeping your staff in work.

Whether at the start of your entreprenuerial journey or midway through do we really have to be ruthless to be successful?

Ruthless behaviour in business is when companies take advantage of their loyal customers or someone else’s caring efforts to build and grow their brand.  Many large companies operate ruthlessly from writing strict terms in the very small print to charging extortionate fees for a service their customers have no choice in paying due to their strict terms.

Others use their network when they need something and then avoid them when the favour needs to be returned.

No matter what industry or part of the world you are in ruthless behaviour occurs in many forms, shapes and sizes.

Forget earning the trust of your client base or from your employees by treating them well, showing commitment and offering support.  Many executives just take what they can from them and give nothing back, not even a birthday card.

Yet these companies seem to be growing fast, creating a profitable bottom line and ever increasing customer base.  Even within our own network you can see the ruthless businesses doing well yet the quieter ones that spend more time with their customers and developing partnerships are always chasing their next client.

So you can forgive new companies for adopting this approach when they see the larger successful companies achieving their goals within a short time frame.

But then look at it from another angle.  Only recently, a large well known company who was famous for its executive’s ruthlessness has seen its downfall in a massive fashion.  Being ruthless won them many new contracts, acquisitions and big numbers but this only kept them going for 20 years.  Now many people are without work and small businesses without being paid for their hard work.  Who or what was to blame?  I am sure there are many differing views there.

Ultimately many entrepreneurs start their businesses with all good intentions from wanting to make an impact within their area of expertise, or bring something new to the market or simply to give themselves a lifestyle making their own rules and income.  All are extremely inspiring reasons to begin a business, however how many of them continue being the same person they started out to be and how many are ruthless in business.

My philosophy in business is “To grow you have to continually step out of your comfort zone and keep swinging until you hit a home run.”  It may take a little longer but I can hold my head high in the knowledge I dont step on people to get where I am today and I dont allow others to step on me either and there is nothing ruthless about that.    

 

social enterprise

What is a Social Enterprise

By | Company Blog | No Comments

What is a Social Enterprise? Surprisingly not many people know….

Who else is doing it? The Big Issue, the Eden Project and Jamie Oliver’s restaurant fifteen are some of the most popular examples of social enterprises.

A social enterprise’s sole purpose is its social mission – attempting to increase the good it does for society and balance against its financial goals. Being a social enterprise is about adopting a set of operational principles such as; generating the majority of their income through trade and then reinvesting the majority of their profit into their social aims and having a clear social and/ or environmental mission (set out in their governing documents).

According to 2012 data from the BIS Survey of Small Business UK, there are approximately 70,000 social enterprises in the UK, employing 723,000 people and contributing £18.5 billion to the UK economy.

That is an outstanding achievement for Social Entrepreneurs that put the community before profit!!

Summary of a Social Enterprise
  • Social enterprises share the same values
  • They have a clear social and/or environmental mission (set out in their governing documents)
  • They can be a range of legal structures including CIC (community interest company) LTD (private limited with written Articles of the intended social mission) Charities, CLG and more
  • Making its money from selling goods and services
  • Reinvest the majority of their profits into furthering their social mission and making a big difference in the community
  • Covering its own costs in the long-term (though like any business, it may need help to get started)

Using Social Enterprises in your supply chain can make a massive difference to your organisation in a number of ways –

  1. Your staff will appreciate and be proud of the good you are doing and increase their productivity.
  2. You will increase your company’s own Corporate Social Responsibility as profits from your transaction goes for the benefit of the community.
  3. Increase your company’s Social Impact at no extra cost to you.
  4. Your own customers may favour your company over competitors

Statistics show that 88% of customers will use a company that has a social impact in the community than one that does not. Questions on a company’s social impact is always on tender documents and is usually part of its weighting.

A look at our Social Enterprise………..

Fire Safety Managers Ltd – is the only fire safety company in the UK that operates as a Social Enterprise putting others safety before profits….

Fire Safety Managers is a social enterprise that focuses on reinvesting up to half of its profits into fire prevention to help save lives.

By delivering free fire safety workshops

> To teach children within their classrooms fire safety techniques by our unique methods. A survey of 200 parents was conducted within the West Midlands and 99.7% said they want their children to be taught fire safety whilst at school.

New Fire Safety Projects are continuously being considered and the viable ones being actioned. If you want to put forward some ideas then let us know by emailing us below.

“Prevention is always better than cure, which is why we work tirelessly everyday to bring awareness to the importance of fire safety in our homes reaching them on the streets, via Social Media and by teaching their children” –CEO”

Our operations are the same as any other fire company, with qualified engineers and NEBOSH qualified Risk Assessors, it’s just our focus is on ensuring communities benefit from our company’s existence!

Unfortunately the Government continues to cut the budgets of our emergency services, including the fire service, which means and rightly so emergencies will take precedence over community work.

The staff at Fire Safety Managers are keen to ensure that people, especially children do not suffer because of it by increasing awareness of the importance of fire safety in our homes at the same time teaching children fire safety techniques to keep them safe.

We can only achieve this with the support of our customers and loyal supporters, whom we are so grateful for.
We cannot implement our projects without the hard work and dedication of our fire safety team, who we are thankful for.

Contact Us