Dunedin business owner says dyslexia an advantage
Dunedin business owner David Begg hasn’t let dyslexia hold him back from growing two successful cleaning companies. In fact, he says it’s been an advantage. Begg’s exterior cleaning company Pure […]
Dunedin business owner David Begg hasn’t let dyslexia hold him back from growing two successful cleaning companies. In fact, he says it’s been an advantage.
Begg’s exterior cleaning company Pure Services recently merged with the Car Cleaning Company and are transitioning into a new national brand.
With 55 staff across four offices in Auckland, Hamilton, Dunedin and Central Otago, Begg plans to open another office in Christchurch within the next six months and he’s not stopping there. His sights are set on achieving national coverage and pursuing larger national contracts within the next two years.
Begg says there’s a stigma in New Zealand around dyslexia, but anyone who understands it sees it as an advantage.
“[Dyslexia] helps me think outside the square which is great in my industry. Our innovation is a big point of difference. We’re always creating new ways of doing things, researching new methods that are more user-friendly for our staff and cost-effective for our customers.”
It’s about working to your strengths, Beggs says. “I have really good staff to fall back on. I get them to do the things I’m not good at so I can focus on my strengths. It’s pretty rare that I send an email.”
Begg recently sold his other successful cleaning franchise company, Chem-Dry Otago, which he had owned for 10 years, so that he can focus on Pure Services and offering exterior cleaning services.
Pure Services was originally founded in 2015 to complement Chem-Dry Otago’s services and provide a one-stop-shop for cleaning services in the Otago area.
Begg’s expansion of Pure Services into other regions was driven by the desire for a new challenge. “I’d built up Pure Services in Dunedin and I thought I’m only 37, what’s next? Dunedin is a really good town but it’s a small market. Auckland is a bigger market, a bigger challenge, and allows us to expand further.”
Building a business is challenging, it’s not for everybody, Begg says. On top of hard work and determination, Begg offers the following advice for anyone thinking of starting or looking to grow their own business:
- Set an end target or a goal to work towards.
The first step for business owners who want to start or grow a business should be to set an end target or an end goal that they want to achieve. For Begg, the end target is to own his own farm that is entirely managed and operated without him.
“Keeping the bigger picture in mind helps get you through the harder days. It gives you something to focus on and move towards.
- Surround yourself with good staff.
Begg says that having good staff has been vital to the growth of his business. “Create a team of people whose strengths or skills complement each other, and your own, so everyone gets to do the things they like doing and (are good at) to create more engagement.”
- Communicate your business goals and direction.
It’s important that everyone in the team and across each of the offices are on the same page, Begg says. That means communicating the goals and direction the business is heading in. “When the team is in the same office, a weekly toolbox meeting is great but once you expand into multiple offices in different regions then you need to put some thought and time into creating a more indepth communication strategy.”
For more information: https://pureservices.nz/