Name: Ben
Location: Hoo, Rochester
Founded: 2019
➡️ What does your business do, and who do you help?
BGH Driveway & Patio Cleaning & Restoration Specialists is a family-run business based in Hoo, Kent, specialising in bringing tired, dirty and damaged driveways and patios back to life.
Rather than automatically telling customers they need to replace an existing surface, our approach is “restore, don’t replace.” We professionally clean and restore patios, block paving and pattern-imprinted concrete, including re-jointing, re-sanding, sealing, colour restoration and repairs. We now also offer new patio and pathway installations where restoration isn’t the right option.
We help homeowners across Kent and surrounding areas who want their outdoor spaces transformed properly, with attention to detail and a finish designed to last.
I’ve worked in the trade for over 30 years, and what customers really come to BGH for is specialist knowledge, honest advice and workmanship. I personally assess the job, explain exactly what can be achieved and take enormous pride in the finished result.
For me, one of the best parts of the job is showing people that a driveway or patio they thought needed replacing can often be completely transformed through professional restoration - saving them the disruption and considerable expense of starting again.
➡️ What sparked the idea for your business?
The idea for BGH came from seeing just how many perfectly good patios and driveways were being replaced when they didn’t actually need to be.
I’d already spent decades working in the trade and had built up a huge amount of practical experience. I knew that with the right cleaning methods, repairs, re-jointing, re-sanding and sealing, an old and tired surface could often be transformed for a fraction of the cost and disruption of replacing it.
In 2020 I decided to put that experience into building my own specialist business, with restoration at the heart of it.
I wanted BGH to be different from a general pressure-washing company. The aim was to offer a complete restoration service and treat every job as if it were my own property. That means taking the time to prepare everything properly, using the right products and techniques, and never cutting corners just to finish a job quicker.
It started small, but every transformation gave me something powerful to show the next customer. Before-and-after photographs became a huge part of the business because people could actually see what was possible.
Over the last six years BGH has grown through reputation, recommendations and customer reviews into a multi-award-winning business with more than 300 five-star Google reviews.
The basic idea that started it all, though, is still exactly the same today: before you spend thousands replacing a driveway or patio, find out whether it can be professionally restored first.
➡️ How did you win your very first customers?
In the very beginning, there was no big marketing budget or established customer base. I had the experience and knew I could deliver the work, but I still had to find those first customers.
So I did it the old-fashioned way - I knocked on doors.
I would introduce myself, explain what I did and show homeowners what could potentially be achieved with their driveway or patio. It wasn’t glamorous and there were plenty of doors that didn’t lead anywhere, but I was determined to get the business moving.
Those first few customers were incredibly important. I knew that if somebody trusted me with their property, I had to deliver a result that they would genuinely want to tell other people about.
I photographed the transformations, asked happy customers for reviews and gradually built a portfolio of real work. One successful job helped lead to another, recommendations started coming in and the reputation of BGH began to grow.
Today, the way customers find us is completely different, but I’m proud of those early days. There’s something very grounding about remembering that a business which now has hundreds of five-star reviews started with me simply knocking on doors and asking someone to give me a chance.
➡️ What do you enjoy most about running your own business day to day?
What I enjoy most is the transformation.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about arriving at a property in the morning with a driveway or patio looking tired, dirty and sometimes almost beyond saving, and then standing back at the end of the job and seeing how dramatically it has changed.
But the best part is the customer’s reaction. When somebody comes outside and says, “I can’t believe that’s the same patio,” that still gives me a buzz, even after all these years in the trade.
I also enjoy the freedom and responsibility of running my own business. Every decision I make affects BGH’s reputation, and although that can sometimes be stressful, it also means the standard of the work is ultimately in my hands.
What keeps me motivated during the difficult days is remembering how far the business has come. I started BGH from scratch, knocking on doors looking for those first customers. Today we have hundreds of five-star reviews and a business name that people recognise and recommend.
