10 Questions with... Ollie Rastall
Each month we ask a cleaning industry professional the Tomorrow’s Cleaning 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Ollie Rastall, Director and Co-owner at Source Supplies.
Q1
What was your first job? My fi rst ‘proper job’ was
donning the green and orange uniform of a well know DIY store. I was responsible for mixing paints to a muddy shade ‘close’ to what the customers asked for, and cutting wood ‘approaching’ the size they actually wanted!
Q2
How did you get into the cleaning industry?
I got chatting to the managing agent of the building I was working in. He was bemoaning his cleaning supplier, and I had a friend who was running a one man cleaning supplies business, so I put the agent on to him. That relationship went well, and we put our heads together. I would give up my job, hit the phones for six months, and we would give a joint business a go. Source Supplies was re-born six months later.
Q3
Who, in any other industry, do you most admire?
It’s more the personality attributes of many business owners that I admire. They have the drive that makes people brave enough to give up secure jobs in support of their own belief. There are many small business owners, inventors and idea-people that will possibly never be famous, but who had the courage to go for it.
Q4
If you could visit one place in the world, where would
you go and why? I’m lucky enough to be doing this later this year by visiting New
72 | 10 QUESTIONS
Zealand for my Honeymoon. We’ll be fl ying in to Christchurch, picking up a camper van and then just driving, admiring the scenery and trying every sport or adrenalin-fi lled activity we come across.
Q5
How would you improve the cleaning industry?
I would place more emphasis on training cleaners. I’m often amazed at the lack of basic knowledge of cleaning tasks and seeing chemicals misused. Responsibility lies in part with the manufacturer and supplier, but taking the initiative to organise training is up to the employer.
Q6
Q7 Q8
What did you want to be when you were little?
Well, sorry to say (having read the last few interviews) but... a footballer! From the minute I could walk, I always had a ball at my feet and I was on a course for success. But the jump from ‘good’ to ‘excellent’ at around age 17, made me realise that I was actually not good enough!
What do you do to unwind? My preference is playing golf,
but I also like to run, cycle (and do triathlons). I enjoy any form of exercise.
If you were stranded on a desert island and you could
only have one thing, what would it be and why? I love music and reading, so it would have to be a fully loaded iPod or a Kindle with thousands of books. Let’s hope the Island has electricity, but if
Check out next month’s issue to see what Ollie Rastall asked our next industry professional...
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
not, my one thing would be a trunk full of books.
Q9
What do you think is the future of the cleaning
industry? I think the chemicals and the equipment side of things will make slow progress. I think all suppliers will recognise the importance of service, eventually, and it will make the difference between success and failure in the industry.
Bob Stephens, Sales Director at Mayfl ower Washroom Solutions Ltd., asks...
Q10
How can technology help improve the cleaners role?
The greatest thing we can do for cleaners is to equip them to do their job! By this, I mean ensure they all have access to mobile technology, from which they can have access to any information they need, in any language. This kind of investment will allow them to take the initiative and ownership for what they do. It will also make it a safer environment and help to upgrade the profi le of this important job.
www.sourcesupplies.co.uk
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