Apro Contract Services

Tony Olive founded electrical contracting business Apro Contract Services in 2005 as a sole trader, before expanding into a limited company. Apro services and installs electrics on construction sites and maintains buildings and businesses - “everything from landlord-owned properties to office blocks and warehouses”, according to Tony.

After expanding, the company, based in Chipping Sodbury, near Bristol, now employs four people. Tony had used Mentor services since starting the business, so when Covid-19 arrived in March, he knew exactly where to turn for advice.

“Mentor has always given me great peace of mind, constantly helping us with health and safety advice, employment law and training,” he says. “All of our staff have a Mentor login so they can access all of this information, webinars and bespoke, relevant advice and support whenever they need it. But when coronavirus struck the UK, it obviously affected every business, and Mentor really came into their own.”

Navigating furlough

Tony's first priority was to ensure he and his team were working responsibly following Public Health England advice on hygiene and social distancing. But, as soon as lockdown was imposed, he knew he needed a longer-term plan.

“I quickly realised that as the work dried up, we would need to furlough our staff. Rachel Bamber, our contact at Mentor, was immediately there with excellent, practical advice on changing contracts. Our staff were happy to do so because they understood the reality of the situation but also because they trusted that Mentor would be helping us to do it properly.”

Mentor helped Tony navigate the rules around furloughing. “The initial lockdown meant we'd had to leave jobs part way through, and furloughed staff. As we gradually came back to work, we finished those jobs off but this often meant only two or three days' work at a time.”

“We were obviously looking to government websites for guidance but they're not the easiest things to navigate. We also got inundated with mailshots from companies 'offering' advice on managing your business through Covid. But these companies don't know your business, they're not invested in it and how it works. Mentor just had all the answers, and Rachel was able to offer advice in plain English, specific to our own individual situation.”

Planning for the future 

Apro is currently operating at around 60% turnover because of the national summer lockdown that not only closed sites but also meant delays in companies like Tony's being able to pitch for contracts. When they could submit bids again, Mentor played a role in that too. “Our clients can see we have proper, professional processes and guidelines in place,” Tony explains.

But despite having secured new work in January, Tony still has the challenge of paying staff when the furlough scheme stops at the end of this month. “I didn't want to make my team redundant and then two months later take them all on again,” he says, “so after discussion with Mentor and our NatWest business banking manager we applied for a business interruption loan, which is enabling me to pay my staff 80% of their wages until I can bring them all back properly.”

So the future remains bright for this electrical firm. “When Covid struck, a lot of companies panicked,” says Tony. “But with Mentor's help we were able to look at the whole situation, to break it down, to work out what we would need to do and when. They've always been a fantastic, constant source of advice whenever we've wanted them, but this has been the most challenging year ever and Mentor has really steered us through it.”