Best Startup
EOS is the only UK based security company to create and provide best-in-class security services and solutions based on the Environment, Agriculture(nature) and Communities(people) through the unique approach to creating a security solution that fits, seamlessly into our clients business.
Tell us about yourself?
It is in my blood. For as long as I can remember I have carried the personal motto (make a difference) and have simply always wanted to help protect people. I have had a very distinguished career within the Royal Navy Police, the Leicestershire Police and within the Security Industry, all of which allowed me to achieve my motto, in different ways.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Great question. Hard Question as well, as I don’t tend to have regretted anything so far. Perhaps the phrase, “Listen to your gut” would work.
What problem does your business solve?
Another great question. EOS tackles the term ‘security’ by its pure definition – to protect. It is not restricted to the conventional methods found in other security companies as it first understands what the client wants and needs, but then ‘gets to know their business’.
This allows us to understand their business and them. From here we see the ‘actual’ threat and risk to their business and create a solution that protects that threat/risk (in most cases the solution is not what they had expected).
Because we do more though, everything also links into the environment, from how we source, to what we wear and in what we create to how we teach. We then finish with tree planting, in the customers name, allowing them to benefit from this.
However, what makes us totally different, is that a lot of what we do, is free and centres around the flow of intelligence, information and awareness that can help people, businesses and communities be informed and aware, so as to complete their own risk mitigation and simple steps to protect themselves from scams, fraud, intrusion, deception etc.
Finally, because everything is linked, we also actively promote other areas critical to overall security, such as inclusion, diversity, kindness, mental health, wellbeing and environmental best practices, all through our social media platforms, out newsletters and our intelligence bulletins. As to solve? We not only solve our customers security concerns, we help towards solving the issue surrounding the environmental concerns that stare us in the face.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
I have always been guided by a code. It is based on honesty, selflessness and doing whatever I can to help others. I have led a life which has taken me to war, conflict, horror and disaster but it has always had hope.
My life has been about work and work has been about doing what I can for what I believe in. I have to believe in what I am doing. I had spent the previous ten years working for a company that I loved, for its values matched mine.
My best friend had been ‘my boss’ for that time, although I had known him for the ten years prior to that. Like most companies that become great at something, somebody comes along and buys them, which is what happened.
Many of us found that literally overnight, everything and everyone became a number and values left the building. I was made redundant, which suited me very well.
However I started to ask myself what I was going to do and so I went off in search of a small security company who held values like mine, as a consultant. I found that promises were made, values assured but slowly each in turn revealed their true colours and I would leave.
I had literally reached the point where I thought I would simply get a job stacking shelves at the supermarket, having done more than most already. However I ended up having a coffee with my best friend and he asked me what I was looking for.
I said I was looking for a security company that didn’t start and end each day with the word ‘profit’, that I wanted to find one that cared enough to ‘do the right thing’, which was the personal motto of my best friend, so that I could continue ‘to make a difference’. I talked about how security had been lost in our industry and most seemed to forget why we where there in the first place. Little did I know then, that I was outlining what EOS was to be.
He simply told me that what I was looking for, didn’t exist and I should create it myself, for it was original, it was honest and, he felt, was needed in our industry. I laughed it off, for being a boss is something I have never wanted to be.
We left it there and said our farewell. A week later I took a call from his wife, informing me that he had died, suddenly, in his garden. I was devastated.
Covid had hit the UK and whilst his death was not related to that I found myself thinking about what he had said to me and recalled how very much he cared, as I did. I decided to create my own company, my way. EOS, named after the Greek Goddess of the Dawn (said to have awoken each day to open the gates of heaven and let the sun shine down on the world) was born.
What is your magic sauce?
EOS is different in too many ways to mention. To start with, we don’t see other security companies as competition and in truth look to work with them collaboratively in sharing news and information that helps people.
Our magic sauce, as you call it, is that we treat every single potential customer as being as unique as us and hold no pre-conception about what they need. Taking time to know them, allows us to create a solution that protects them and often includes something they never thought of.
Being able to see the whole picture allows EOS to create a solution that has, to date, increased their security and integrity and save them money. The real magic however comes with what we do with what we make and most of this is either re-invested into EOS or towards the environment and worthwhile causes (Young Minds, tackling young persons mental health for example is our chosen charity).
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
To be carbon net zero. Our Carbon Management Plan takes us to 2025 at which point we will be carbon net zero. We are already carbon neutral. Very proud to say that we were the 103rd signatory of the Climate Pledge and the very first SME to sign up, which was a huge struggle as TCP is the creation of Amazon and was concentrating on global brands to promote the Pledge, but we had answers and policies for everything they threw at us and accept us they did.
When we talk of security you need to understand that whilst counter terrorism and local crime rates are indeed threats to business security, the environment itself is the number one threat to business globally. Protecting it, protecting those we do not know, those who will never be customers of ours is where we continue to work, for to take ‘make a difference’ and combine it with ‘do the right thing’ we have #bettertomorrow.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
I have two. Visibility is the main one, for many do not really understand who we are. They see a security company but believe it is overshadowed, perhaps, by our environmental commitments, so pass us by. The second challenge was created by me. I won’t have EOS provide security to just anyone, they have to tick my boxes as well.
Too many, it seems, just want a quote, no site visit, questions or inspections, just a cost. For me that makes no sense and as such I do not deal with them. I only wish EOS to work with customers who have a vested interest in, or are committed towards the environment, agriculture and communities.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
People seem to love EOS and do so because we actually care about what we do and how we do it. They love the concept, the personalised content, approach and feel of EOS. They may not understand it, but they do love it. EOS is active on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and our website is updated weekly with news on what we do and achieve.
