Bee Services Director, Bill Johal
Bee Services has come a long way since it was established in 1984. As we celebrate 40 years helping clients excel through our facilities management solutions, it seems an apt time to reflect on our journey.
In a challenging commercial world, it feels quite an achievement to be marking our 40th anniversary. When we bought Epping-based Bee Services in 2006, the business bore little resemblance to the one you see today. With a £500,000 turnover, the company was a modest size but needed a new vision to help fulfil its potential.
Employing around 40 people, the business served clients in its local Hertfordshire area and offered a very limited range of cleaning services. We saw the opportunity to be more ambitious and develop more comprehensive facilities management solutions.
Scale up
The first step was to win business from bigger clients and extend our reach across London and the South East. We went about that by raising the bar for customer service, spending time to get to know people, build strong relationships and tailor our services around meeting their needs. In time we became a trusted partner for blue chip clients such as Hard Rock Café and Port of Tilbury who were not only drawn to our exceptional standards but the care we take to address their pain points.
Before long Bee Services was starting to secure a much larger market share across a range of sectors, be it industrial, offices, education, restaurants and entertainment. We were also serving a greater geographical area and punching above our weight in the contracts we were able to win.
However, the secret of our success is not just attracting major clients but our ability to retain them. That is the key challenge for companies in our industry. In a market where there is so much focus on reducing costs, Bee Services has demonstrated true value. We are not the cheapest commercial cleaning company, but we exceed expectations, can be relied on to maintain the highest standards and continue responding to changing customer needs.
We have continued building on our range of facilities management services and become a partner of choice for customers who want a trusted partner that can meet all their requirements.
There have of course been challenges along the way. When Covid lock down was imposed 90% of our business was suspended within a week/ Unlike many of our competitors, we did not hold clients to their contractual obligations but allowed them to scale down the service they received and slowly build it back up again as restrictions were relaxed. We worked in partnership for mutual benefit and those relationships have stood the test of time.
I am fortunate to work with an incredible team, from cleaners to administrators, who are all committed to delivering the very best for our customers. That approach has seen Bee Services grow to more than ten times the size it was when we took it over with a £5m-plus turnover and
more than 300 staff. We are as eager as ever to win new work and help more clients benefit from first-class facilities management.
New chapter
Over the last few months Bee Services has entered a new era with a move into new offices, launch of a new website and the appointment of my daughter Raenuka as Key Account Manager. We are a family business and Raenuka’s arrival marks the start of the next stage of our journey as we build on our success by driving continuous improvement.
The new management structure boosts our capabilities and helps future proof Bee Services as we prepare to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. Our priority is to continue building long term client relationships by helping them respond to an increasingly competitive commercial landscape. Since taking on the role, Raenuka has been busy meeting clients, liaise with facilities management teams and carry out audits to ensure we are delivering the very best service.
I am proud of our longevity and at the same time excited about what the future has in store. Priorities include building on our service offer, expanding on our client base and developing a robust sustainability strategy to help clients meet their ESG goals. Why not join us on our journey? Get in touch with our team today to learn about how we can help your business. Call 0203 011 4670 or email [email protected].