Runway Training – Star Business of the Month – November 2014

About Runway Training Runway Training and Apprenticeships

Founded in 2008, Runway Training was born out of a need for a more flexible and accessible way for adult learners to gain level English and maths qualifications. Today the Tonbridge based company employs 15 people and offers blended and online learning solutions, as well as a range of professional development courses and high quality apprenticeships to employers including AXA PPP Healthcare, Hospice in The Weald and DFDS Seaways.

About Oliver

Oliver Trailor - Runway Training and Apprenticeships

Having completed a History degree at the University of Kent, Managing Director Oliver Trailor spent six months at a local Further Education College. Working within the Student Services team, Oliver spoke with individuals on a daily basis wanting to complete English and Maths qualifications to support their personal and professional development. For many the provision on offer was not accessible, busy home lives and work commitments meant travelling to college or attending evening classes was not possible. Having discussed a potential solution with a local Headmaster, who was becoming frustrated at constantly releasing staff for a whole day, the concept of offering an online course was developed.

“During the early days I used to just work on a laptop and had no fixed office. A day’s work consisted of travelling around various employers to visit learners and then making use of free wifi at local cafes to complete admin and check e-mails”.

A finalist for the 2012 West Kent Young Entrepreneur of the year award, Oliver has significantly grown the business and in 2013, launched the Runway Apprenticeships brand which delivers high quality apprenticeships across the Hospitality & Catering, Accountancy, Business and Health & Social Care sectors.

“We are very proud of our apprenticeship division and the high success rates of those apprentices gaining long term employment following completion of their programme. Our aim is to listen to employers and provide the very best service that meets the needs of their business, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach”.

Having helped over 7,000 learners achieve nationally recognised qualifications, Runway Training have learners all over the country and even some overseas. Away from work Oliver has a keen interest in Rugby and enjoys spending time with his wife and two young children.

Oliver’s plans for the future are to continue to grow Runway’s range of apprenticeship programmes and to develop an online English and maths GCSE course. He is also developing a shadowing programme with aspiring principal Nikki Gilbey to ensure that future FE leaders are able to learn from those currently in leadership roles.

Oliver’s Business Tip:

“Don’t be afraid to try new things and learn from your mistakes. Not everything will work, but it’s about how you learn from those experiences and move forward. I also try and look to those with more knowledge for advice and to discuss business ideas. If you constantly find yourself in a room full of people who know less than you, then you’re in the wrong room!”

Get in touch with Runway Training:

Website Facebook Twitter

Better Body Group – Star Business of the Month – October 2014

Better Body Group

About the Better Body Group

The Better Body Group was set up to solve a problem. People looking to lose weight or improve fitness were not getting the results they desired. This was down to two reasons; firstly their environment. All of the big gyms seemed to lack the right atmosphere. These chains were set up for profit only, the floor space was packed full of useless yet complex machines, the sales team seemed to be the only members of staff that cared (and that was only until you signed a 12 month contract!) and there was no extra care provided for those with special requirements.

Secondly the trainers were simply not qualified or experienced enough. There was (and still is) no governing body for personal trainers. That meant that anyone could become a personal trainer or therapist in a matter of weeks. Suddenly every man and his dog were becoming ‘fitness experts’ or ‘weight loss gurus’. This led to a huge rise in misinformation. Instead of trainers keeping their training methods based around science they simply started training their clients in the same way they would train themselves.

The combination of the two made it near on impossible for clients to achieve their goals quickly or safely. Cue the Better Body Group!

The Better Body Group Team has improved the lives of over 10,000 people in the south east. Our team of 30+ personal trainers and physiotherapists provide professionally guided exercise and nutrition solutions whatever your age, weight or goal.

About Director Chris Wharton

Chris Wharton - Better Body Group

After graduating in 2007 with an exercise science degree, Chris knew he wanted to run his own business. He first met his business partner Jason Crow by chance stumbling across his personal training company in Sevenoaks. It was just 12 months later that Jason and Chris decided on a partnership to open a bigger and better facility. Over the next 4 years they built the biggest and most qualified team of personal trainers and physiotherapists in the country in one of Europe’s biggest personal training facilities based in Sevenoaks. A second site has recently opened in Blackheath with a third due to open in Wimbledon village at the end of the month. The team are always looking for ways to better other people so they launched ‘Better Body Institute’. An education company working in conjunction with universities across the UK.

In his spare time Chris is keen to help other young entrepreneurs achieve their potential. He recently became a Volunteer Business Mentor for Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs and is a supporting entrepreneur for 7billionideas.com. The recent 2014 Kent Excellence In Business Awards brought success as a Finalist in two categories the ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’, and ‘Customer Service and Commitment’.

Chris’ Business TipBetter Body Group

‘Surround yourself with the right people. I am lucky enough to have an amazing team of staff and clients to work with every day. What’s more I have been lucky enough to have a great business partner in Jason Crow who has helped support me through some tough times. Finding yourself a mentor or someone that has already made the journey you are taking can save you a lot of time…and money!’

Connect with the Better Body Group:

Website     Facebook     Twitter
KEiBA 2014 Finalist Logo

 

Success at Sevenoaks Business Startup Workshop

This was the final in a series of workshops we have been delivering across West Kent. After success in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells it was now time for us to hit Sevenoaks. So on Saturday 20th September we headed over to House in the Basement Youth Cafe to deliver a workshop to aspiring young entrepreneurs to provide:

  • Introduction to business planning
  • Creating and innovating business ideas
  • Introduction to promoting a business

It was a great success and everyone who attended showed a great enthusiasm towards business and were keen to get their ideas off the ground. We are now eager to carry on working with them by providing ongoing support through our trained Volunteer Business Mentors. They will be matched with a Mentor that suits their business support needs and will be able to meet with them for one hour per month to create action plans and discuss their business issues/ideas.

