After qualifying as an electrician in 2011, and being made redundant 10 days later, I had already seen enough to convince me that ‘my’ customers deserved more. It was clear to me that anyone with a modicum of intelligence could get qualified, but only a genuine appreciation of other people and a strong work ethic could make you stand out from the crowd. That’s why, when I set up my business (just a week and a half after my apprenticeship finished), the focus was all about being different. More than that, I wanted to create a business built entirely upon good practice and reputation.So I set about doing all the things that most other electricians wouldn’t do: • Entering and winning awards for electrical design• Networking with other small businesses• Getting on social media (including LinkedIn)• Self-development for my staff and me• Writing a regular blog to share relevant, useful information• Sponsoring a Superleague netball team (Herts Mavericks) • Being featured across a whole range of trade publications• Supporting local charities• I even invented the Duoxim Arbor: an innovative tool to make all tradespeople’s live easier!Like all great inventions, The Duoxim Arbor was born out of a problem I needed to solve. It is the cleanest, fastest and simplest way of enlarging existing holes for fitting things like downlights in ceilings. I continue to invest time in my own team of electricians as they go out each day to represent my vision of how an electrical contractor should serve its customers. This includes several very experienced guys who have been doing the job longer than me and simply enjoy working in an environment where things are done right. I also regularly take on any apprentice who has the same work ethic and attitude that I saw in myself back in 2010.