Sujee Dasanayaka, Founder & Managing Director, Broadscope Facility Services | The CEO Magazine

When Sujee Dasanayaka arrived in Australia from Sri Lanka, he didn’t set out to build a multimillion-dollar brand. He simply wanted to make a better life for himself and his family back home.

In the beginning, that meant juggling two jobs. His days began at 7am, working a full-time job until 3pm before heading straight to a second shift, supervising school cleaning crews from 4pm. The hours were long, but the experience was invaluable.

Today, Dasanayaka is Managing Director of Broadscope Facility Services, the company he founded in 2020 and grew into an eight-figure business within five years. While its rise has been remarkable, he insists the numbers are just a by-product of what truly matters.

“When I started, success was largely about what I could achieve personally,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “Today, it’s much more about what we can achieve collectively and what we can build for the future.”

Seeing the opportunity

Initially, immersing himself in the cleaning industry was a means to an end. But as he gained experience – 15 years’ worth – Dasanayaka realized he had been given an industry playbook no business school could replicate.

“It was hard work, but it taught me a lot. Working in the cleaning industry helped me understand how the industry really works and, more importantly, how to build relationships with people,” he says.

“I started to see both the opportunities and the gaps within the industry.”

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when cleaning had become an essential service, Dasanayaka took the leap and built Broadscope Facility Services. Even then, he knew the company wouldn’t be an ordinary cleaning business.

“I saw a gap between traditional cleaning services and what businesses actually needed from a modern facilities management partner,” he explains.

“From the beginning, I invested heavily in facility management technology and systems. I wanted Broadscope Facility Services to be more than just a cleaning company. I wanted us to build a business that could solve problems, create efficiencies and become a trusted partner for our clients.”

Those early investments allowed the company to develop the capabilities needed to support increasingly complex client requirements. But arguably, Dasanayaka’s best investment was building a team that shared his ambitions.

“I knew I couldn’t build something significant on my own,” he admits. “So I focused on surrounding myself with good people, learning from them and letting them grow with the business.”

Trust earns growth

Instead of growing no matter the cost, Dasanayaka took a more deliberate approach, earning repeat business, referrals and long-standing customer relationships.

“We didn’t build the business simply by chasing growth,” he says. “We focused on building systems that allowed us to deliver what we promised consistently.”

Reliability quickly became central to the company’s reputation.

“If a client gives you an opportunity, you have to deliver. You have to be reliable, accountable and consistent,” he insists.

Understanding what clients were trying to achieve also helped it move beyond simply fulfilling service agreements.

“At Broadscope, we always try to look beyond the individual job and understand what our clients are ultimately trying to achieve,” Dasanayaka says.

“That means being proactive, identifying issues before they become problems and looking for ways to add value rather than simply doing what is written in a contract.”

Clients responded to that commitment and the resulting relationships have created opportunities for Broadscope Facility Services to expand alongside them.

“Many of our strongest relationships have developed because clients have seen that we’re prepared to stand behind what we do and work alongside them when challenges arise,” he points out.

Learning to let go

As Broadscope Facility Services scaled, Dasanayaka faced a challenge familiar to entrepreneurs whose businesses have grown faster than they initially imagined.

The hands-on approach that served him well in the early days soon became increasingly difficult to maintain. Too many decisions were dependent on too few people and the company’s future growth required something more.

“One of the biggest turning points was moving from being heavily founder-dependent to building a strong leadership team and putting the right people in the right positions,” he recalls.

“As the business grew, I realized that if every decision had to come through one or two people, we would eventually limit our own growth.”

So Dasanayaka began strengthening leadership across the business, giving managers clear accountability and the authority to make decisions. Financial controls, reporting, operational systems and performance management were also improved.

“What works in a small company won’t necessarily work in a larger organization,” he acknowledges.

The changes required him to rethink his own responsibilities as well.

“Real growth happened when we started building a business that could operate successfully beyond the founder,” he says.

People-powered progress

While Broadscope Facility Services’ technology and operational systems have supported its expansion, Dasanayaka credits the company’s employees with earning the relationships that sustain it.

“Our people have been absolutely central to Broadscope’s growth,” he insists. “At the end of the day, clients don’t just build relationships with a company – they build relationships with the people they deal with every day.”

Dasanayaka says employees are encouraged to take ownership of client relationships, make decisions and solve problems, all supported by leaders who understand the importance of setting the right example.

“We believe culture is built through actions, not just words,” he says. “It’s about communication, recognizing people for their contribution, supporting them when things are challenging and creating an environment where they feel comfortable sharing ideas and taking responsibility.

“More importantly, we want people to feel part of something bigger than their individual job. We’re building the business together and everyone has a role to play.

“When people feel valued, trusted and included in the journey, that connection naturally becomes part of the culture.”

Success beyond numbers

Having achieved in a handful of years what many entrepreneurs spend decades pursuing, Dasanayaka is now turning his attention to strengthening Broadscope Facility Services for the long-term.

“Our ambition goes beyond simply increasing revenue,” he says. “The next chapter is about building a business that is stronger, more mature and more sustainable.”

It’s also an opportunity to reflect on how far his own ambitions have evolved. When Dasanayaka first arrived in Australia, success meant financial security, independence and a chance to create a better life not just for him, but also for his family.

Now having built a business far larger than he ever imagined, his priorities have shifted.

“I’ve realized that success is much bigger than numbers,” he says. “Today, success means building an organization that creates opportunities for others, provides stability for our team and delivers real value to our clients.”

As his story comes full circle, Dasanayaka hopes to inspire others, showing them what’s possible when they refuse to be defined by their beginnings.

“If there is one message I’d like people to take from my story, it’s that your starting point doesn’t have to define your destination,” he concludes.

“With hard work, resilience, the willingness to learn and the right people around you, you can build something much bigger than you initially imagined.”