Cover Story

Rubix VT - 25 years in the making

It’s hard to believe that Rubix VT has only been around for just over two years. The Rubix branding seems to be everywhere, and you can almost guarantee meeting one of the team at a Sussex networking event. Rubix VT appears to be the textbook example of an overnight success story. In fact, the Rubix journey is 25 years in the making.

Nick Poyner, Rubix founder and Managing Director, started his telecoms career back in 1998. Having been in the telecoms industry for a quarter of a century, Nick has seen huge changes in comms technology and experienced all the peaks and troughs. For Nick, some things remain constant: the need to provide an excellent service and to understand what the customer really needs. The quality that he has always possessed is the determination to succeed and keep learning. Rubix isn’t Nick’s first attempt to build his own

telecoms company, but he has learnt Cover from previous ill-fated ventures.

Story

Nick says: “I always harboured an ambition to have my own telecoms business, but things didn’t go smoothly before when I tried to strike out on my own. I had a couple of costly failed attempts. I trusted the wrong people and

made mistakes, but I always had the belief I could make it work one day.”

It is a case of third time lucky. Rubix VT is a dynamic and welcome addition to the local business scene.

It is often said that a recession can be a great time to start a new business. Some of the most successful businesses launched in a downturn including Microsoft, Airbnb, WhatsApp and JD Sports. The thinking is that if you can thrive when times are tough, then you will be well placed to grow when the economy sparks up again. And there are advantages – it can be easier to find talented people and there may be less business competition. Rubix didn’t just launch in a recession – it came to life at a time during a pandemic when people were uncertain if they would ever return to the workplace.

“I probably chose the worst time to launch Rubix VT,” Nick reflects. “In October 2020, the country had just entered its second lockdown, but for me, personally, the time was right.

“I was working for a company that wasn’t treating its people well and I didn’t share its values. I wanted a business where the people are respected. The planets aligned and I decided to jump in with both feet.”

Just over two years later, Rubix VT is firmly established and is enjoying a sustainable and consistent growth phase.

SBT sat down with Nick to find out more about his business journey I was working in recruitment at Brooke Street and I was doing very well sourcing people for Cavendish Communications in Newhaven and, one day, a role came in and I thought why not go for it myself. Effectively I placed myself.

I did enjoy working in recruitment. I even managed to place Ian Trevett into Sussex Life Magazine – which was quite an achievement! Maybe I couldn’t beat that!

Brooke Street played an important part at the very start of my career. I wanted to leave school as soon as I was allowed, so at the age of 16, I left school on the Thursday and on the Monday, I was at a Brooke Street temp agency in London.

They said they had nothing for me, but I can be very persistent. I just waited and waited in the office until they ‘suddenly’ found something for me. They just wanted to get me out of the office.

My first temp job was for London Underground doing data entry but soon

How did you first get into the telecoms industry – and what did you do before?

found something far more interesting. I started working at a barristers’ chambers and I was sent on prison visits, police interviews and to court to take notes. I was 16 and unqualified but it didn’t seem to matter then. It was exciting and sometimes a bit scary - I did hear about some horrific cases.

I intended to do my A levels and study law at university but the trouble was I was now used to earning money - and I liked it too much!

Instead, I got a Trainee Manager position at Sainsburys which meant a relocation from Kent to Brighton (the Lewes Road store). I have lived here ever since, and my three children were born in the city. I met my wife, Clare, when we were both working in the bar at The Fortunes of War.

How did you take to working in the telecoms sector?

I started in telecoms at the perfect time. There were so many opportunities out there, it was just a matter of being professional and focused. There was a great deal of uncertainty about the upcoming Millennium as there were real fears that computers would crash. Early computer software programs had set up date fields with only two digits for the year. As a result, there was serious alarm that when the clock struck midnight on December 31st 1999, the computers would read the year ‘00’ as 1900, and the result would be a global tech meltdown.

Businesses and governments spent billions on software fixes for their computer systems, and the same applied for telecoms software. The solution was either replacing or upgrading phone systems and, as an industry, we could hardly keep up with the demand.

We all took full advantage by using fear to sell. I didn’t mind at all at the time but, looking back, I don’t think that is the way to do business.

We have another big deadline coming up as in 2025, when BT Openreach will be permanently switching off the UK’s analogue telephone network, including ISDN lines, which many businesses are still using. Every phone line in the UK will become digital with all calls routed over the internet (usually referred to as VOIP calls).

The demand will be very high, but I am determined that we will only offer services that will benefit a customer and will offer a genuinely useful consulting service.