I’m still ambitious for BGH, so I don’t really see it as a finished business. Every great job, every recommendation and every new five-star review feels like another small piece of something I’m continuing to build.
And, if I’m completely truthful, I still love standing back at the end of a transformation and thinking: “That looks bloody good.”
➡️ What has been the toughest challenge you have faced as a business owner so far?
The toughest challenge has probably been learning that being good at the work and being good at running a business are two completely different things.
I had decades of practical experience when I started BGH, but suddenly I also had to become the salesperson, estimator, marketer, administrator, photographer, customer service department and accountant — while still being the person actually doing the work.
There have also been quieter periods when the phone hasn’t rung as much as expected. When you’re self-employed and responsible for everything, that can be worrying. You quickly learn that you can’t simply wait for work to arrive.
I dealt with it by constantly pushing the business forward. I worked on our online presence, collected genuine customer reviews, photographed every transformation, improved how we presented our services and continued building BGH’s reputation one job at a time.
It taught me never to become complacent. A successful business needs attention even when you’re busy. You have to keep marketing, keep improving, keep learning and keep looking after the customers who built your reputation in the first place.
Six years into building BGH, I’m still learning. But I’m proud that when challenges have come along, my response has generally been the same: work out what needs improving, get on with it and keep moving forward..
➡️ What are you most proud of building so far, and what is next for your business?
What I’m most proud of isn’t one particular award or project — it’s the reputation we’ve built from absolutely nothing.
BGH started in 2020 with me knocking on doors looking for those first opportunities. Six years later, we have more than 300 five-star Google reviews, multiple business awards and a huge portfolio of genuine before-and-after transformations.
Those reviews probably mean the most to me. Awards are fantastic recognition, but when hundreds of customers have taken their own time to publicly recommend your business, you know you must be doing something right.
I’m also proud that BGH has developed into a specialist restoration company rather than simply another exterior-cleaning business. We’ve built our name around craftsmanship, attention to detail and the principle of “restore, don’t replace.”
But I’m definitely not finished yet.
The next stage is about continuing to grow BGH while expanding what we can offer. We have recently introduced new patio and pathway installations, meaning we can now help customers whether their existing surface can be restored or whether a completely new one is genuinely the better solution.
Longer term, my goal is to build BGH into a business with a reputation and systems strong enough that it doesn’t have to depend entirely on me being physically on every job.
I’ve spent six years building the name. The next chapter is about building something that can continue long after i’m gone.
➡️ Have any mentors, role models, or other business owners influenced your journey?
Without question, my biggest mentor and role model was my father.
He was one of those people who seemed to be good at everything he turned his hand to. He was incredibly intelligent, practical and talented, and an amazing stonemason. Growing up around him had a huge influence on the way I approach my own work today.
He taught me far more than just practical skills. I learned from him that if you’re going to do something, do it properly and take pride in it. Don’t cut corners, don’t settle for “that’ll do”, and always try to leave something behind that you’re proud to put your name to.
I think a lot of my attention to detail comes from him. Even now, when I’m working on a patio or standing back looking at a finished restoration, there’s probably a part of me still judging the job by the standards he taught me.
Over more than 30 years in the trade I’ve learned from many talented tradespeople and business owners, and running BGH has taught me plenty of lessons of its own. But if I’m asked who had the biggest influence on me, there’s really only one answer — my dad.
He set the standard for me, both as a tradesman and as a person, and I’m incredibly proud to carry some of what he taught me into the work I do today.
➡️ If you were starting your business again today, what would you do differently?
If I were starting BGH again today, I’d think like a business owner much earlier rather than just thinking like a tradesman.
At the beginning, most of my attention was naturally on doing great work and finding the next customer. What I understand now is that doing excellent work is only half the battle. You also need to build the brand, collect reviews, photograph your work, market consistently and put proper systems in place.
I would have invested in my online presence much earlier and documented every job from day one. Genuine before-and-after photographs and customer reviews have become two of the most powerful assets BGH has.
