We have a number of franchisees who started their careers as coaches and then made the decision to embark on a journey into business. Paul Furniss and Steve Hart are real life examples of coaches who made the transition.

Paul and Steve purchased their franchise in 2013, they were ideally placed to see the potential of the franchise as they have been delivering coaching sessions in the area over the last few years. The guys have had to complete the recruitment process which culminated in them producing a business plan, documenting how they are going to build their business in the Stoke region.

Paul and Steve acknowledged that there will be challenges ahead, with the additional responsibilities of being a business owner compared to being a coach, but both are relishing the prospect of taking control and realising their ambition of owning their own business.

After being in business for about 6 months now, we thought it would be a good chance to catch up with Paul and Steve to ask them a few questions to see how they are getting on...

Find out more today by completing our application form.

Q. Did you ever think that one day you would be running your own sport coaching business?
A. Growing up, our ambition was always to pursue careers in sport. To run our own sports coaching business is something that we didn't first envisage but has now given us a career in an industry we enjoy.

Q. How did you find the recruitment process?
A. The recruitment process for us was different to a lot of new franchisees but the fact that it was a professional and informative reassured us that we were making the right decision.

Q. How have you found the change from coach to business owner?
A. It has been challenging but at the same time exciting. The responsibility of owing a business is something that we have really enjoyed. Our background of coaching has helped massively as we understand how the company operates and we can also relate to our coaches as we have been in the same position as they have.

Q. How do you think you have changed since becoming a franchise owner?
A. I think since we have owned a franchise we have become more focused and determined to succeed in the industry.

Q. What is the most challenging part of your role?
A. There are many challenging roles but they are made easier by the fact we are working together. Having someone to bounce ideas off and share the workload makes the difficult areas of running a franchisee a lot easier.

Q. What is the best part about being a franchisee?
A. The fact that we are able to work in an environment and industry that we enjoy and also that we can control.

Q. What support do you get from Premier Sport?
A. Premier Sport has been fantastic, from people at HO, our mentor James Jennison and the network of franchisees in our area. Having that support network has been reassuring especially as new franchisees.

Q. What milestones have you set yourself
A. We set our targets each half term. Our aim though is to make sure our coaches as well as ourselves can continue to develop and provide the best service possible to schools.

Q. How is your business going?
A. Our business has gone from strength to strength in the first few months. We are continually growing our business but the most pleasing aspect is that schools/parents/children find the service we provide to be of high quality.

Q. Where do you want your business to be in 5 years time?
A. In 5 years time we would like our business to be operating smoothly with a happy and motivated workforce. We also want to have an expanding customer base that recognises the high quality of our work.

Q. What would you say to another coach who was considering taking the next step?
A. The support network is in place to help you but it's down to your to make it a success

Please note there is a financial commitment to setting up a franchise, including an initial fee of £9,950 and associated set up and ongoing fees. We have a great relationship with many of the high street banks and can support you in accessing the required funding.

If you would like to take the next step from being a coach to running your own business, please complete our application form...