We are here for the long haul, and our reputation is very important to me.

How did you succeed in telecoms sales?

Firstly, through hard work. Sales can be tough. You have to pick up the phone and knock on doors. You will get rejections and deals can fall through after you have committed a great amount of time and effort. You need to be resilient and keep going.

I have always been a firm believer that people do business with people, and building strong personal relationships is essential. I have made many friends with customers over the years, and I like to think that they trust me. I will always go the extra mile to ensure I have offered an excellent service.

Added to this, it is important to be knowledgeable about the products you are selling and to keep informed about new innovations.

You had a couple of unsuccessful attempts at starting your own business. What went wrong and what did you learn?

Quite simply, I went into business with the wrong people and I made the mistake of trusting them. I won’t go into the details, but I was very badly let down, and it shook my faith in working with other people. I started Rubix VT on my own for this reason. Hopefully I am a better judge of character now.

What was the motivation for starting Rubix VT?

I did go through some very painful experiences when I had my own businesses and, for a while, I just wanted to get my head down and earn the money I needed for my family. But it wasn’t long before the urge to start my own business came back.

I have worked with many people in the industry, and I have seen what works well and what doesn’t. I have been ready for a long time, but I wanted to build up sufficient funds to finance the start-up. People need to be paid when you are building the business.

In the end, I decided the time was right when I found myself working for a company where the culture was unacceptable to me. I firmly believe that you should always treat your people with respect. I couldn’t face working any longer in a business where people weren’t being treated well.

What were the challenges you faced when starting the business?

I had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve but, in hindsight, I was in too much of a rush. I tried to grow the company too quickly and recruited too hastily. I employed some people without proper due diligence, and I recruited some very good people too early in the business cycle. Although I had built up financial reserves, the wage bill got a bit out of control. I had to make some very hard decisions.

I truly believe we have got it right now. We have a talented and hardworking core team, and we are now set to grow the business in a sustainable manner. We are looking to take more people on now, but I will take a more thoughtful approach to recruitment.

Ideal holiday?

Somewhere where I can learn something new, a place with a distinct culture and local food.

Nick Poyner

Quickfire Q&A

Pub roast or Michelin star restaurant?

Michelin Star.

Favourite film? The Godfather.

Dream dinner party guests?

Arsene Wenger, Oliver Reed, Tom Hanks, Michelle Obama, James Martin, Ella Fitzgerald, Jools Holland, Robert De Niro, James Gandolfini and Quentin Tarantino.

What advice would you give to 18-year-old self?

Start your own gig.

Biggest mistake in business?

Trying to run to fast and thinking I can do everything myself.

Proudest moment in business?

Seeing people who we’ve trained come through and achieve their goals.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A mix of still being involved with Rubix but also having some form of charity and a mentorship programme for young people.

There is nothing more important in a business than the people. We have a young sales team (Phoenix Young, Will Farthing and Sean Hurley) who all have a great attitude and are keen to learn. I have total faith in Jazmin Palmer who heads up the support operations and in Ekaterina Shakirova who manages the finances. And I brought in Ian Trevett to have a fresh look at telecoms marketing. We have a tight, ambitious team – and I think (and hope) that our people enjoy working for Rubix.

How important is the company culture?

It is at the heart of everything I want to achieve. I am determined to grow a business with the right values and ethics. This means treating the staff with respect and ensuring they are part of the journey. It also means being transparent and offering a high level of customer service.

I truly believe in giving something back and supporting local charities. Last year, we raised some money to help send a lovely young boy called Loui Legend to America for lifechanging surgery. We have enjoyed working with the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity and we are inspired by the work of The Starr Trust, which helps young people fulfil their potential. We will be do more with Rob Starr and the team in 2023.

Just over two years in, are you happy with the progress of the business?

Absolutely. I learnt a lot from the growth of The Focus Group, which has been enormously successful. Ralph and Chris built the business through a mix of acquisition and organic growth. Early on we acquired two companies and we have grown steadily ever since. We are now at the end of year two and we are now exceeding £1million annual turnover.

The journey is just starting. And 2023 will be very exciting. We have some big plans – watch this space!

About

Rubix VT

Telecoms. Simplified.

Rubix VT keeps things simple. Telecoms doesn’t need to be complex.

The team at Rubix will recommend the flexible phone system that genuinely helps your business.

Whether you work at home or in the office, whether you make calls using a desk phone, mobile or laptop, they will get you connected.

