Case Study
Local man had burning desire to set up his own business
Paul Martin set up Quantum Fire Risk Management to provide the expert knowledge and assistance businesses need to understand the Northern Ireland Fire Safety legislation. He is committed to helping businesses achieve full compliance with all their fire safety obligations.
Paul explained why he wanted to start his own consultancy: “I enjoyed the challenge of working within the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and for the last 15 years of service I worked as an Officer in the fire safety department. This made starting my own business easy as I already had the experience and a working in-depth knowledge of the industry. It has been a lifelong ambition to run my own business and it gives me flexibility to work within my own limits. I also like the satisfaction of meeting challenges and being my own boss.”
Like all businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic the uncertainty and unpredictability has been challenging. Although some of his customers are operating in sectors that did not need to close, his anticipated customer and market trends had to be re-evaluated to meet the changing economic climate. Also, as technology is constantly changing, he discovered that he needed expert advice to ensure he had the right IT solutions to meet the needs of his business.
The coaching programme certainly boosted Paul’s confidence and offered techniques and ideas from marketing to finance and setting and achieving the business goals. He was provided with tools and information that enabled him to evaluate and identify the financial health of his business. His coach from Mallusk Enterprise encouraged him to have realistic expectations of how his business might grow in the months and year ahead.
How would you describe your Coach ?
The coach was encouraging and had the ability to offer first-hand experience and knowledge as he had been in business himself.
Where do you see your business going in the next 6 months?
With greater marketing focus and business forecasting combined with the relaxation of Covid restrictions I hope that I can direct my business towards an upward trend. I would hope that I can further embed Quantum as a fixture in the fire safety industry in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.