The first year was challenging, we were supported by our team and suppliers, we appreciate their loyalty 

How do you look back on the decision to go independent?

Honza: I never really thought about being an entrepreneur. But when it came to what to do next with Arridere and the possibility of buying it from the parent company, I didn't think for a second that I wouldn't go for it.  

Martin: Well, I did think about it. About 15 seconds. I generally don't regret anything from the past and I certainly don't regret this decision. Thinking back on it today, I don't really feel like it changed our approach in thinking about the brand or the energy of the company in any way.

What was that first year actually like? What are you grateful for?   

Martin: For me, probably the most important thing is that we confirmed to ourselves and to the market that we were viable without the support of another organisation and that we could do it.

Honza: It was a very chaotic year. We dealt with a lot of operational challenges and even just the funding. I am most grateful for the people around us. That they stood up and managed together with us. None of them left. And we've had a really tough year. We've also had the support of our suppliers. They held us up for at least six months. A lot of them gave us above-standard terms because they saw that we were on a roll.

Martin: We really appreciate that loyalty and we try to give back to people. Being independent today has also allowed us to take a very individual approach to those kinds of human stories that life writes. I have three.  The first one is about Ondra. He moved to South Moravia. What did we do? We set up a branch there. We got close to the staff. The second story. We found out that one of our colleagues' wife was helping with the administration because he couldn't keep up with it. So we hired her. Story number three. We hired a handy junior for a technical position and discovered his aptitude for working in systems. So now we're creating a customized systems administrator position for him. We're trying to apply our talents to the fullest extent and find ways to make everyone happy in the job. 

We replaced 4 out of 5 support systems, simplified processes and stabilized cash flow 

What were the other key areas you focused on in your first year of independent operation?

Martin: We replaced 4 out of 5 support systems. Within the corporation we had prescribed fairly robust systems designed for group management. We replaced these very quickly with systems that were tailored to us and suited us. Because we just could. Plus, they're a fraction of the price. This involved accounting, reporting, workload and HR. As part of this, we also customised and simplified our processes. It made us incredibly fast. But of course, we also take full responsibility for everything. We have managed to achieve positive cash flow, a positive economic result and we are amortising losses from previous years.  

Honza: One of the first things we focused on process-wise was the area of accounting and financial management. Our business is specific. It's about thousands of invoices issued and received in a month. It's a large volume of data. A new information system. It was a priority for us to keep our business under control. We also invested in marketing and launched a new website.  

Martin: I would add the market context to that. The facility management industry is going through a dynamic evolution. It's much broader and full of specialized positions. The big challenge is to attract skilled people to our industry. We need to work on the development of the industry and also the human potential. There is also huge pressure on price in our industry. You have to constantly strike a balance to succeed and at the same time be able to create interesting conditions for the workers in the industry. New systems and investment in improving work efficiency is basically a must have.