About Us

In The Beginning…

Adam left a high street bank as a business bank manager (among many other jobs) to become self-employed.

After 12 years at the bank, Adam left a high street bank and set up ‘It’s The Money Guy”, a free service that helps people learn about money. The problem with running a ”free service”, it doesn’t put food on the table! So he ventured into the world of private hire and taxi work.

The Early Days

Adam originally worked with local private hire firm, learning the ropes and trying to figure out how the private hire and taxi industry worked.

When I got into Private hire work, I was surprised by how detached everyone was. If someone was fully booked they’d simply tell customers they were full and that was that. It seemed weird that drivers didn’t work together.

I made a suggestion that if I couldn’t do a job could someone else do it for me and that was the start of what is now, the PHAT App!

Adam on how he got into the industry

Adam set up a Facebook group, Andover Private Hire And Taxi Services , now known as ‘Andover PHAT Services’. The group was manipulated due to the ability to have to verify a post.
The idea was, people who needed a lift could ask for one in the group and IF a driver (who was vetted first and made admin) could do a job, they’d approve the post and make contact with the customer. This was proving difficult to manage and so Adam got to work building the first PHAT App version…

The PHAT App part 1:

The PHAT App has actually been around for a few years now. Adam used an app builder system and made a very simple conditional forwarding email form. i.e. depending upon the answer given by the customer, would then determine who the email went to. So if you asked for ”anyone”, everyone who was a driver at the time would get emailed. If you chose specifically a driver or firm, then the email would only go to that firm.

This was taking some time to have to work through, ensuring all jobs were covered was taking some time and the requests were still coming in via email/WhatsApp/Facebook messenger/ text/ phone calls and via ‘contact us’ on phatservices.co.uk so as you can imagine… it was a little hectic!

Queue… Mike McGarry.

Mike Enters The Room

45 years ago, Mike started a martial art known as Jujitsu.

11 years ago, Adam walked into Mikes Dojo and began his own journey in Japanese Jujitsu and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Since then Adam and Mike have traveled around the world representing the GB Squad on numerous occasions and have won lots of National and international titles between them. They currently run Kyouken MMA & Jujitsu and have recently both become Directors of Great Britain Jujitsu – an internationally recognised British Martial Arts Federation.

Safe to say, Adam and Mike have become great friends over the year and now run no less than 4 businesses together.

Redundancy loss = PHAT Gain

Mike had done multiple jobs in the past that were very prestigious. With national-level managerial jobs, come tough demands, and ultimately Mike found himself on the receiving end of redundancies.

Adam suggested Mike became self-employed and they both spoke about the future of PHATs.

Adam is a very enthusiastic person who definitely has a skill in bringing people together. Being excitable is great, but this is where I can help. I have years of sales and managerial experience, who’s done plenty of project management. I have to reign him in every now and then when he’s coming up with his latest plans! We work great as a team; his vision and drive, along with my experience, are a winning formula.

Mike on his thoughts about joining the PHAT app

Mike set out to find a new system to bring the app to the next level. A system was found, and Adam got to work manipulating it into the way it is seen today.

The PHAT App part 2:

The latest version of the app is the second in a three-stage plan, with the third set to launch in a year or so.

The current app allows customers to book particular firms or no one specifically. It has all the latest technology that a modern app should have and it brings simplicity for both the driver and the end user.