Lincoln Smith, MD of Custom Heat graduates from prestigious Oxford business programme
We’re proud to share that Lincoln Smith, our Managing Director at Custom Heat, has successfully completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses programme. This intensive 13-week course, run in partnership with Saïd Business School at Oxford University, is designed to equip small business leaders with the tools to grow their businesses and create jobs.
Lincoln was one of just 71 business owners selected from over 1,100 applicants for the Oxford online cohort – a real testament to his leadership and vision for Custom Heat.
Since completing the programme in January, Lincoln has been applying what he’s learned to help shape the future of the company. “As a qualified heating engineer running a family business, I’ve always had the technical skills, but this programme gave me a much clearer understanding of business and financial management. We’ve been able to introduce better ways to track our financial health and make decisions based on data, not just experience,” Lincoln explained.
Custom Heat, founded by Lincoln’s father in the 1980s, currently employs around 70 people, including apprentices. Thanks to the programme, we’ve already made changes across the business, including management restructuring, introducing new KPIs, standardising operating procedures, and holding monthly management meetings focused on financial metrics. Lincoln has also developed a KPI dashboard to keep everyone aligned.
Another key takeaway for Lincoln was the importance of strong processes. “When mistakes happen, it’s usually a process issue, not a people issue,” he says. This mindset is already helping teams work more effectively and confidently.
Looking ahead, Custom Heat’s growth plan is ambitious: we aim to double our workforce and create 75 new jobs locally over the next three years, with the goal of becoming the leading plumbing and heating company across the Midlands and South West.
Lincoln also emphasised the importance of ongoing learning for business leaders. “Access to business education is vital for SMEs navigating today’s economic landscape. We’d encourage leaders across the sector to seek out opportunities to learn and grow – it really makes a difference.”
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme, fully funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, has supported over 2,000 business leaders across the UK since 2010. We’re thrilled to see Lincoln and Custom Heat continue to benefit from this opportunity as we build our next chapter.
