Case Studies
Ian Wilkes
Ian Wilkes 45 from Cheshire had spent 25 years working in the Banking Industry before deciding to follow his dream and set up his own business.
Father of three Ian left his job as Director of Commercial banking where he managed a team of over 40, in delivering quality services to medium sized businesses. He now runs a successful franchise in the Cheshire region.
“I’d long harboured a desire to work for myself and so when the bank kindly offered me voluntary redundancy I jumped at the chance. Having considered setting up on my own, I looked into the franchise option and decided that this was probably the better route – freedom of my own business but with central support from the franchisor. I looked at a couple of franchise options but decided that Premier Sport were best suited to help me make a success of it.
Sport offers children so much more than just technical skills to play a game. Communication skills, teamwork, understanding of others strengths and weaknesses, respect, learning how to win and how to accept defeat are key life skills that sport can bring. In addition, of course, if children enjoy sport they are more likely to continue playing sport, or at least keep active, in their adult life and this is great for their health and physical wellbeing.”
Raakhee Morrison
Hertfordshire Mum of two Raakhee Morrison decided to join Premier Sport after ten years working for HBOS. Raakhee launched her franchisee in May 2011 fulfilling her dream of running her own business and working with children.
In the short time Rakhee has been trading she has already set up thirteen extra-curricular clubs across eight local schools and exceeded her financial targets. Rakhee’s team has delivered a variety of activities including Athletics, Kwik Cricket, Gymnastics, Racket Sports, Basketball, Street Dance, Netball and Fencing.
Raakhee’s franchisee operates throughout Bushey, Watford, Stanmore Harrow, Rickmansworth and Northwood.
“I have always wanted to run my own business especially after having my children but I was always nervous about starting a business from scratch on my own, so a franchise seemed like the natural thing to go for. I spoke to the Premier Sport coaches at my children’s school and they told me about the opportunity with Premier. I love sports and I love children so it is the perfect career for me.
I believe sports and having an active lifestyle is the best remedy in life……………and if we can teach our children to enjoy sports and have the confidence in themselves from an early age, that is something they will stay with them forever whether they go on to sports professionally or not.”
As someone new to franchising and running your own business what has the journey been like?
“Rollercoaster ! All go !Overwhelming at times and a lot to learn - I love it!
I just love what I am doing now with my career and this is the first time I have felt this way, even though I put in long hours it does not feel like ‘work’ but more of a passion, it’s my business so what I put in I know I will get out. It is a lot of hard work but I have a real drive to succeed and achieve
Also being able to work from home, having the opportunity of working around my sons and my husband, some days it means working very late at night but I feel very lucky to have that option.
My long term aims are to offer great coaching in as many schools as possible, to offer PE Provsion as well a range of EC sports. Have a great team of Coaches who enjoy working with me. To ensure children are getting the best when it comes to sports.
What has the support from Premier Sport been like?
Great, they babysit to begin with ( attend meetings with schools, get business on board etc ) then they let you get on with it, you have to find your feet but they are a phone call away when you need support or advice. I call my mentor for anything I am not sure about. Head Office are always keeping us updates with courses and anything else relevant going on.
The professionalism of Premier Sport and drive of their staff and ultimately the support that you receive to run a business has been fantastic.
I would absolutely recommend Premier Sport to people looking to go into business. You don’t have the hassle of starting a new business, the product is ready to sell so that’s half the battle, there’s a lot of support with the franchise business i.e. talking to other franchisee’s who have more experience and are on hand to advise you on anything. So you are not alone.
Premier Sport has extremely high standards which the company prides itself in. And that’s how it should be especially when you are working with children."
Gavin Winter
Eleven time Champion speed skater Gavin Winter hung up his skates in 2008 and embarked on running his own business with a Premier Sport franchise.
Gavin joined Premier Sport in 2008 and has never looked back, acquiring his second franchise just three months ago.
“I always wanted to make sport my career, sport and business are both passions of mine and Premier Sport was an ideal way to go. The huge level of
support and Premier Sports position in the market meant they were the right choice for me.