I’d also have been more confident about the value of specialist workmanship. When you’re starting out, it’s very easy to worry about being cheaper than the competition. Experience has taught me that you shouldn’t try to build a premium business by competing to be the cheapest.
Most importantly, I would have started planning earlier for a business that could eventually operate without me having to physically do everything myself.
That said, I wouldn’t change the difficult early days completely. Knocking on doors, winning those first customers and building BGH one job and one review at a time taught me lessons that I probably couldn’t have learned any other way.
I’d take the same journey again — I’d just start building the business around the tradesman a lot sooner.
➡️ What makes your way of doing things different?
What makes BGH different is that I’ve never wanted to be just another pressure-washing company. Restoration is a skilled process, and the cleaning itself is only one part of it.
With more than 30 years of experience in the trade, I’ve learned that the preparation and small details are what ultimately determine the quality of the finished job. I don’t believe in rushing those stages or taking shortcuts.
For example, when restoring a patio, failed joints are removed properly to the required depth rather than simply covered over. New jointing material is prepared correctly and worked carefully into every joint by hand. With block paving and pattern-imprinted concrete, the same attention goes into preparation, repairs, re-sanding, sealing and colour restoration.
I also believe strongly in being honest with customers. If something can be restored, I’ll explain what can realistically be achieved. If restoration isn’t the right solution, I’ll say so. Customers should understand exactly what they’re paying for before any work begins.
I personally take great pride in every transformation. I’m probably my own harshest critic — if I wouldn’t be happy with the finish at my own home, I’m not happy leaving it at somebody else’s.
That combination of experience, specialist restoration knowledge, attention to detail and genuine pride in the finished result is what I believe has built BGH’s reputation and resulted in hundreds of five-star customer reviews.
➡️ What is one thing people often misunderstand about your industry or the work you do?
The biggest misunderstanding is that driveway and patio restoration is basically just pressure washing. It absolutely isn’t.
Anybody can buy a pressure washer and make a dirty patio look cleaner. Proper restoration is about understanding the surface, identifying why it has deteriorated and then carrying out the correct process to bring it back as close as possible to its best condition.
Cleaning is only one stage. Depending on the surface, restoration can involve removing failed joints to the correct depth, repairs, specialist stain treatments, re-jointing, re-sanding, sealing, colour restoration and protecting the surface for the future.
Another misconception is that when a patio or driveway looks terrible, it automatically needs replacing. Some of the worst-looking surfaces can produce the most dramatic transformations.
That’s why I’m such a believer in “restore, don’t replace.” Before spending thousands of pounds ripping out something that may still be structurally sound, it’s worth having it assessed by somebody who specialises in restoration.
A pressure washer cleans something.
A specialist restoration should give it a new lease of life.
➡️ Can you share an example of a customer, project or job that sums up what you do well?
One of the best examples of what BGH does is a natural stone patio we were asked to look at that the owners genuinely believed had reached the end of its life.
Years of weathering and organic growth had completely changed its appearance. The joints had deteriorated and the original colours of the stone were barely visible. At first glance, replacing the patio might have seemed like the obvious answer.
Instead, I explained that the underlying paving was still sound and that, with the correct restoration process, there was no reason to rip it all up.
We carefully removed the failed jointing, professionally deep-cleaned the stone and brought back colours that the owners had forgotten were even there. Once everything was properly prepared, the patio was re-jointed by hand using a quality two-part resin jointing system.
The difference was dramatic. What had looked like an old patio ready for replacement looked completely transformed, while retaining the character of the original stone.
For me, that job sums up BGH perfectly. We don’t just clean surfaces — we look at what is already there, understand how it was constructed and use our experience to restore it properly.
The reaction from customers when they see the finished transformation is still one of the best parts of what I do. Very often I hear some version of, “I can’t believe that’s the same patio.”
That’s exactly what we’re trying to achieve: restore rather than replace whenever restoration is genuinely the right solution.
➡️ What do customers tend to appreciate most about working with you?
The feedback I hear most often is that customers appreciate the amount of care I put into their property and the fact that I don’t rush the job.
