Building a Green Future With a focus on cutting UK emissions, a pioneering company is making waves in the climate-tech space.
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With a mission to reduce emissions through innovative home retrofits, this climate-tech leader is challenging the status quo. In this interview, CEO of Genous, a Bristol based company focused on providing innovative solutions for home retrofitting to reduce carbon emissions Simon Bones reveals how he navigates the obstacles of the start-up world while pushing for meaningful environmental change.
What inspired you to start your business?
Having sold my previous company for a good financial return, I wanted whatever came next to be about giving something back. As I'm passionate about climate change (I'm also a Visiting Research Fellow in climate change science at University of Bristol) doing something meaningful to address UK emissions was the obvious choice.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in the early stages?
As a small business, it's hard to get taken seriously. Access to the big companies and government bodies that we needed to be in touch with was, and still is, super-hard. Whereas in a meeting with one of the Big 6 energy companies we had, the boss of the person I spoke to was that day in Number 10, speaking to the Energy Secretary and Prime Minister, that just isn't normally possible for a start-up.
How has the UK's economic environment impacted your business decisions?
Home retrofit is a good financial investment when it's done well, so those people with money have continued to spend on it. However, (a) many people are financially squeezed by the cost of living crisis and (b) our attempts to work with mortgage companies – a key target for us – have been hindered by their bigger priorities around mortgage costs for their customers so it's been hard to get headspace with them
How do you stay ahead of industry trends and innovate within your field?
We are the industry innovation so it's more a case of doing what we know needs to be doing. I try not to spend too much time looking at what other people are doing because I don't think any of them are doing it right
What steps do you take to build a strong company culture?
Lead from the front, don't tolerate people failing to live your values, and expect a lot from your team but recognise the challenges that they – like you - are working under in this type of environment.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about starting a business in the UK today?
It's hard. Only do it if you can't stand working for someone else and have the genuine ability to build a great business. The former is common but the latter is not.