I am personally grateful of the opportunities I had whilst growing up to become a top athlete, I believe that the positive role models I had in my life (coaches) have shaped me as a person and given me direction and inspired me to take part in sport.”
As well as skating Gavin previously worked within the fitness industry as a personal trainer and a Leisure Centre Duty Manager. He now owns two franchises in Staffordshire and Stoke-on –Trent, both of which are showing continued growth turning over 130k.
“Our objectives are to continue to grow the business and create a strong and outstanding workforce.
I would recommend this opportunity to anyone, there is a great support network using a tried and tested model made successful by many franchisees with a wealth of experience plus Premier Sport are constantly investing to develop our businesses and brand”
Running your own business has many rewards Gavin highlights just a few;
”Having the freedom to be my own boss, continually being motivated to increase the business and most importantly building great relationships with schools, parents and children.
Our business won Franchise of the Year award at this year’s annual conference which was a great achievement and proved that our hard work and determination was paying off.”
Ben Eshelby
Ben, 21, first heard about Premier Sport through a friend at their local Job Centre. After taking an interest he became a candidate for the Future Jobs Fund (FJF)and at the age of 20, got a job as a FJF coach for a franchise in the Leicestershire area.
Ben Eshelby (right)
Winner of the 2011 Newcomer of the Year Award
“When I first went to my local Job Centre in Stamford, they mentioned the possibilities with Premier Sport. I read the literature and I was impressed straight away. I then looked at their website and I knew it was the job for me.
So far, through Premier Sport I have achieved many sporting qualifications including Basketball Level 1 & 2, Gymnastics, Tri-Golf, Dodge ball, Fencing, Cricket, Rounder’s, Racket sports and many more, but the great thing is there is always an exciting new sports qualification around the corner!!!
Ben opened his own franchise in January 2011. He currently delivers nineteen extra curricular and 5 half days of curricular coaching events a week, over the Rutland, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire areas.
He was also awarded Premier Sport Newcomer of the Year 2011 at this year’s conference (right of picture).
“Working with children is my dream job and teaching them sport, just makes it all the more worthwhile. I decided to start my franchise with Premier Sport because it’s such a well run organisation, giving you all the help and support you need when starting a new business. Seeing the business grow by employing a dedicated team of coaches is really exciting, whilst I also enjoy generating new business by building relationships with schools and head teachers.”
My immediate plans are to build onto the existing business I have secured this year. This will involve increasing my team of staff to 5 full time employees, who will be working in over 20 schools per week focused on offering new activities such as dance and swimming.
It’s been hard work, but I have enjoyed the challenge of meeting head teachers and generating new business within their schools. The toughest part at the start was recruiting coaches, but once I found the right coaches it all started falling into place. Winning Franchisee newcomer of the year made all the hard work worthwhile.
Premier Sport is a very well organised, professional company and I would certainly recommend that anybody interested in becoming a sports coach or owning their sports coaching business should consider talking to one of our team".
Andrew Joinson
Andrew Joinson, 27, has a degree in Sports Industry Management and Football Studies. He spent 5 years coaching football and basketball before starting his own Premier Sport Franchise in the Sussex, Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Haywards Heath, Hastings and Bognor areas.
Andrew invested £3,500 from the start. He’s hoping to be running 3 successful franchises with each of them turning over in excess of £250k per year.
Andrew Joinson
“I did my degree in sports industry management and football studies. Alongside this I did a lot of coaching which I loved and knew that’s where I wanted to be.
When I started in 2005 I managed to get 5 PPA contracts and 8 clubs booked in after only 8 promotional days. Since then the company has developed to support a team of coaches delivering over 20 PPA contracts and 80 clubs per week.
The hardest part about running a franchise is understanding business and not just delivering coaching sessions. But the best part is I’m my own boss and the fate of my business is in my own hands.
For some children, sport is the Vessel they use to achieve their aims and objectives. If you can get the children active and healthy now then hopefully they will continue to participate in the coming years”.
Gareth Simpson
In 2003, Gareth started his franchise with Premier Sport at the age of 23. Prior to this he was studying at university. With a passion for sport, he was drawn to coaching and worked with Football in the Community as a Football coach for Cambridge United, Brentford Football Club and Cambridge City Football Club.
