There are those with a 'can do' attitude, and those with a 'go do' attitude. David Blockley is the latter.
Bypassing university to start his own business (and another six since), Blockley is a self-styled tech-head, entering the world of software development in 1997 with a driving licence checking business that grew over six years to serve more than 100,000 customers. "A customer is a customer for life", he says, noting that "looking after people" forms the foundation of a solid business.
But his love of technology is matched – perhaps paradoxically – with strong environmental values, and it was his "eco-geekdom" that led him to his seventh venture: Integral Ecology, a company that meshes gadgetry and sustainability, creating a product that does its bit for planet Earth while boosting the bottom line of businesses around the country – and soon, he hopes, globally.
The premise of Integral Ecology's flagship offering, EnviroM8, is simple: to accurately monitor the mileage, expenses and carbon emissions of fleet drivers. Via a clever smartphone app and enhanced GPS, businesses have immediate, precise access to the costs (both financial and environmental) involved in running their fleets, and can use this information to their advantage.
"Nine out of 10 companies rely on unaudited mileage reports and are therefore at risk of being caught by a tax investigation", Blockley says. "HMRC will fine if it appears that too many records are ending in zero, thus appearing to be rounded up."
With 46% of UK drivers admitting to overestimating their mileage at least 20% of the time, and with fines for inaccurate mileage running into the thousands, it's easy to see the central role EnviroM8 can play at even a basic operational level.
Then, of course, there's the environmental aspect. The app provides accurate information on carbon emissions, so businesses won't find themselves unnecessarily purchasing carbon credits, and can tangibly explore ways of reducing their environmental impact. "After all, you can't reduce something if you can't measure it", says Blockley.
To say that the data provided by EnviroM8 yields significant financial benefits is something of an understatement: Blockley estimates that the app could save around £3,000 a month for every 100 drivers in a fleet.
Of course, an app of this nature requires a reliable and efficient infrastructure; Blockley relies on O2 technology to facilitate his 'go do' ambitions. "3G is good", he says, "but 4G – wow! It's hugely reassuring to know I can connect to the internet wherever I am."
Blockley uses 4G on O2's Pop-Up Office, a portable mobile hotspot that allows up to 10 devices to connect at once. He comments that as well as Pop-Up Office helping him work on the move ("It's great being self-sufficient and not having to rely on anyone else's unreliable Wi-Fi"), using the 4G network in a customer-facing sphere gives his entire business an added coat of gloss.
"At trade shows and events I can demo EnviroM8 quickly and efficiently – there's nothing worse than slow internet when I'm trying to show off my product. In a sales environment it's important not to lose momentum." Plus, using 4G sets him apart as a tech-pioneer – "potential customers want to put their trust in a product that will go the distance. After all, it's my job to know about this stuff."
Blockley is always on the lookout for further opportunities to expand the EnviroM8 following, including the possible gamification of the app. "'How's my CO2?' or something similar", he muses. Indeed, in a world where the environmental agenda is becoming an increasingly dominant talking point, Blockley is right to push in a greener direction. "There's certainly other technology that helps businesses measure fleet mileage, but ours is the only one with an environmental aspect. That's one of our USPs."
But as quickly as the environmental landscape changes, so does the technological, which is why 4G will continue to play a pivotal role in Blockley's ambitious operations. "I'm aiming for one million users globally", he says, noting that he needs technology that's reliable and efficient to achieve this. "O2 4G continues to be a vital tool for growing my business."
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