Pimlico plumbers

‘Money makes the world go round’, Liza Minnelli once sang in the musical Cabaret. It appears though, the lyric ‘late payment makes the world grind to a halt’ would be more appropriate and chime true with a lot of SMEs.

The latest Business Confidence Monitor, released this month by the bean counters at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), reveals the stark picture that late payments are on the rise.

According to the research one in five businesses flag late payment as a challenge rising to around 25 percent especially for SME firms. This is an increase on last year.

This a problem across the board for business, but of nine sectors examined by the ICAEW, six of them are seeing late payment as a growing issue. 

Pimlico Plumbers - Real Business Column

Many people are unclear as to exactly what the Government’s new greenhouse gas emission target will mean for them.

This was also true of the many commentators wheeled out to discuss whether the reduction – to virtually zero – is achievable and if such a noble gesture will make any difference at a global level.

Some talked about giving up the ability to buy seasonal produce, such as strawberries, all year round and reducing the number of flights we take abroad.

The vagueness is deliberate because if the Government is earnest in setting such a noble example to other countries, the necessary measures will touch every part of our lives – and businesses.

Pimlico Plumbers has won an Employment Tribunal, brought by former self-employed plumber Gary Smith, who believed he was entitled to holiday pay.

The tribunal, held in Croydon, concluded that this was not the case and rejected his claim. Pimlico is now considering reclaiming its tribunal costs from Mr Smith, which CEO Charlie Mullins, will donate to charity, as well as an option to sue for reputational damages.

The claim first arose eight years ago when Mr Smith sued Pimlico for employment rights, including back-dated holiday pay, despite being a self-employed plumbing contractor and signing a contract to that effect and earning more than £500,000 over three years from the company. 

Pimlico Group, the UK’s largest independent home services company, achieved revenues of almost £44 million in 2018 following a strong second half of the year, which included a record-breaking summer.

This strong financial performance has been attributed to the continued investments made by its founder and Chief Executive, Charlie Mullins, who has pledged that the company will remain 100 percent family-owned after a number of approaches from investors. 

For the first time in its 39-year history, the period June to August 2018 saw income generated exceeding £10 million, with July and August’s figures contributing to sales of £22.67million for the final six months of 2018.

It’s a sign of the times that the word ‘hustle’ has taken on a fresh and more respectable meaning when it comes to business.

In my day, the hustle was a dance popular in the discotheques (now there IS a word you don’t hear any more!) of my 1970’s youth.

Alternatively, it referred to someone with an ability to take a few quid off you in a game of pool or a geezer knocking out counterfeit videos which, when you got them home, were usually unwatchable.

However, these days many a respected business figure happily put their success down to their hustling spirit. 

Pimlico Plumbers - Business Column written by Charlie Mullins

They do say that being an entrepreneur is a young person’s game.

When I founded Pimlico Plumbers, I was I was in my 20’s, and this is a trade which often involves lots of hard graft and stamina.

It’s probably no coincidence that the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg were also in their 20’s when they founded their respective business empires.

Although this might be where any comparison with yours truly ends - as I’m more at home fixing a leaky pipe or installing a downstairs lav than getting involved in the world of tech!

Maybe it’s just the media image of entrepreneurs as young and thrusting but, it seems, the times they are a changing.

A Court of Appeal ruling could signify huge changes for businesses in the gig economy.
Garry Smith wished to reduce his working hours with Pimlico Plumbers following a heart attack but the firm refused and he claims he was dismissed.
The court of appeal has now agreed with an employment tribunal that he was entitled to basic workers’ rights despite being self-employed.

The landmark decision, which is sure to affect other sections of the gig economy such as Uber - which lost the right to designate its drivers as self-employed last year - has been welcomed by the workers' union, GMB.