The S$3 million repair company founded by teen brothers | Campus to Commerce

James and Amos, co-founders of Repairs, discuss their property maintenance company, highlighting its growth from a modest start to serving over 25,000 customers in nine years. They emphasize their commitment to transparent pricing and reliable service, challenging industry stigmas. The brothers have expanded their team to 22 people and aim to quintuple their operations in five years. They credit their success to systemizing processes, which improved efficiency and customer satisfaction. Despite offers to sell, they remain dedicated, driven by customer appreciation and a passion for solving urgent problems in the residential and commercial sectors.

• Repairs is a company providing property maintenance services, including handyman, plumbing, electrical, pest control, and air conditioning services.
• In 2024, the company achieved a revenue of $1.7 million and aims to reach between $3 to $3.5 million in the current year.
• Long-term goals include expanding operations four to five times the current size and serving over 100,000 customers within five years.

"In 2024, our revenue was $1.7 million. This year, we hope to end a year between 3 to 3.5 million."

• The company has shown substantial growth and has ambitious financial goals for the future.

"So where we want to be in the next 5 years is to really grow our operations to perhaps four or five times our current size."

• The focus is on significant expansion and increasing the customer base exponentially.

• Repairs distinguishes itself from competitors by avoiding deceptive pricing strategies and upselling.
• The company values transparency, reliability, and long-term customer relationships.
• The business aims to provide consistent pricing, punctuality, and dependable service.

"There is this stigma around service providers in this space such as aircon people where they would promise you a low price. They would come in. They would then mark it up really high, upsell you a lot of things. We don't think that's the way to do business."

• Repairs seeks to counteract negative industry stereotypes by maintaining honest and straightforward business practices.

"We believe in having a business that is here for the long run. What it means is you call us, we tell you a price, we will honor that price. We'll show up on time and we'll provide you a reliable service."

• The company is committed to building trust and ensuring customer satisfaction through integrity and reliability.

• The business idea emerged from a sense of enjoyment and capability rather than detailed planning.
• The company was founded by two brothers, with the younger brother often supporting the elder's initiatives.
• Initially, the company did not generate significant profits and was in a developmental phase for several years.

"The whole idea of repetry was honestly one of the many ideas we've had and I'll be honest most of the time being the younger brother whatever he says yeah I'm like I'm I'm all on board like let's just do it."

• The inception of the company was driven by passion and a willingness to explore opportunities together.

"For many of those 9 years that we've existed, um it was not a real real business. What I mean by that is it was not a company that really made much money."

• The company faced challenges in its early years, focusing on defining its identity and mission.

• The team consists of 22 members across various departments, including operations, technical, repair, sales, and marketing.
• The workforce is diverse, comprising individuals from Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and India.

"Right now we have 22 people on the team that uh comprises of people in the operations, the technical, the repair, the sales, the marketing. We have Singaporeans, we have Malaysians, we're Filipinos, we have Bangladeshies and we have Indians."

• The company values diversity and has built a multicultural team to support its operations.

• In its formative years, the company focused on discovering its core values and service standards.
• The primary goal was to determine what constitutes the best possible service and align the company's identity with this objective.

"Then it was still sort of like the infancy stage of the company where really we didn't really know what we stood for. Uh we knew that we wanted to give the best service we could, but really what is the best service possible?"

• The company invested time in understanding and defining its unique value proposition and service quality.

• The company initially focused on defining its core values and customer value proposition before committing fully to the business.
• A strategic period of 6 to 12 months was dedicated to establishing systems and understanding business fundamentals.
• Significant growth was achieved, adding approximately 15 employees in the last 18 months.
• The company has served over 25,000 customers in 9 years, with a notable increase in the last year.

"It was only after that where we made the decision to really go all in on the business."

• The decision to fully commit to the business came after establishing a clear understanding of core values and customer service goals.

"In the last 18 months, we probably added about 15 people and we hope to continue that pace of growth."

• The company is experiencing rapid growth and aims to maintain this trajectory.

• The company experiences a high rate of returning customers, with 30-50% of daily customers being repeat clients.
• Service expansion has led to increased customer retention as customers opt for additional services.
• The business serves a mix of residential (70%) and commercial (30%) clients.

"As we added new services, more and more customers realized that because they have received a good experience from us on one service and they learned that we now offer something new, they slowly one by one come over to us for everything else as well."

• Expanding service offerings has successfully encouraged existing customers to use more services, increasing overall customer retention.

"So nowadays we have anywhere between 30 to 50% of our customers every day as returning customers and that has only been growing over the last few years."

• A significant portion of the customer base consists of repeat clients, highlighting successful customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Residential services typically involve smaller maintenance tasks, such as air conditioning servicing or light replacements.
• Commercial services are often more urgent, requiring prompt attention to prevent business disruptions.

"For the residential task, usually it's smaller stuff like servicing an air con, replacing a light or replacing say a toilet seat cover."

• Residential services focus on routine maintenance and minor repairs.

"For commercial, it's more urgent usually."

• Commercial clients require quick response times to minimize operational downtime.

• Effective communication and speed are crucial for maintaining business operations, especially in commercial settings.
• The company prides itself on quick response times and reliability, setting it apart from competitors.

"Like the communication speed so reliability uh in the sense where if something is down we drop one message and say hey this outlet uh we need help with with this and that u I think they get back to us really really quick which is like top in class."

