TGt Meets... Matt Cole

We've been catching up with Matt Cole, Co-owner of Arc Lighting, about all things business in Swindon.

What inspired you to set up your business in Swindon?
BSS House is a great out of town location. Rates are good, free parking for customers. It is like a small community here, our couriers are across the corridor, our sign writers a few units down. A company we use for powder coating are the other side of Cheney Manor.

Describe your business in 3 words…
Friendly, Creative, Passionate

What advice would you give anyone looking to do the same?
Research design trends. Always look out for quirky, individual lighting. Take inspiration from wherever you are. Be approachable and work closely with any clients to give them exactly what they need, offering help and ideas when needed.

What do you think attracts business people to Swindon?
Central location, a lot more affordable than many other areas around i.e Bristol, Bath, and even London. We also have a vast array of businesses in Swindon without having to travel too far, most of which are friendly and looking to help.

How do you like to spend your time off?
Family time, any form of art, watch movies, collect comics, bit of golf or football.

What have been your key challenges and how have you overcome them?
Growing our client base, many interior design companies in London are very particular in what they want. Making sure we impress with our lighting can be difficult at times. We just make sure we are always offering the best we possibly can.

Your 2pm meeting has been cancelled, meaning you now have a two-hour lunch break. What do you do? 
Probably be a massive nerd and source new lighting, or trawl ebay for new comic books!

Describe Swindon in three words... 
Affordable, Sociable, and Accommodating. 

What has been your biggest achievement to date?
Our biggest achievement is probably designing/manufacturing/suppling all the lighting for a restaurant in London called ‘Whyte & Browns’ which won a prestigious design award at ‘The Bar & Restaurant design awards’ for best standalone restaurant.

What are your plans for the future?
Hopefully expand the shop, offer lots more lighting. Work with new clients locally.