360 Energy Inc provides energy management and carbon reduction solutions. We help our clients save money and cut costs with expert knowledge about the industry and its controllable elements to improve their businesses in all aspects. I believe we, as a society, are capable of doing so much more than we give ourselves credit for; our mission is to push people to achieve great things and make the world a better place.
Tell us about yourself?
Growing up, my family were all entrepreneurs, specifically in the agriculture sector, so I was always surrounded by business-savvy individuals. I then got my Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of Guelph, double majoring in management and economics. After graduating, I tried out various career paths, one of the most valuable positions being the five years I spent in management in the construction industry. I loved that job and the experience I got in managing people and projects. Eventually, I started working at Ontario Hydro, which, granted, was not my favourite role, but it is where I got the foundation of my knowledge of the energy industry. Piecing all of the skills and knowledge I gained from different roles came together like a puzzle, which enabled me to begin 360 Energy Inc in 1995.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Everything tends to take longer than you expect; be patient and be mindful that things won’t always work out the way you want them to, but it doesn’t mean that you’re on the wrong path.
What problem does your business solve?
Energy usage and carbon emissions are so ingrained in every aspect of a business. With effective management, we can reduce a client’s costs and improve their bottom line quickly. A company that commits to environmental sustainability will also find a reduction in waste and downtime and an improvement in safety as well as overall company culture. On a larger scale, we are able to successfully reduce a client’s carbon footprint and contribute to mitigating climate change.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
I always looked up to the entrepreneurs in my family and drew inspiration and motivation from them. Moreover, I was told a million times that I couldn’t do it and that I wouldn’t succeed. I refused to listen to anyone that was trying to tear me down, and I wanted to prove them wrong. So, I started the company and dedicated it to trying to make the world a better place. Look, I want my family to grow up in a thriving world, and I want to make sure this is secure for all future generations. By doing the right thing, I was able to enter a very lucrative industry and find financial success there, as well as the ability to work with others closely, giving them a channel to make the world a better place too. It’s a powerful thing.
What is your magic sauce?
We approach energy and carbon management from a holistic angle. We like to focus on the management of actual people and techniques instead. Often there is a gap that exists between technology and finances, engineers and accountants, in which they each focus on their own expertise, but success comes from leveraging both parties. We build a bridge between tech and finance, as well as upper and lower management as to encourage communication and help them work towards their common goal of a successful business.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
We are in the process of major changes and gearing up for a bright future. We are currently focusing on digitizing all of our previous materials and processes that we were providing manually in the past. This is to enable us to increase our overall capacity and productivity. In five years, I plan to have onboarded 50,000 clients.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
My biggest challenge has simply been people, internally and externally. The amount of denial and people standing idle on the issue of climate change is a problem, especially considering the very real effects we are already seeing. I think in five years’ time, the problems caused by climate change will be tangible, but changes must be made before the fact in order to see any improvements. Besides external pushback, it isn’t always so easy to find people who will embrace our vision and want to make real changes as a company. The right skill set is important, and we need a very efficient team come the large-scale growth we plan to see, but most importantly, I need to find people with motivation and ambition. If we want to make a change in the world, I need a team that believes that they can be that change.
How can people get involved?
The first step is to learn and truly understand what it is you can do to help mitigate climate change. It is true that everybody plays a role, and it is true that businesses are responsible for the large majority of greenhouse gas emissions. Anybody in your company can decide to lead the rest toward a change, and we want to guide you in that. It’s not somebody else’s job to make a change. It’s not up to the government or a new piece of equipment. It starts with us or you.
If you are interested in shaping the future of your business, call us at (905)-304-6001 or reach out to david.arkell@360energy.net.