Contact Rubix at hello@rubixvt.com or call 020 3740 4923.

www.rubixvt.com

Brighton Paradox

A peculiar adventure of 10 podcast investigations, looking at Brighton & Hove’s first years of city status - and what this might tell us about the near future.

SBT

Throughout 2022, I got really nosey about Brighton & Hove.

A city I have lived, worked or played in since 1996. Where I went to school and college, where my wife and children were born, my first job, where my business is registered, where my heart calls home. But during the lockdowns, I didn’t step foot inside the city for over a year. For the first time in over two decades.

I found myself observing the place and its people, culture and economy from outside, in my Worthing crow’s nest. I felt detached and homesick and admiring, as well as angry and bewildered. The best of society and innovation, tech and compassion was writ large during the peak of the pandemic - with amazing efforts of creativity to grow ideas, connections and communities.

But I was also watching a fragile economy with so many people feeling unsupported; a city more reliant on tourism and students than it wanted to admit; and deep inequalities, faultlines and poverty that just shouldn’t exist somewhere so small and with so much social and creative capital. Constant paradoxes - of unique ingenuity and talent meeting paralysis and self-limiting behaviour.

Why?

What is really happening in 2020s Brighton and what does this mean for the next decade?

My curiosity took me on a strange quest to find out, creating over 100 hours of audio from over 60 interviews. I’ve trawled reports, stats, newspaper

columns, essays and social media to try and piece together an idea of how Brighton & Hove might thrive in the coming years. I’ve been making podcasts for over five years and enjoyed countless investigations in that medium, so it seemed a good place to start. The Brighton Paradox was born - and will start to be made public this month.

This peculiar adventure is a 10 part podcast investigation, looking at Brighton & Hove’s first years of city status, and what this might tell us about the near future.

1. The Edge

Episode one looks at Brighton in the 80s and 90s, the merger with Hove and the impact of winning city status in 2001.

2. Hail Guest!

What is a Brighton & Hove ‘welcome’? This episode explores the challenge of (in)equality, charity, sanctuary and inclusion with Caroline Lucas and Dr Carlie Goldsmith.

3. Omertà

Does the city suffer from groupthink? This episode looks at diversity of thought, culture and who is ‘allowed’ to speak their mind in 21st century Brighton & Hove.

4. The Fifth Supercity

What is Brighton famous for right now? What has put the city on the map in the past 20 years? This episode asks tricky questions from leaders in business and culture, with a close look at Big Beach Boutique, Brighton SEO, The Brighton Summit and The Brighton Festival amongst others.

5. Food & Football

Brighton & Hove Albion’s rising star is changing perceptions of Brighton, globally. How? And can Brighton be both a foodie heaven AND a city of 44 foodbanks? Featuring an exclusive interview with Paul Barber as well as innovators from Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, HISBE and The Compost Club.

6. Superfusion

A number of major academic studies identified the fusion of creativity and tech as the key to Brighton’s economic growth. But does everyone know this? And is it still true? We explore pioneers of co-working spaces, business incubators and creative tech research.

7. Living & Learning

Does Brighton & Hove equal London prices but Eastbourne’s wages? Some say that the pandemic has shown how Brighton’s lifestyle, sea air and unique eco-system may lead to a radical counterLondon renaissance of health, education innovation and opportunity. Will it?

8. The Laboratory

Brighton has a problem in scaling up big ideas. But maybe that also suggests its strength? Could the future of Brighton & Hove be its talent for testing, and demonstrating, the possibilities that others are slow to realise? The UK’s, or even the world’s, ideas lab…?

9. Leadership

Brighton’s power tussle between maverick individuals and collective, cooperative, networks is one of its biggest paradoxes. What does this mean for city leadership needed to drive change over the next decade and beyond?

10. The Cusp

The future of Brighton & Hove’s prosperity doesn’t have to be left to chance, or external agents. What if the city is on the cusp of something big? This final episode stitched together a wide array of thoughts.

This is a hugely collaborative endeavour, led by multi award-winning projects and strategy company, always possible. Plus X Innovation Hub has provided state-of-the-art technical facilities, planning space, introductions and help with production costs. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club have opened doors with ideas, finance and time – and the first launch party will be at the Amex Stadium.

Lo Fi Arts are the production wizards, UnitedUs and University of Brighton’s Help To Grow Management Programme are valued project partners. Music has been provided by Fatboy Slim and Noraay. Media and marketing support from Sussex Business Times and Fox&Bear.

We couldn’t have done it without any of these guys. And now it’s over to you, to listen and maybe find some inspiration.

To hear the first episodes of The Brighton Paradox as they land, visit

alwayspossible.co.uk/paradox