Unlike Online Business, Offline Business is easy to touch and feel. You are dealing with people, physical assets, buildings, customers in front of you and on the telephone. Listed below are the Offline Businesses I have been involved with on a day to day basis. I have invested in other Offline Business in addition to the companies I mention here.
Golf Investments
Chairman and Major Shareholder
1999 – 2010
By 2007 I had built up a portfolio of six operating golf courses and 3 new golf course developments with profits after tax of over £500k. I took a decision to dispose of all golf assets before I was 55 and achieved this goal in December 2010 with three days to spare.
Hire Intelligence PTY
CEO – UK & Europe
1997 – 1999
Largest quoted short-term computer and audiovisual rental company in Australia opened in the UK in 1997. I set up the company’s European office in London, recruited the sales and administration staff and franchisees.
Bearwood Lakes Golf Club
Founder and Company Secretary
1994 – 1997
Bearwood Lakes was the most successful debenture funded golf course development in the 1990’s. I was instrumental in raising funds of £4.5 million from debenture sales from 700 members before BLGC opened, and overseeing the investment of £3.75 million on the 18 hole course and clubhouse development.
Bearwood was voted one of the top five new golf courses in the UK and Ireland by Golf World within two weeks of the course opening.
Active Software
Major Shareholder
1992-1994
Microsoft Certified Information Technology consultancy specialising in development assignments in systems analysis for Microsoft Solution Providers.
Completed projects for client companies including: Bass, AstraZenica, BT, Nestlé, Bradford & Bingley Building Society and Kraft Jacobs Suchard.
Also worked on direct contract for Schroder Investment Management.
Finance & Equity
Director and Shareholder
1987 – 1992
A consultancy firm specialising in feasibility studies, hotel and golf investment, project management and implementation.
We invested and developed a £7 million Hotel, Leisure and Residential project.
Advised clients on their company disposals to the UK quoted companies and were specialist consultants for Security Pacific Eurofinance (UK) Ltd advising on leisure and retail developments.
Grandstand Sports & Leisure PLC
Marketing Director and Founder
1984 – 1987
Began the company with two other directors with our own money and raised £1million of venture capital to open the first out of town superstore in 1986 selling sports and leisure goods in the UK.
We built and opened over 50,000-sq ft of selling space in two locations in eighteen months.
Created a successful profitable business with a turnover in excess of £5 million.
Grandstand was sold to Sears Holdings Plc to form the basis of their Olympus Outdoor World Superstores (bought by Sports Division in 1995 which was taken over by JJB Sports in 1998).
Paradyne & Case
Major Accounts Manager
1977 – 1984
Paradyne were a major U.S. Data Communications equipment manufacturer. Their products were distributed in Europe by Computer & Systems Engineering Limited.
Started at the company as a sales executive and was promoted twice in four years to the management position of Northern Sales Manager. Part of the team that launched UK manufactured products in the U.S.
On returning to England I was promoted to Major Accounts Manager – UK.
The company was sold to AT & T in 1985.
