| 53 Sue Russell Diverse service range key for growth The Revolve Electrical team provides domestic and commercial services, including security, solar, heating and cooling, automated gates, data solutions and car storage and stacking solutions. Revolve Electrical CONTRACTING Twenty-seven-year-old Todd Eunson established Whangarei’s award-winning electrical business Revolve Electrical two years ago, just as Covid was making life extremely difficult for most business owners. Todd gained his qualifications and experience with an Auckland company before settling back into Whangarei to build a brand that people could value and trust throughout Northland. Revolve Electrical is a full-service provider of domestic and commercial services, including security, solar, heating and cooling, automated gates, data solutions and car storage and stacking solutions. It’s the flagship service in Revolve Group, which already includes Revolve Solar and Heating Solutions and Revolve Security Solutions. More divisions will be added as Todd brings in more experts in related services. This agility and diversity of services is Todd’s response to the challenging financial environment of the past two years. It’s paid off, as Todd (and trusty friend and working buddy ‘Dog’) quickly gathered traction in the community. “Over the last two years we’ve just grown and grown, and things happened in leaps and bounds. I got really stuck into our market and made a priority of building a great team and establishing a brand,” says Todd. Todd says he’s now reaching close to 40,000 people a week through Facebook and Google marketing, with the help of an Australian-based marketing business who have been Google partners for 20 years. Knowing he needed to do something different from the standard marketing, brand-identification pathways, Todd says he’s been pleasantly surprised at the local uptake. “I’ve taken the brand out. We’re a walking advertisement and I saw a great opportunity to gain brand awareness online. There’s a lot of stuff we do that others don’t, and it was important to get these points of difference right.” Building customer relations and forging opportunities for repeat business has been key. Google reviews show that Todd is operating a customer-centric, user-friendly business where the emphasis is on engagement and building relationships. Todd’s pioneering approach helped Revolve Electrical win the ‘Most Outstanding Fledgling Business Award’, in the 2022 David Awards, a national competition conducted online, with the awards announced via a live web call. The judges described Revolve Electrical as “a great example of a seemingly traditional business that has taken an innovative approach to their work”. “Their well-trained workforce are building a solid reputation for professional work, punctuality and value for money.” The history of The David Awards is compelling. Heather Douglas, a champion of small business, established the awards in 2008. As a judge of various business awards, Heather saw a gap in recognition of the unique qualities and space that micro, home and solo businesses occupied. With most awards focusing on larger, more established entities, there was no place to celebrate the contribution and sheer bravery of many small businesses for getting by on the smell of an oily rag and making something of themselves.] Todd knew that Revolve Electrical punched above its weight for several reasons. “When working in Auckland I remember thinking that there could be several specialist electrical companies working on the one build. This seemed cumbersome from the developer’s point of view and it prompted me to grow Revolve into a one-stop shop. So I chose specialists in their own field to join me.”Two years on, Todd is seeing opportunities to get involved in larger commercial and public projects. For a relative newcomer, however, it can be difficult to successfully tender for commercial contracts, where track record is often important. “Moreover, we are competing with large companies who have entered the local market and are swallowing up opportunities for local businesses around the Northland Region. Knowing we’re competing against larger, more established electrical companies, we’re actively networking with businesses and businesspeople who call Northland home.” The team has grown to 8 now and Todd describes his main role as ‘directing traffic’. One of Todd’s goals is to give back to the community – as a nurturing employer, a responsible corporate citizen, and a community growth enabler and catalyst. Another priority is to create a like-minded community of co-workers, which has resulted in a positive work environment. “We have an inclusive, empathetic, supportive work environment where everyone can share ideas and seek advice without judgement.” The Revolve team has now grown to 8 and Todd describes his main role as ‘directing traffic’. As the company grows, he aims to expand by franchising the business to establish additional locations in places like Kerikeri, to serve the northern part of the region, and in Auckland. He is invested in developing future business partners so he can one day eventually realise his goal to move into the background as a shareholder. “I’ve taken the brand out. We’re a walking advertisement and I saw a great opportunity to gain brand awareness online. There’s a lot of stuff we do that others don’t, and it was important to get these points of difference right.” ‘home of the self-cleaning pool’
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