Wha ar the up t now?
ALI WILLIAMS, 35, IS STILL THROWING THE BOOTS ON IN PARIS PLAYING RUGBY FOR RACING 92 IN A PLAYERCOACH ADVISORY ROLE.
Ali says living in France is a great opportunity to understand different cultures, different ways of doing things and it provides him more time with the family as he is never away more than 24 hours for a game.
However, with two kids – a new baby and a toddler – one of the characters of rugby knows he has to have an eye to the future, so Ali is preparing himself for the next transition by establishing a business life for after rugby.
Throughout his rugby career he has been in the furniture business and now has extended that to focus on beds. Ali is part owner of Sleep & Co, a company that supplies new mattresses and bed bases directly to your door.
The lock said: “The quality of a good night’s sleep for an athlete is vital. In fact, it is for everyone. It is hard to function, let alone perform at your peak when you have had a bad sleep. Sleep is crucial.
“Consumer habits are changing, which means moving to online and away from the fixed costs of stores so the customer can get a better price by eliminating the bricks and mortar part of the equation,” said Ali.
Ali rates the product highly, having personally used it, and he and his team are so confident in the product that they back it up 100 per cent.
“We focus completely on the customer by having free delivery, a decade long warranty and a 90-day trial where you get your money back and we even pay the cost of return if you are not completely satisfied. We also guarantee the lowest price or we’ll beat it.”
The former All Black has learned a few business lessons on the way. He advises players getting into businesses not to trust everyone and surround yourself with good people.
“Once you are outside the rugby bubble it is a different world. It is important to have good business partners. It is like a rugby team. You need good people around you to perform well. He also recommends to start off small and don’t grow too big too fast.
“It is important to learn about business and grow with it. You won’t have all the answers straight away, so that is where it is good to grow with the business so you can work through any issues that may crop up and they always do. You are always learning, so you need to be open minded. It is always good to have people to complement your skill set. Find people that have strengths in areas you don’t that can help you.
“Rugby doesn’t last forever so you need to set yourself up for life after it.”
Visit www.sleepandco.nz to find out more about what Ali says provides a great night’s sleep.