Funded by:

West Kent Partnership
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Big Lottery Funding received for Edenbridge Enterprise Initiative

We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded funding from Awards for All a Big Lottery Fund initiative that funds small, community based projects across the UK.

The Edenbridge Enterprise Initiative will work with young people aged between 16-25 to provide enhanced skills, knowledge, confidence and self esteem in order to become gainfully employed or start their own business. Although the majority of West Kent is fairly urban, Edenbridge has been identified as a rural area within West Kent with high youth unemployment, with no secondary school coupled with infrequent transport links to nearby Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks. With a lack of employment opportunities in the area this has a direct result on some of the local young people, increasing the likelihood of low aspirations and self worth.

We feel it is important to address these issues so Kent Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs has teamed up with social enterprise Target Your Potential who will prepare young people with the necessary skills needed to enter in to employment. This will be paired with exploratory workshops delivered by us into starting a business. To further increase the chances of success young people who participate in the training will be able to access free support from both organisations through monitored work experience or Business Mentoring.

Be a part of it:

As part of the project we will be looking for local business owners and professionals to put themselves forward and get involved. In order to build a community based project and keep the support network within easy reach of young people the involvement locally is crucial. We are on the lookout for those who would be able to offer their services in the form of work experience or becoming a Volunteer Business Mentor. Your input could make a huge life changing impact to the life of a young person and not only that but we are almost certain that you will find the experience highly rewarding. It’s your chance to be a part of their future!

Big Lottery Fund Awards for AllTarget Your Potential - Youth Employment Services

VooServers – Kent Star Business of the Month – September 2014

About VooServers®

VooServers was founded in March 2005 by its current technical director Matt Parkinson who had a keen interest in I.T. and the way it could influence and aid businesses and day to day life. The company has been built around its key principal of customer service always putting the customers’ welfare first in any key decisions. Since 2005 our product portfolio has grown significantly to include almost all aspects of hosted and managed I.T. services as well as complete data centre solutions such as entire hosted offices including e-mails, phone systems, electronic resource planning, document collaboration etc. With our 10 year anniversary approaching we now have 3 different global points of presence serving a wide range of clients from small businesses up to multi-national PLC’s whilst still maintaining our original business ethics in everything we do.

About Me

I started the company when I was 16 and just about to start sixth form at the Howard School in Rainham. I had always been interested in the ability to make your own way in life and combined with a strong passion for I.T. the two naturally came together to form what was originally a hobby intended to make a little bit of money to see me through school.

Matt Parkinson - Voo Servers KEiBA Finalist

Having started the company when I was still at school this often became a barrier to the development in the early years not only due to time constraints but the perception of me by potential customers. In the first few years I tried to steer clear of making my age known to anyone and most business was performed purely by phone or e-mail but even now having just turned 25 customers are often surprised at how long I have been running VooServers.

Over the years the hobby grew and grew and whilst I was still living at my parents and operating out of my brothers old bedroom I realised there was no better time for me to give my own company a go as a full time operation. Later in life there were going to be mortgages, bills and other commitments I would have to keep to and not having these at the time meant I was able to grow the business at a steady rate and handle all areas of the business in an efficient and controlled manner.

The Past and the Future of VooServers

The past 18 months has seen substantial growth going from having 2 members of staff to 7 and opening 2 new locations in New York and Frankfurt alongside expanding our primary location in Maidstone, Kent. We currently serve customers in more than 70 countries around the world so setting up new locations in key markets is essential to serving those customers efficiently.

The 2 new locations have also been fundamental in us launching our new highly resilient services in the past year which use all 3 of our locations to provide an always on and always available service which is key to our success as more businesses are turning to 24/7 operations and requiring access to data whenever and wherever they want it.

The vision for VooServers in the future is to continue developing new services as new technology is released alongside starting to innovate our own products and services based on in house research and technology which is not yet available on the market.

The launch of new locations in the past 18 months has also allowed us to see the potential for VooServers to become a globally recognised brand and we are already seeing a significant growth as a result of launching these new locations. Our sights are currently set on the possibility of opening additional locations in Moscow and Singapore in the near future to further enhance our offerings and growth.

My Business Tip

My business tip actually comes from Sir Richard Branson but it is the one thing that is always in my head and I think is key to the success of a young entrepreneur.

“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes –

then learn how to do it later!”

Website              Facebook              Twitter

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Exploring Business as a Career Option – West Kent

Exploring Business as a Career option…

Not something young people immediately think of, but we think it should be a realistic option.

So on the 14th August we headed over to Swanley Youth and Community Centre and held a workshop for 16-19 year olds to discover, explore and find out more about what’s involved in starting a business.

It involved, effective introductions, confidence building and how to sell. The day was capped off with the group split in three teams to design/create their own business, promotional materials and exhibition space. Guests were invited in to visit the exhibition, pose questions to the ‘business owners’ providing a superb environment to practice what had been learnt throughout the day. Overall a great success with plenty of enthusiasm, creativity and thought provoking ideas! Here’s a few snaps from the day:

Do you want to get involved?

We are in Sevenoaks on the 20th September from 11:00am – 2:00pm covering business planning, effective communication and how to market/promote your business. Visit the Sevenoaks Business Start Up Workshop event here…