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From Act Pro to ownership - the latest young entrepreneur to complete the ‘Premier Journey’...

25 January 2015

This week we are delighted to introduce another young entrepreneur who is starting out on his business career with Premier Sport. Marcus Lahiff now owns the Premier Sport franchise in East Ham, London. Marcus took some time out this week to share with us his experiences to date, from working in a franchise to owning his own franchise.  

Tell me about the last two years, starting from your time as an Act Pro up to now?

I started working for Premier Sport as an Act Pro in South East London in 2012. As soon as I started working for Premier Sport I was aware of the opportunity to run my own business and this is something that really appealed to me. Seeing the impact that the Premier brand has in schools on a weekly basis drove me to put a plan together to run my own business by 2014. I was glad to have the support of Jonathan and Chris through this process and to help me realise my ambition of running my own business.  My franchise launched in September and it’s a new chapter of my life and a challenge that I am relishing.

How has Premier Education Group helped you along the way?

The Infrastructure and support in place from Activity Professional to Area Coordinator and beyond is outstanding. The constant in house training and focus on CPD is something that is second to none.

How have you developed over this time?

I came to Premier Sport as an Activity Professional and have not just developed as a Activity Professional but as a businessman also. As I mentioned before, the CPD and training the company puts on is something that has been extremely beneficial to me. Having no business background prior to launching my franchise it was good that Premier provided sufficient training and support to be able to get me ready for launching my franchise in September. 

Did you ever think you would be operating your own business in the physical activity arena?

Sport has always been a great passion of mine; whether it be playing or coaching it has been a big part of life.  My plan through my University degree was to gain a place on a PGCE and become a teacher, so the thought of running my own business is something that didn’t really cross my mind. When looking at options for my future the Premier Sport franchise is something that was too good to turn down.

Tell me about your future plans?

The initial plan is to work on curricular and clubs for the first couple of years and build up a solid base of schools and activity professionals within the territory. I am hoping to have established contact and be in 40 % of my schools by the 5 year renewal with Premier Sports. Premier Performing Arts is something that I will be looking to add once I become more established in the territory. 

What are your targets?

My Target for the first year is to break even, including my start-up costs. I would ideally have 3 fully trained activity professionals.

In year 2 I would like to continue building up good relationships with schools and employ a full time head coach who will assist me with the development of the current activity professionals.

By year 3 I would like to be an established provider within the area and look to bring Premier Performing Arts into the business to use as another way of attracting new schools, as well as adding a new different option to existing schools.

What’s the best part of being your own boss?

The best part of being your own boss is knowing that your future lies in your own hands. The freedom you have to set your own targets and in turn build yourself a successful business and future.

What would you say to someone contemplating running their own business?

I would definitely recommend someone to go ahead with running their own business. However they must ensure they thoroughly think through the best and worst case scenarios. When running your own business it is important to think everything through strategically before making decisions, as these decisions can have a detrimental effect on your business.


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