• Fast communication and reliable service are key differentiators in the company's service offering.

• There is a call to action for young people to engage in blue-collar work and entrepreneurship.
• The future of the industry relies on the next generation stepping up to fill roles and drive innovation.

"I believe that that you know we cannot just depend on on like the existing blue collar workforce that we have right now. Uh if if the young people don't step up, then who's going to step up, right?"

• The speaker emphasizes the need for young entrepreneurs to enter the industry and contribute to its growth and sustainability.

• Young entrepreneurs often face skepticism from older generations in traditional industries due to age-related biases.
• A study by the Ministry of Manpower highlighted that the average age of blue-collar workers is 57, indicating a significant age gap with younger entrepreneurs.
• Younger individuals entering traditional fields can challenge existing stigmas and gradually change perceptions.

"When you speak about stigma 100%, especially when we were just starting out about 9 years ago, there were a lot of older people who were distrusting of us simply because we were young and in this space."

• This quote highlights the initial distrust faced by young entrepreneurs entering traditional industries, emphasizing the challenge of overcoming age-related biases.

"I'd like to think that my brother and I coming into the space with a different approach is changing that stigma and people are becoming more accepting of younger people in the blue-collar space."

• The speaker expresses optimism that their innovative approach is gradually altering perceptions and increasing acceptance of younger individuals in traditional sectors.

• The company utilizes a digital calendar management system to efficiently schedule and manage technicians' jobs.
• Automation and software integration allow for quick responses to customer inquiries, with a goal to decrease response time further.
• Transitioning from manual, paper-based systems to digital operations enhances efficiency and streamlines processes.

"This is our calendar management system. And how it works is over here you can see the names of our technicians. And then you can also see the jobs they have for the whole day."

• The quote describes the functionality of the digital calendar system, which organizes and displays technicians' schedules for improved management.

"Because of the software on our best days, we can respond in less than 5 minutes. Our long-term goal is to get this down to 2 minutes, but that's still a work in progress."

• This quote underscores the impact of digital tools on customer service efficiency, with the company aiming to further reduce response times.

• Systemization of business processes leads to significant improvements in efficiency and service delivery.
• Implementing structured training and work procedures ensures consistency and quality in service provision.
• The shift to digital processes spans from scheduling to invoicing and payments, minimizing reliance on physical paperwork.

"How we were able to make everything significantly much more efficient than it was in the past is really by systemizing as much of the business as possible."

• This quote emphasizes the role of systemization in enhancing business efficiency, highlighting the importance of structured processes.

"So in the past when we had technicians come in they didn't really have proper training. We are like okay you're on your own just make sure the customer is happy."

• The quote illustrates the previous lack of structured training, which has been addressed through systemization to ensure better service delivery.

• The company emphasizes ensuring that employees are committed to delivering the best service to customers before they begin their work.
• Implementing effective systems has allowed the company to significantly increase its monthly revenue from $50,000-$60,000 to over $200,000.

"We speak to the customers and we make sure that our guys are ready to commit to doing the best they can for our customers before they are set free to do the work."

• This quote highlights the company's focus on customer satisfaction and the importance of employee readiness in providing excellent service.

"And those systems have allowed us to go from a few years ago where we're doing $50,000 to $60,000 in revenue a month to right now over $200,000."

• The implementation of effective systems has been crucial in the company's substantial revenue growth.

• The company has received several offers, with the highest valuing the company at around $2 million, although it did not progress to a term sheet.
• The founders view the company as their "baby" and are not willing to relinquish control, believing they can achieve more independently.

"We have definitely received a number of offers. Some of them were just talking, some of them were serious."

• The company has attracted interest from potential buyers, indicating its perceived value and potential.

"The highest offer we've ever gotten was not one where we went all the way to getting a term sheet, but based on our discussions, we were looking at an evaluation around $2 million."

• Despite receiving a significant offer, the company decided not to pursue it further.

"We look at this company as our baby. We feel like we are not willing to give up any part of it because we feel like there's so much more that we are able to do by ourselves."

• The founders' emotional attachment and belief in their potential to grow the business independently drive their decision to retain ownership.

• The company operates in an industry that provides essential services, described as a "painkiller" rather than a "vitamin."
• Customer appreciation and trust are vital motivators for the founders, influencing their decision to forego further education.

"We love what we do because the industry that we're in is a painkiller, not a vitamin."

• The essential nature of the services provided underscores the company's importance to its customers.

"The amount of people that come up to us during, before, and after the jobs telling us how appreciative they are to have found a reliable service provider in the space really kept us going."

• Customer feedback and appreciation play a crucial role in motivating the founders to continue their work.

• The company faced significant challenges, including financial pressures and operational chaos, particularly in the early stages.
• The founders attribute their success to determination, stubbornness, and perseverance through difficult times.

"It was tough at the start because there were some days where we had no jobs, we had salaries to pay, we had rent to pay, and we had all overheads."

• The founders experienced financial and operational challenges, emphasizing the difficulties of running a business.

"We woke up every single day with just chaos in front of us and every single day it was a battle and it was terrifying really."

• The daily challenges and uncertainties highlight the founders' resilience in overcoming adversity.

"The good thing about all of this is that we decide to push on. Maybe some people call it determination. Maybe it's a bit of stubbornness. It's a bit of delusion, but at the end of the day, it all worked out."

• The founders' determination and perseverance are central to their success and ability to overcome challenges.