His business covers the Cambridge and Newmarket areas. In his first year of trading Gareth’s turnover was a very respectable £45k.This financial year Gareth’s expected turnover is expected to be just over £200k.
Gareth Simpson
“I wasn’t good enough to be a professional sportsman so coaching was the next best thing. I found out about Premier Sport, a professional coaching organisation so they were always looking to improve. I could instantly see that there was a chance for me to build a real business for myself to put me in a strong position for the future.
It’s been quite a journey. When I first started, I was coaching ten sessions a week with two part-time staff. Now, I have four full-time and seven part-time staff.
One of the major changes was the introduction of the PPA scheme enforced by the government which enabled us to cover PE in schools. It’s increased the profit of my business by around 40%.
There have been major developments in the company, both coaching wise and enhancements to administration procedures. I attend training days held by head office so I can keep up to speed with all the changes and if I do need any other support/advice my Premier Sport mentor is always available”.
Premier Sport provides all franchisees 9-5pm, Monday-Friday support from head office, including marketing, pr, administration and accounts. Most of this information is automated from a state of the art, CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. All Franchisees have access to this system which is fundamental in terms of accuracy, consistency and saving time.
“The support is very good. Head office staff are always willing to help. We have mentors to turn to and there are 3-4 compulsory training days a year as well as numerous additional courses which we can book our staff on to help develop our business.
I would definitely recommend Premier Sport and franchising to people looking for a business. I really enjoy it. Being my own boss, the money, working in sport and being a role model for children in the area”.
Daniel Bloomfield
One of Premier Sport’s original franchisees is on course to turn over £¾ million this year - after already recording a larger turnover than the company’s biggest competitor in its entirety.
Former professional footballer Danny Bloomfield, 28, owns three of Premier Sport’s growing network of franchised territories - and recorded a turnover of £½ million last year.
Now Danny, who took on a single franchise in 2003 is turning over more than Premier’s biggest national competitor in its entirety.
Danny Bloomfield
The former Norwich City and AFC Bournemouth player runs three different areas – Suffolk, Norfolk and Kent – employing two managers and 40 coaches.
“Before I started with Premier it never entered my head I would even run my own business, let alone three, successfully. I never dreamt I would do the things I now do as daily routines, and couldn't see myself being in this position without the guidance and support I have received.
It's been tough, stressful, exciting, fun, very educational and just full of highs and lows! I believe my turnover in the first year was about £20k which at the time felt amazing.
Our projected turnover this year is between £700 - £750k over our three franchises. This has grown steadily over the last few years and is something we are very committed to achieving this year.
By doing this it will enable us to fairly reimburse our leadership and coaching teams meaning we have a strong infrastructure with excellent people to move the business forward even more. Continuity of staff is vital for us, and having a team who feel valued has and will continue to have huge benefits in the long term. Our team really are the most important part of our business and this is recognised in the level of investment and support we endeavour to provide them with".
Chief Executive of Premier Sport, David Batch, said:
“Sport has never been as big as it is today – and neither have the opportunities within it. We have spent years developing the systems and procedures needed for franchisees to be successful in this market place, and that drive to improve continues every day”.
Father of one Danny, who lives in Ipswich, said it was Premier’s support which has helped him achieve his dream of running his own successful business in a sporting environment.
“Premier has an assessors team to support the delivery of staff, a mentors team for support and assistance with business development, and a head office team and CRM which standardises administrative tasks for franchisees. There is always someone to call when you need an answer of any topic of the business. It gives you a support network from the start to help you avoid making the same mistakes other people have. For me it is the middle ground of owning your own business with nearly all the benefits that gives, but without all of the gambles and hassles of being on your own and having to find your own route with all things you wouldn’t even dream you need to know.
Joining Premier has been the best thing I've done. Through hard work and a willingness to learn from my staff and I, along with Premiers expertise, we have steadily built a strong reputation for quality around our local schools under a brand they can rely on. I would recommend this experience to anyone”
loads of benefits!
- 15% off holiday courses
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