Welcoming Hosted Fudge to Equinox South

Hi Tom and welcome to BizSpace! Tell me more about Hosted Fudge and the services that you offer?

Hosted Fudge is the cheeky but loveable guest wifi specialist. We work with a cross-section of colourful businesses that want to break from the norm and get more from their guest wifi. We help our clients to connect and engage with their customers like never before, through creating customizable branded guest wifi platforms that provide content from the point a customer connects to wifi. In turn, this collates customer data for the business’ own marketing purposes, enabling them to learn more about their customers, resulting in increased customer loyalty, footfall and spend.

So why did you start the company?

Hosted Fudge grew to what it is today through offering branded guest wifi to customers as part of a portfolio of services when I ran a telecoms business. We began to work with a lot of cafés, bars and restaurants in late 2015, that wanted more than just to be able to offer guest wifi.

Businesses wanted a more branded logging-in process for their clients, with images and information. They also wanted to be able to connect and engage with customers with information, vouchers and to be able to get customer feedback and they wanted it all managed. So we listened and that’s what we did.

Soon every new customer that we brought on board was either a bar, café or restaurant and we were spending more time providing branded guest wifi and managing it for clients. It was outselling our telecoms offering 2 to 1, so in 2017 we said goodbye to telephony and hello to wifi.  

What makes you stand out from other Guest WiFi & Cloud Solutions Providers?

I think what makes us different to our competitors, is that we want to really understand our client’s businesses. We want to know the story behind them, feel their passion for what they do and create a strong and lasting relationship with them which will see their business grow. There is no better feeling than turning up on day one of a project seeing an empty shell, working with that business and to see a living breathing business 3-6 months down the line, knowing that we played a role in getting the business to where it is today.

What has been the greatest business achievement for the company?

Recently we have been accredited as an Approved Friendly WiFi Provider. Friendly wifi is a government-initiated safe certification standard for the provision of public wifi services. We are extremely proud that we have been recognised not only for our efforts in providing a great solution but also for providing advice and information on the safe provision and use of public guest wifi protecting both venues and customers.

Where do you see Hosted Fudge in 5 years’ time?

BizSpace of course lol… We are very modest at Hosted Fudge. Like any business, we will look to grow and build our team, to develop and nurture some fantastic customer relationships with some really great businesses. But in all seriousness, we look to do that all from Equinox South, as we now have a solid foundation that we can call home, which will help us to grow an exciting company.   

What advice would you give someone who is looking to set up their own business?

Do it! I appreciate it’s scary, but if you truly believe that you have something, that you have an idea that you want to take out into the world, the only person that can make that happen is you. So believe in yourself and go do it. It won’t be easy, it will be a lot of hard work. You will make loads of mistakes and get things wrong, but you will meet some great people along the way. You will learn so much, not only about business but also about yourself.

The adventure is insane but the feeling that you get when you get that first customer, which is exactly the same as when you get your 100th by the way, is priceless and makes it all worthwhile. 

What do you enjoy about your job?

I spend 70% of my week in bars, cafés and restaurants and the occasional soft play, how could I not enjoy my job? I get to meet with passionate, exciting people and to drink coffee and mostly eat cake with them, while I listen to them talk about their businesses. Then I get to tell the world about them upon our wifi platform, social media and through the marketing of our client’s venues that we do for them.

Why did you choose BizSpace?

I have wanted a business home in Bristol for such a long time and to be part of this great city, but have always been priced out based on my requirements. When you look at what Equinox South has to offer any business that needs office space, it’s hard not to choose BizSpace. Modern well-lit, spacious offices, clean and bright facilities, a spacious breakout area, fast broadband connectivity and plenty of parking. Then when you combine the flexibility and price BizSpace offers, you simply won’t find a better office provider in Bristol.

It is clear from speaking with Tom that his passion for helping his clients grow and expand their business defines our strong values and we are delighted to welcome Hosted Fudge to our ever-growing community of small businesses.