#25 From Dad’s Driveway to a £1m+ Garage Door Business

From Dad’s Driveway to a £1m+ Business How do you turn a garage door business started from the family driveway into a £1m+ company? In this episode of the Garage Door Installers Podcast, James takes a step away from the usual product, installation and industry discussions to tell the story behind Fast Fit Garage Doors. Started by his dad in 1985, Fast Fit began as a small family business and has grown into a £1m+ garage door company with a growing team, multiple installation teams, a showroom and much bigger ambitions for the future. But the journey between those two points hasn't always been straightforward. James looks back at what it was like growing up around the business, joining after leaving school and eventually taking on more responsibility as the company grew. He talks about the realities of working with your family, the arguments and challenges that come with it, the mistakes made along the way and some of the biggest turning points that helped take Fast Fit from a small family operation to the business it is today. And finally, James looks at what's next for Fast Fit and whether it's possible to continue growing a family business without losing the values that made it successful in the first place. In this episode: - How Fast Fit Garage Doors started in 1985 - What it was like growing up around a family business - Joining the business after leaving school - The reality of working with your parents - The challenges of growing from a small family business - What £1m+ turnover actually looks like behind the scenes - The mistakes and lessons learned along the way - What James learned from his parents about running a business - The importance of reputation and customer service - When a family business starts to become a much bigger company - The future plans for Fast Fit Garage Doors - And whether you can grow a family business without losing its family values This is a slightly different episode of the Garage Door Installers Podcast, but hopefully one that gives you a genuine insight into what goes on behind the scenes of building a garage door business - and maybe gives you a few things to think about in your own business along the way. **From Dad's driveway to a £1m+ business. This is the Fast Fit story.** Our Sponsors The Garage Door Installers Podcast is proudly supported by our industry partners. The Door Industry Journal The Door Industry Journal is the only trade magazine targeted specifically towards the garage door industry. To receive the magazine and weekly newsletter for no cost, contact the Door Industry Journal to get added to the mailing list. ToolTrade For top branded products at competitive prices, speak to ToolTrade. ToolTrade is a leading provider of tools, fixings and sealants for trade professionals. To open a trade account and access customised pricing, contact the ToolTrade team. About The Garage Door Installers Podcast The Garage Door Installers Podcast is built for garage door installers, business owners, manufacturers, suppliers and professionals working within the UK door industry. Hosted by James Williams of Fast Fit Garage Doors, the podcast covers the products, people, challenges and business realities behind the garage door industry. From installation and product knowledge to marketing, sales, customer experience and business growth, each episode is designed to provide practical insight from people working in the industry every day. Whether you're a one-man installer, running a growing garage door company or working within the wider door industry, this is a podcast built to help you learn, improve and grow.