BUSINESS
Kent
SMALL BUSINESSES
WITH THE SUN NOW SHINING , JESS MARSHALL HEADS OUT TO DISCOVER THREE FLEDGLING BUSINESSES WITH A DISTINCT OUTDOOR THEME ...
Alfie George Keeping / FC Academy
After years of dreaming of starting a football training business , Alfie George decided to make his dream a reality , with not just one venture , but two ! Aiming to help young aspiring goalies reach their goals (* pun intended !), Alfie George Keeping focuses on the four critical areas of training ; tactical , physical , social , and psychological . Drawing from his own experience Alfie wanted to not only develop young player ' s skills , but in his own words ; ‘ provide a safe environment for learning and talking ’. Wanting to share the football love across the pitch , Alfie and business partner Ian Varley ’ s FC Academy trains children aged 5-11 , of all abilities , how to play , enjoy and love football . From 3 centres across Kent , Alfie , Ian and their coaches currently work with over 120 children a week . Alfie adds ; ‘ I love that we are inclusive and that for me is what football is all about at a young age . The coaches we have are fantastic at differentiating the sessions , so everyone gets something out of it and that ’ s what I love .’
Alfie _ George _ Keeping Alfie George Keeping AlfieGKeeping fcacademyltd
The Thirsty Farrier
While enjoying a couple of cocktails at their sister ' s wedding , Jon and Dan Trainer had their lightbulb moment . With one brother having a background in engineering and the other a whole lot of hospitality experience , the idea of creating a mobile bar business bloomed from two dilapidated horse boxes and a spark of brilliance . A business built on banging cocktails with a side of cheeky brotherly charm , The Thirsty Farrier opened it ’ s horsebox door in 2019 . As with every business in the hospitality industry , the Covid pandemic hit the brothers hard with events cancelled and the crushing disappointment of the fledgling business being ground to a halt . But Dan and Jon weren ’ t about to give up that easily and threw themselves into not only adapting their business for the Covid era , but also improving every single aspect of it . From some incredibly popular virtual cocktail masterclasses , to a newly constructed indoor bar , and a beautifully unique piano bar , the boys have had their work cut out for them over the last 12 months , but seeing their customers smiling faces in person will make the memory of 2020 totally worth it . For anyone looking to follow in the footsteps of The Thirsty Farrier Jon and Dan advise ; ‘ Don ' t think too much about the ' what if ' s ' just jump in feet first and you won ' t look back .’
www . thethirstyfarrier . co . uk thethirstyfarrier
Project Ink
Bespoke events company Project Ink was founded in 2017 by Louise Bench and Alan Pryce , who had worked together for over 8 years . With such a long working history , built on trust and talent , both knew starting a small business together was a no brainer . Offering the people of Kent everything from high class glamping to fun and feisty festivals , Louise and Alan have built one of the most unique events companies in the southeast . The covid-19 pandemic certainly put Project Ink to the test , but this dynamic duo faced the challenge head on and created a way to cater to private outdoor dining events with their sophisticated igloo dining experience . The same impeccable attention to detail and customer service that would normally accompany their larger outdoor events , just on a smaller , more personal scale . ‘ For the rest of 2021 we are looking to continue to collaborate with other small local businesses to offer additional services .’ Said the team . When we asked what their secret to a thriving small business was they said ; ‘ Our top tips for anyone starting their own business is to have 100 % confidence in what you do and always think about the customer experience .’
www . projectinkevents . co . uk projectink . events
160