From the initial quotation, I try to explain exactly what I believe can be achieved, what the process involves and what the customer is paying for. I would rather be completely honest about the limitations of a restoration than promise something just to win the work.
Customers also regularly comment on the attention to detail. I’m extremely particular about the finished result, sometimes probably more particular than the customer! If something isn’t right, I’ll keep working on it until I’m satisfied.
Another thing people seem to value is reliability and communication. Turning up when you say you will, keeping somebody informed and treating their home with respect sounds simple, but it makes a huge difference.
Ultimately though, the results speak louder than anything I could say about the business. We have built up more than 300 five-star Google reviews, and I’m incredibly proud that so many customers have taken the time to recommend us publicly.
For me, every job carries the BGH name. Whether it’s a small patio or a large restoration project, the standard shouldn’t change just because the size of the job does.
➡️ What advice would you give to someone in Kent who is thinking about starting their own business?
My advice would be simple: don’t wait until everything is perfect, because it never will be. Start somewhere and be prepared to work bloody hard at it.
When I started BGH, I didn’t have hundreds of reviews, awards or a big customer base. I had my experience, my tools, a belief that I could provide a good service — and I was prepared to knock on doors to find somebody willing to give me an opportunity.
Your first version of your business won’t be your final version. You’ll make mistakes, spend money on things that don’t work and have days when you question whether you’ve made the right decision. That’s part of it.
Look after every early customer as though they’re your most important customer, because at that stage they are. Do excellent work, keep your promises, take photographs, ask for reviews and build your reputation one customer at a time.
I’d also say don’t become obsessed with what everybody else is doing. Learn from your competitors, certainly, but concentrate on becoming exceptionally good at what you do.
And don’t be frightened of starting small. BGH started with me knocking on doors. Six years later, we’ve built a multi-award-winning business with hundreds of five-star reviews.
Nobody starts at the finish line.
Back yourself, take the first step and then keep bloody going.
➡️ What is your favourite place in Kent to grab a coffee, take a break, or find inspiration?
If I’m completely honest, I don’t really have one - yet.
The last six years have been so focused on building BGH that I probably haven’t taken enough time to stop and appreciate the places around me in Kent.
When you run your own business, particularly when you’re still very hands-on, it’s surprisingly difficult to switch off. Even when I’m not physically working, I’m usually thinking about the next job, answering customers or working on how to improve the business.
So perhaps that’s something I need to change.
One of my goals for the future is to create a business that gives me a little more time to actually enjoy the county I’ve spent so many years working all over.
Ask me this question again in a few years — hopefully I’ll have a bloody good answer! 😂
➡️ Is there anything we haven't asked that you'd love people to know about you or your business?
If there’s one thing I’d like people to know about BGH, it’s that this business means everything to me.
I didn’t buy an established company or inherit a customer base. I started BGH from scratch in 2020, knocking on doors and asking people to give me an opportunity. Every customer, photograph, recommendation, review and award since then has been earned one job at a time.
A lot of the standards I work to came from my father. He was an incredibly talented stonemason, extremely intelligent and the person I looked up to most. He taught me to take pride in what I do and that if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. Those lessons are still with me every day.
I’m also proud that we’ve helped demonstrate that restoration can be a genuine alternative to replacement. There are thousands of patios and driveways that may look beyond saving but still have years of life left in them when they’re restored correctly.
BGH has come a long way in six years, but I still feel like we’re only partway through the journey.
My ambition isn’t simply to make BGH bigger. I want to build a business with a reputation that lasts — one associated with craftsmanship, honesty, attention to detail and doing things properly.
And if, years from now, people still associate the BGH name with those things, I’ll consider everything I’ve put into building it worthwhile. ❤️💪🏻
You can contact Ben and the team at BGH Driveway and Patio Services here:
Name: Ben
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07908020250
Website: BGH Driveway and Patio Services
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bgh-driveway-and-patio-services/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BGHDrivewayandPatioServices
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patio_restorations
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