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From launching a business in the wake of redundancy to building a growing facilities management company rooted in purpose, people and community, Right FM’s journey is anything but ordinary.

Founded in early 2023 by Venesa Coodien and her business partner Stuart Robertson, Right FM has quickly established itself as a flexible, values-led provider of facilities management and compliance services across Bedfordshire and beyond. But for Venesa, success has never just been about growth - it has always been about doing things the right way.

A business built on momentum and purpose

Right FM was launched at a pivotal moment. Following a challenging redundancy situation, Venesa and Stuart made the decision to act on an ambition they had shared for years.

“We’d always talked about starting something ourselves,” Venesa explains. “When the opportunity came, we had the momentum and the support behind us to take that leap.”

That leap paid off quickly. Within their first year, Right FM achieved ISO accreditations and won Best Small Business at the 2024 Kimberly-Clark Professional™ Golden Service Awards - widely considered the “Oscars” of the cleaning and facilities management industry - a significant achievement for a new business.

Today, the business provides a broad range of services including cleaning, maintenance, catering and vending, alongside a specialist compliance offer covering ISO standards, GDPR and cyber security – a combination that sets them apart in the market.

More than facilities management

While Right FM operates nationally, the company has made a conscious decision to focus much of the business’s energy closer to home.

That involvement runs deep. Alongside running the business, Venesa is a school governor, trustee, mentor and active contributor to local initiatives, including Luton’s long-term regeneration and community programmes. This includes active involvement in the Luton 2040 vision, supporting wider efforts to create a more inclusive, sustainable and thriving town for future generations.

This community commitment is not separate from the business, but central to it.

“One of the things that makes Right FM different is our community focus,” she explains. “We want to create opportunities for people locally, whether that’s employment, training or just giving people a starting point.”

Creating opportunities through business

That ethos is reflected in how Right FM approaches its work. From partnering with local contractors to exploring ways to employ individuals through community organisations, the business is designed to deliver both commercial and social value.

“We’re working on initiatives where we can bring people into the business who just need that first opportunity,” Venesa says. “Facilities management opens up much more than people realise with long-terms careers in cleaning, admin and compliance.”

The company also works closely with the University of Bedfordshire offering students real-world project experience and helping bridge the gap between education and employment.

It is a model that combines practical service delivery with a longer-term view of impact, something that Right FM are passionate about building further.

A culture built on respect and relationships

Internally, Right FM is equally focused on creating a positive working environment.

“We’ve both worked in places where people don’t feel valued, and we didn’t want to recreate that,” Venesa explains. “There shouldn’t be a divide between roles or a hierarchy. Everyone contributes to the success of the business.”

That people-first mindset extends to clients too. As a young business, Right FM is already seeing strong levels of repeat work, with clients returning for ongoing compliance support and ad hoc services.

“People buy from people,” Venesa says. “If you build good relationships and deliver quality, they come back.”

The value of Chamber membership

For Right FM, the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce has played a key role in that journey.

“We’ve tried a lot of networking groups, but the Chamber is the one we’ve stayed with,” she says. “It’s been really useful, not just for business but for building genuine relationships.”

That sense of community has gone beyond professional connections, with friendships forming alongside business opportunities.

“It’s not just networking; it’s a support system. You get out what you put in, and we’ve definitely seen the value of that.”

Looking ahead

With major investment and regeneration planned across Bedfordshire, Venesa sees significant opportunity for Right FM to grow its role locally, particularly across facilities, compliance and community-led initiatives.

In the longer term, her ambitions are deliberately grounded.

“We’re not trying to build something huge for the sake of it,” she says. “We want a business that’s sustainable, that people enjoy being part of, and that genuinely adds value to the community.”

It is a vision shaped as much by personal experience as business strategy with Venesa explaining “If we can build something that helps people and makes a difference locally, then we’re doing it right.”

Find out more

To learn more about Right FM and how they can support your facilities management or compliance needs, visit www.rightfm.co.uk

If you are interested in collaborating on community initiatives or exploring partnership opportunities, Venesa and the team welcome conversations with like-minded organisations.

To find out more about Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce membership, visit www.chamber-business.com or call 01582 522448.