Onyapreneur Matt Nash launched his specialist natural-stone cleaning business from the back of an old ute five years ago. With a focus on keeping his customers happy, Matt has grown his business to include seven employees and five cars.
What inspired you to start Prestige Surfaces Australia?
I came from a family who operated successful service based businesses and from a young age that is all I that knew. I was introduced to this niche market through my Dad and realised that the industry lacked genuine quality service, so naturally, my inner entrepreneur was itching to give it a crack. One thing led to another and I am now the director of a young, successful and growing company that I am really proud of.
How does Prestige Surfaces Australia differ to other business that clean, seal and protect stone?
It all comes down to “service” at the end of the day, plus complete commitment and dedication from our entire team. We heavily rely on repeat business, so customer retention is very important. It is about answering your phone at 10.00 at night to re-schedule a job that was booked in for the following day, it is about quickly and efficiently dealing with problems and issues should they arise, it is about good communication and promptness in all aspects of the business from invoicing to quoting. I like to think of it as if we are playing at an AFL level within the services industry.
Did you face any challenges when launching Prestige Surfaces Australia?
Absolutely, the biggest challenge in the early days was that I had no idea how to run a business. It is not an easy thing to do, especially when the education system teaches and encourages you to become an employee. Finding a good bookkeeper was the turning point for my business, someone who connects with you on both a personal and business level was so important.
You’ve worked for some pretty impressive high profile clients – any particular highlights?
Working on television programs such as The Block, Renovation Rumble, Best Gardens Australia and The Home Team always gives me a bit of a buzz, getting to hang out with all of the contestants and crew in a unique environment with cameras everywhere and organised chaos is always plenty of fun for me. Other than that, I get to meet a lot of successful entrepreneurs, and it is always great to chat with them about business.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a new business?
Perseverance ultimately is the key, as Steve Jobs put it; the only difference between unsuccessful people and successful people is perseverance. Be prepared to fail multiple times before you find your success, learn from your failures and don’t make the same mistakes twice, stick at things even when times are tough and you feel like you are not getting anywhere, hire experts to fill the gaps in your ability, hire a good bookkeeper, talk to other successful people and…JUST DO IT!
Visit prestigesurfaces.com.au for more information.