Hopefully by now you’ve read that SportStars were unveiled as our Startups Awards Business of the Year last night. If not, read about all our winners here.
I’m still buzzing from mixing with a crowd so positively brimming with entrepreneurial energy and hearing the stories behind so many emerging businesses. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be profiling each of the winners.
SportStars quite simply encompass everything a start-up business should be in 2007: It’s a brilliant idea that solves a problem; it’s profitable and scaleable; and it’s impacted positively on its local community.
Started by James Taylor, 24, with a £1,000 21st birthday gift from his parents, SportStars provides organised sports coaching sessions both within school term time and at after-school, weekend and holiday clubs. James capitalised on government PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) requirements by offering schools the ideal solution to fill staff training absences, but has also worked closely with parents who have been trained to work as qualified coaches, making the most of its local community resources.
SportStars is essentially a simple idea, yet it ticks so many boxes. It answers the need for qualified sports coaching as we look ahead to the 2012 Olympics. It addresses the need to tackle childhood obesity through increased physical activity. And in a year that’s made us tragically aware of the need for safe secure recreational activities for children, SportStars has provided a community-led solution to do just that.
But what makes SportStars worthy of recognition beyond simply being ‘a good cause’, is that it’s actually got a really strong business model and is profitable. Generating annual revenues in excess of £1m and 10-15% profits, James has proved it's entirely possible to start and run an ethically sound, community-minded business while remaining unapologetically focused on, well, making money!
I can’t not mention Andrew Crawford’s stunning business The Book Depository which rightfully picked up two awards – it dwarfs SportStars and in many people’s eyes was the rightful overall winner.
Ex-Amazon employee Andrew has built a £21m turnover inside three years by concentrating on the longtail niches his previous employers overlooked and republishing out-of-print titles. It’s a truly innovative online business that’s forged differentiation and found market share where there appeared little and introduced industry changing supply processes.
I love it as a company and admire Andrew immensely. However, I maintain SportStars are the worthy winners.
One of the key reasons is that at every single other business awards, SportStars wouldn’t have even been at the same table as The Book Depository, let alone had a chance of beating them. Most awards apply strictly scientific metrics to judging, urge judges to let their heads rule their hearts and focus solely on paper not person.
That’s the difference with the Startups Awards – we recognise personal as well as business success and have dared to attempt to put companies of vastly different scales - though both technically ‘start-ups’ - up against each other.
For me, it’s the only way you’ll ever truly recognise the wonderful cross-section that is today’s small business community – it has to be essential that we champion the Andrew Crawfords AND the James Taylors.
Indeed, Andrew was gracious enough to acknowledge that at just 24, the challenges James had faced in setting-up SportStars were vastly different to those he, as an experienced executive with corporate experience, had faced.
I hope you agree with our choice, but let me know if you don't; and what constitutes success for you.
