‘Listen to the advice of people who’ve been in your shoes’
Ben Coates is the Owner of Ben’s School of Swimming, a swim school in Cragg Vale dedicated to teaching individuals how to swim confidently and safely.
WHY DID YOU START YOUR BUSINESS IN THE FIRST PLACE?: Mostly so that I would still have a job! Ben’s School of Swimming was previously UK Swimstarts, one of a chain of swim schools that has been going for some 18 years. The pool here in Cragg Vale opened in the early 2010s and was the first building on the site we are at now, Craggs Industrial Park. I taught here for several years and the owners approached me about the possibility of creating my own school here. I’ve always been passionate about education and fitness, so to have the opportunity to run my own business and work with the children locally was a no-brainer for me.
WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS MOTTO?: Everybody has a right to learn. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, how easy or hard an individual may find it, everyone is entitled to learn something that they’re passionate about or can be useful to them. Previously I was a support and teaching assistant at a special needs school, and working there gave me the passion for education, and helping others on their chosen paths.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ANYONE STARTING THEIR OWN BUSINESS?: Keep everything! Everything from invoices to bank statements, qualifications and general paperwork. Having a good record of what you’ve done within the business saves a lot of headaches and time down the line. When you’re first getting started out, listen to the advice of people who’ve been in your shoes before. There might be things you’ve already heard, or advice you can’t use, but everyone has something you can learn from.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU
FACED STARTING YOUR
BUSINESS?: It’s definitely the paperwork side of the business. I’ve been teaching here for several years, and I’m very confident working with children and teaching them how to swim, but all I’ve known up to starting the business was in the water. Going from working in a business to running one changes how you see things and how you work. I’ve got to keep on top of everything from rent to wages and VAT, it’s a lot to learn and you’ve got to learn it quickly. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY
MOST ABOUT BEING SELFEMPLOYED?: Transitioning from working here to owning my own school is great, as it still feels like I don’t own it sometimes, it just happens to be a job that I love. Having so much experience teaching here beforehand made it a lot less strenuous than jumping into something new. I love setting myself goals and meeting them, so that I can see the business grow.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY
LEAST ABOUT BEING SELFEMPLOYED?: I can’t put my finger on anything that stands out. I love every part of having my own business. Obviously, there was quite a big change to my work life balance, but that’s to be expected. I don’t get to go home when everybody has finished swimming anymore, but it’s all worth it for what I get out of it.
WHICH BUSINESS FIGURE DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY?: To be perfectly honest I wouldn’t say I have one. I never saw myself getting into business frankly, so I never had somebody to aspire to in that field. Sometimes I pinch myself thinking that I actually run one! It’s something I’m looking at now as I get more involved, who can I base myself on, and who do I aspire to be like? WHAT ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUR CAREER ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?: It’s not an achievement in my career per se, but what’s shaped my career was definitely becoming a Dad. Becoming a father has put me on the path to where I am today. It’s different teaching as a parent and opened my eyes massively to how I can be a better teacher, and how my teaching can make me a better Dad. Thankfully, I’ve got a great support network of friends and family who help me balance everything.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BUSINESS GOING IN THE
NEXT FIVE YEARS?: I’d love to still be based here at The Craggs, it’s a fantastic location and really unique. It would be great to have another pool that we could rent to a local school and teach more advanced swimmers. Working closely with local schools who don’t have a pool is incredibly important, so that they can have it as part of their curriculum without incurring all of the costs. It’s a very long way away, but I can potentially see us expanding the ‘Ben’s School’ brand to incorporate more activities aside from swimming. I love teaching, so having more services would be great for me.
IF YOU COULD INVENT
ONE NEW PRODUCT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?: A neverending cup of coffee!
It doesn’t matter how long it takes, how easy or hard an individual may find it, everyone is entitled to learn something Ben Coates