Founded during the first Covid-19 lockdown, NTB Survey has grown from a one-person operation at a kitchen table into a thriving surveying business serving clients across the construction, infrastructure and public sectors. After relocating from Darwen to Bury, the business unlocked new opportunities that helped accelerate its growth, securing flagship projects including the prestigious Bury Town Hall survey contract and achieving four consecutive years of double-digit growth.
Following the move, Managing Director Nick Bamber began building new relationships through the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, which introduced him to GM Business Growth Hub and opened the door to strategic support that would help shape the next stage of the company's development.
We spoke to Nick about the company's journey so far.
From Lockdown Start-Up to Thriving Business
Can you tell us about NTB Survey and how the business began?
NTB Survey was born during the first lockdown in April 2020. I'd been a land surveyor for more than 20 years and had always wanted to build a business of my own rather than remain a sole trader.
We provide the mapping and survey data that underpins the built environment. Before anything can be designed or built, someone needs to understand exactly what's there already. That's where we come in. We carry out topographical surveys, measured building surveys, utility surveys, laser scanning and a range of other geospatial services that support construction and infrastructure projects.
From the beginning, my ambition was to build a business that valued its people. I firmly believe that if you look after your staff and give them the tools to succeed, they'll deliver excellent work for your clients. That approach has been a major factor in our growth.
What have been some of the key milestones in your growth journey?
One of the biggest milestones was building the right team. After establishing the business during lockdown and learning some early lessons, we assembled an experienced core team who all shared the same commitment to quality and customer service. That gave us the platform to scale, diversify our services and pursue larger opportunities.
Since then, we've achieved sustained growth year after year. Our turnover increased from £489,000 to £651,000 in the last financial year alone, representing 31% growth.
More importantly, this wasn't a one-off result. Over the past four years, we've consistently achieved double-digit annual growth of 18%, 33%, 22% and 31%. That consistency reflects the quality of our team, the strength of our client relationships and the foundations we've built as a business.
What challenges were you facing as the business grew?
The biggest challenge wasn't technical; it was learning to transition from being a land surveyor to becoming a business owner. As a surveyor, you're focused on delivering projects. As a business owner, you're responsible for strategy, growth, recruitment, finance and long-term planning.
At the same time, an incident accelerated our decision to relocate from Darwen to Bury. While the move created short-term disruption and additional costs, it ultimately proved to be one of the best decisions we made, bringing us closer to Greater Manchester's business community and opening up new opportunities.
Turning Ambition into Action
How has support from GM Business Growth Hub helped the business grow?
Following our introduction through the Chamber, a GM Business Growth Hub adviser became a sounding board for my ideas. I wasn't looking for funding. I wanted someone who could challenge my thinking, help me focus my plans and give me confidence that I was moving in the right direction.
The support centred around strategic growth planning and helping us identify opportunities within the public sector. My adviser helped me develop structured one-year, two-year and five-year plans, acting as a critical friend who challenged my thinking and helped turn ideas into practical actions.
One particularly valuable area of support was procurement and tendering. Working together on a framework application for Kirklees Council helped me better present our capabilities, social value commitments and environmental credentials. More importantly, it gave me a better understanding of how to position the business for larger public sector opportunities.
That experience proved invaluable when the opportunity to work on the Bury Town Hall redevelopment emerged.
The Bury Town Hall survey was one of the largest measured building survey projects we've undertaken and remains one of our flagship contracts. The project provided a significant amount of work, showcased our capabilities on a prestigious building and strengthened relationships with both Bury Council and LK Group.
More importantly, it created momentum, leading to additional commissions and a much stronger presence within the public sector.
The tendering and strategic planning work I had done with GM Business Growth Hub
beforehand played a major role in preparing us for opportunities like this. Without that support, I genuinely don't think we would have secured the Bury Town Hall contract.
The Value of Relationships
What impact has Business Growth Hub support had on the business?
The biggest impact has been clarity and confidence.
The support helped me focus on the opportunities most likely to generate long-term growth and build relationships that support business development.
It's very easy as a business owner to lose focus when you're facing uncertainty. Having an experienced adviser who could challenge my thinking and help validate our plans made a huge difference. The support also helped strengthen our tendering capability and improve our strategic planning.
As the business continued to grow, we also worked closely with GM Business Growth Hub's Construction Sector Development Lead. Through her sector knowledge and network, she connected us with organisations and opportunities across Greater Manchester.
Ultimately, growth comes down to relationships, and Business Growth Hub has played an important role in helping us build them.
Looking Ahead
What's next for NTB Survey?
Our focus is on sustainable growth. We're continuing to develop relationships with local authorities, asset managers and engineering consultancies while expanding our surveying capabilities. We're also committed to developing the next generation of surveyors through apprenticeships and college partnerships.
Our long-term goal is simple: deliver exceptional survey work and remain a trusted partner across the region.
Nick Bamber, Managing Director, NTB Survey
Get in touch
Please contact us at 0161 3593050 or query below.
Take that first step and we’ll support you with whatever you need to succeed.
Sign-up to our newsletter
Insights, news, events and opportunities straight to your inbox.