IN BUSINESS

Rob Stone is the founder and sole director of the UK’s largest installer of loft storage solutions, Instaloft. He and his wife have 9 children, with ages ranging between 9 to 26. Rob’s rags to riches journey saw him go from selling his belongings at car boot sales to feed his 9 children to scaling his business into a £14 million turnover empire in just 7 years.

Rob is on track to double the revenue to £30 million in the next 3 years. With his wealth of experience in business development and people management strategies, Rob is now on a mission to help other aspiring entrepreneurs on their own journeys to success.

Tell us about your journey. How did you get here?

I’ve always been inclined towards business, and through the years, I’ve had multiple attempts at creating and running my own companies. When I started Instaloft, I’d reached rock bottom. I was drowning in various consumer debts, and it had reached a point where it was placing me and my family under an immense amount of pressure. I was completely broke but wanted to give business one last try. It really was a make or break situation.

At the time, I was having to borrow money from my dad and was selling DVDs for £1 each at car boot sales just to keep my head above water and make sure I had enough to buy the basics for my kids. I remember one night sitting on the floor of my living room and looking through various business opportunities when I stumbled across an advert for a loft boarding franchise. To be honest, I didn’t have any experience in that area, but I remember thinking, “this is something I can do”.

It was tough because I felt what I had was a great idea, but I just didn’t have any money or access to money to start the company with. That meant I had to do everything on a shoestring budget, and the start of the business was very much a beg and borrow situation. I managed to get a credit card with a £200 limit, and as I couldn’t afford a website, I set up a

Facebook page. I used the credit card to buy a few basic tools and the Facebook page to advertise on local buy/sell/swap groups, and that was how the business got underway, working by myself from the driveway of my house.

How did this affect you and your family?

We were in an incredibly tough place. My partner and I temporarily split up, and I had been living in another house due to the financial situation and the stresses it had put us under. We were very much in limbo, with one child living with me and the rest with her, and she was working all the hours she could to keep them fed and clothed. I was struggling to make any money before I started the company, but once I had Instaloft up and running, just getting one or two jobs a week helped to ease some of that pressure. As we got busier, things became a bit easier, and I was spending a lot of time on the job, often working late into the evening, but it meant enough money was creeping in to make a living and get us by. By the time I had got my third van on the road, my partner and I had fully reconciled, and we got married. I am truly grateful to her for how she supported me back then, and though it was hard and I missed out on a lot of the kid’s early years, we now make up for it each and every day.

You have achieved so much. How do your values show up in the work you do?

I’m an absolute stickler for jobs being right the first time, and I think this has rubbed off on my team, with a lot of them developing the same mentality. I believe in loyalty, and we have people that have remained with us throughout our entire journey. My first ever employee is still with us today. I think these values really come through in the excellent reviews and ratings Instaloft has accumulated over the years.

What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

While it was an incredibly tough road to get where we are today on a personal level and on a business level, I think one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had to overcome would be a bad hire at a senior level. This was something that I had never experienced before, and for a while, I felt it was tantamount to disaster. While it took me several months to undo the damage that was done, it was also another huge learning curve.

What makes you proud?

Being able to see the people we have taken on doing well and advancing in their careers is honestly one of the best parts of what I do. I’m a huge believer in giving everyone a chance, just as I feel I was given a chance at the start of my own journey with Instaloft. It’s been amazing to share this journey and success with my amazing team, and seeing the way the business has grown when we all get together for company events is truly gratifying. We’ve come a long way from me working alone from my house!

How do you manage your time between family and business?

I place a huge value on quality time with my family, and in many ways, I like to make up for the time I was unable to spend with them in the past. I “almost” always get the little ones up in the morning, get them ready for school and drop them off. Nowadays, I usually collect them from school, too, and find even those few minutes are a great time to bond and chat. I make an effort to keep my weekends free, as for me, that’s quality time, and I enjoy spending it doing things at home with the whole family.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

There’s a range of things I enjoy doing to wind down and take some time out. Everything from art, reading, Lego, gardening, and, more recently, trying to focus on my fitness levels.

Who or what inspires you?

My kids come first and foremost, as providing for them was the biggest motivator in being where we are today with the business. My dad has always been a source of strength and inspiration for me, and even after his death, his memory continues to inspire me to be more than I am and to continue striving for bigger and better things.

Outside of my family, I love the people that promote grit and determination and look up to people like Grant Cardone and Lord Sugar. Building a business from the ground up from nothing at all is incredibly inspiring, and I feel my journey with Instaloft is yet more proof that anything is possible with the right determination and mindset. ■

Rob Stone www.instaloft.co.uk