Jo Dyke on Building Lostock Skip Hire: Service, Acquisition Growth, and Surviving Rising Costs
Jo Dyke discusses her path from sixth-form business studies and early jobs in a pub and a Bolton call centre to joining her family skip business, learning every role, and taking over in her 20s in a male-dominated industry. After failed family buyouts, she left in 2015, then partnered with a customer in 2016 to buy the business, combining her operational knowledge with his financial expertise. She explains differentiating through service, community support, accreditations (including DVSA Earned Recognition), major fleet investment, and growth through acquisitions (Bolton Skip Hire, A1 Skips, Able Skips, Preston Skip Hire). She covers compliance, a near-fatal surgery complication that changed her mindset and delegation, buying out her partner to become 100% owner, current pressures from fuel and wage increases, and launching a new man-and-van waste collection service, plus advice on research, cash reserves, and monitoring management accounts.
00:00 Welcome and Format
01:14 Early Jobs and Studies
02:00 Joining the Family Skip Firm
02:20 Leading Young in a Tough Industry
02:44 Walking Away and New Partner
05:29 Growing in a Competitive Market
07:02 Investing in Fleet and Compliance
07:43 Acquisitions and Price Wars
09:49 Safety Audits and New Offices
10:39 Health Scare and Stepping Back
12:39 Buying Out the Partner
14:19 100 Percent Ownership Mindset
15:17 Adam Joins the Business
15:57 Building the Management Team
16:54 Acquisitions and Team Culture
17:22 Fuel Costs and Survival Mode
18:33 Growth Plans and New Services
19:27 Succession and Legacy Questions
20:04 Women in a Male Industry
22:45 Advice for New Entrepreneurs
24:36 Tracking Numbers and KPIs
25:59 Waste Handling and Fire Safety
27:30 Learning Resources and Mindset
28:43 How to Contact Lostock Skips
29:42 Final Thanks and Wrap Up
PODCAST LINKS
Lostock Skip Hire Website: http://www.lostockskips.co.uk/
Jo’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-dyke-183aaa95/
Lostock Skip Hire LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lostock-skip-hire-ltd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lostockskiphire
ActionCOACH Bolton: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches/bolton
ActionCOACH Bolton Events: https://business.actioncoach.co.uk/coaches-events-listing?id=15417591592
Paul’s LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-limb/
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