Hear from members how successful Profitnet can be...
BON APPETIT - recession-proof hot food vending shows 100% growth
Bon Appetit is a hot food vending specialist which gives companies a cost-effective means of supplying their staff with hot meals 24/7 at a saving of up to 90 per cent of the cost of a conventional canteen.
Managing director Keith Pordum, who also runs a successful gourmet food delivery service called Spencers (see main photo), is a keen networker and came across Profitnet at a at a business event in Crawley. He likens the Profitnet group to a board of non-executive directors. “You get the chance to present your business plan in detail, and receive insightful comments from all the people in the group. That justifies the whole rationale and existence of Profitnet to my mind” he says.
Keith acknowledges that there are lots of networking groups around, but feels that Profitnet is significantly different because you are working with the other business people in a business context, rather than trying to sell them things. “I really value the critical feedback” says Keith “it’s the key benefit of being there. If you get one or two nuggets, it justifies the whole thing. Profitnet acts as the board of directors that I could never afford.”
He feels that everyone has different priorities, but that the ongoing demands of running a business shouldn’t keep people away from development opportunities like Profitnet. Keith feels that the most valuable insight he has derived from the Profitnet group came when he presented a business plan for a new product idea to the group in October 2007.
The idea had already been pitched to investors as part of the TV series Dragons Den, but the investors rejected it. Wanting a second opinion, he re-pitched the plan to the Profitnet group. The group appraised the idea, but after close scrutiny, agreed with the dragons that the idea would be an unhelpful distraction from Bon Appetit’s core business. Keith found this hard because he had a passionate interest in the new product idea, but accepted that he should stay focused on the core business.
“That was the best advice I’ve ever had” he said, “stay focused on the winning idea, that way I could maintain the drive, focus and energy to capitalise on recession-proof hot food vending.”
This advice has yielded high rewards for the business, which has shown growth of over 100 per cent in the last 12 months to April 2009, and now supplies hot food vending services to companies such as Unilever and Honda.
Keith says he finds the Profitnet group really stimulating, because when peers say they think your plans are good, it gives you a huge boost in confidence.
“Profitnet attracts those who are really going for it – you can’t be a shrinking violet if you want to be a success in business”