How job creation is driven by business growth and investing in job retention

Colin Shute, Group CEO and Founder of SBFM, shares his thoughts on being included in the E2E Job Creation 100 list

Colin Shute, Group CEO and Founder of SBFM, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading and fastest growing soft FM service providers (SBFM)

Can you provide a brief overview of your business, its core activities, and how it was founded?

After experiencing the outdated and substandard services at a previous employer, I saw the potential for improvement and developed a range of ideas for delivering services more effectively and innovatively.

Driven by this insight, I founded SBFM in 2013 with the aim of transforming FM through exceptional service, innovation, and excellence.

We are now one of the fastest-growing and leading providers of soft facilities management services across the UK and Ireland, serving a diverse portfolio of leading brands and businesses.

How has your business successfully created and maintained jobs over the last two years?

Our approach is distinct: we deliver exceptional services through innovative technology and real talent, tailored to the unique needs of each client. 

Our client-centric approach has been instrumental in our success, enabling us to secure contracts with some of the UK’s leading brands and businesses.

With each new contract, we welcome hundreds - or sometimes thousands - of front-line colleagues to SBFM. With this, we also have a requirement to scale our head office staff and support functions to align with our expanding employee numbers.

This continuous growth not only creates numerous job opportunities, but also supports our ongoing expansion. It establishes a dynamic cycle of job creation and development, driving further growth and empowering our success.

What key strategies have been implemented in order to drive job creation?

We recognise that job creation extends beyond hiring; it involves nurturing and retaining talent. At SBFM, we are committed to talent acquisition and development through initiatives like Evolve, our dedicated colleague development and progression programme. We invest heavily in creating a supportive work environment, offering continuous training and professional development, and building a culture of growth.

Could you share some insights into the challenges faced and lessons learned during this period of creating and maintaining jobs?

SBFM has experienced remarkable growth, but this comes with its own set of challenges. While we’re proud to regularly welcome so many new colleagues, it requires increasing resources and coordination to support them and ensure staff retention.

For many businesses, the temptation might be to streamline processes and reduce the focus on quality integration and employee support as they grow. At SBFM, we choose to invest heavily in our people from the start and throughout their journey with us.

How has the spirit of entrepreneurship shaped your company’s culture and decision-making processes?

I know the business will go from strength to strength and I have left an imprint of my entrepreneurial spirit in it. Our values are my beliefs: Be a good person, play as a team, think differently, and make an impact.

Our entrepreneurial spirit is the foundation of SBFM. It’s about identifying a problem, knowing we can solve it, and turning that solution into reality. We have an annual Dragons Den Innovation competition to give everyone a platform and opportunity to be creative. This approach filters through our culture, forms part of our values and influences the decisions we make as a business.

Can you highlight any innovative approaches or initiatives that have contributed to your success with job creation?

Our innovative approaches in technology, talent development and social responsibility are key drivers of our job creation, aligned with the rapid growth we’ve experienced over the last few years.

We have dedicated teams, such as our in-house technology development team and our social impact team, which are unique in the industry. Other providers may not consider significant investment in these areas, but we do. When we identify opportunities to make an impact and disrupt the market, we act on them.

By continually pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved, we’ve seen significant expansion in our client base, which has greatly contributed to job creation.

Based on your experience, what advice would you offer to entrepreneurs aiming to provide further job opportunities?

My advice to entrepreneurs is to be bold enough to try and turn ideas into a reality.

Many ideas remain unrealised because people hesitate to act. To bring your vision to life, you need to be prepared to take risks and not let the fear of failure or uncertainty hold you back. Every successful venture starts with a leap of faith.

What does it mean to your organisation to be included in the E2E Job Creation 100 list for 2024?

It’s extremely rewarding to be recognised for the positive impact we’re making through job creation, community support, and sector growth. Being included in the E2E Job Creation 100 list again for 2024 is a brilliant achievement for SBFM. It highlights the dedication, resilience and hard work of our entire team, and affirms that our growth trajectory is strong. It also puts the spotlight on the fact that you can achieve amazing results, while doing things properly and investing in people.