Entrepreneur and football fanatic Mark Taffler had his heart set on starting a business, and through his stadium tours enterprise he achieved the ultimate work-life balance.
BusinessWings: What made you want to start your own stadium tours business?
Mark Taffler: It wasn’t specifically stadium tours; I just wanted to start my own business. I found it difficult to work for other people; I’ve always had a passion that seems to exceed that of the companies who employ me.
I was running the stadium tours department at Chelsea previously and thought “stick to what I know best”. I saw an opportunity to start a standalone business and I pursued it from there. If you have knowledge that you are willing to develop and have the drive, then success will follow.
BW: Did your educational background help you in this particular field?
You don’t have to have a degree to own a business, but experience and general knowledge is vital. I 've learnt a lot about owning a business as I go along the way
MT: You don’t have to have a degree to own a business, but experience and general knowledge is vital. I feel I have learnt a lot about owning a business as I go along the way.
However, if I hadn’t been at university, I wouldn’t have had the chance to get a work placement at Chelsea, so indirectly it helped me get into this particular field.
BW: How lucrative is the stadium tours sector?
MT: It depends which perspective you’re looking at it from, personally as an individual in business, it’s good; comparative to a sponsorship deal for a football club, a stadium tours department is small-fry.
However, as my sole income it's big revenue, but lucrative would suggest profitable, and I’m still working, so it’s not that lucrative!
BW: How many employees are contracted to your business? What qualities do you look for in your employees?
MT: Altogether, with back-of-house and front-of-house staff, there are about 40 employees. I try to find people that the business will benefit from, with qualities such as loyalty, diligence and a willingness to adapt within their job.
When you find someone who will join in and be part of the team and willing to give that little bit extra when needed, that’s when you know you have a good worker. Because our business provides a service to the public, we need to concentrate on who would represent our company in the best possible way.
BW: How did you secure the Wembley Stadium contract?
MT: Through determination, belligerence and sheer desperation. [laughs]
BW: Has the recession prompted a reduction in tourists visiting Wembley Stadium?
MT: It has, quite drastically. We have seen a considerable drop in numbers and it can definitely be attributed to the credit crunch.
However, there are reasons to persevere with good promotion and marketing, stadium tours are also expanding past Wembley…
BW: Have you got contracts around other Premier League grounds? What does the immediate future hold for the business?
MT: We’ve just signed with Portsmouth, we’re on the brink of signing a contract with Celtic and we’re hoping to renew with Wembley as well within the next month or so. Until the signatures are on the contracts it’s tentative, but the plans are exciting, and the future looks prosperous.
